Recovery from the consequences of the illness is sometimes more difficult than recovering from the illness itself.
Issues of dysfunction, disability, and disadvantage are often more difficult than impairment issues. An inability to perform valued tasks and roles, and the resultant loss of self-esteem, are significant barriers to recovery. The barriers brought about by being placed in the category of “mentally ill” can be overwhelming. These disadvantages include loss 532 CHANGING TOWARD THE FUTURE of rights and equal opportunities, and discrimination in employment and housing, as well as barriers created by the system’s attempts at helping—e.g., lack of opportunities for self-determination, disempowering treatment practices. These disabilities and disadvantages can combine to limit a person’s recovery even though one has become predominantly asymptomatic.
