Samuel Chiltern answered
You don't mention a particular mental illness, but I can make some very broad observations about recovery from mental illnesses in general, which I'll expand upon in this answer.
Learning to Live With Mental Illness
If you were to break your arm, you'd go to the hospital and have it set in a plaster cast. After a few weeks, the cast would come off, and your doctor would declare you cured (if all went well).
Your doctor might warn you to be more careful next time but, unless you break your arm again, this condition won't come back.
Mental illnesses are different. Your doctor should be able to treat you for a mental health condition, and you will hopefully end up feeling much better. However, because we don't fully understand how the human brain works, it's simply not possible to guarantee that the problem won't ever come back.
Doctors generally regard people who have recovered from mental illness as 'in remission'. This means that their illness is no longer progressing, and its effects may no longer be felt - but there's no way to confidently declare that the patient is completely cured.
However, this is not to say that nobody ever gets better from mental illnesses - it does happen, but doctors are careful to point out that relapse is always a possibility.
Don't let anything I've said upset you, though - many people learn to live with their condition and lead perfectly contented lives. If they receive the correct support and treatment, then they can learn to spot any signs of relapse, and react promptly to avoid them worsening.
Learning to Live With Mental Illness
If you were to break your arm, you'd go to the hospital and have it set in a plaster cast. After a few weeks, the cast would come off, and your doctor would declare you cured (if all went well).
Your doctor might warn you to be more careful next time but, unless you break your arm again, this condition won't come back.
Mental illnesses are different. Your doctor should be able to treat you for a mental health condition, and you will hopefully end up feeling much better. However, because we don't fully understand how the human brain works, it's simply not possible to guarantee that the problem won't ever come back.
Doctors generally regard people who have recovered from mental illness as 'in remission'. This means that their illness is no longer progressing, and its effects may no longer be felt - but there's no way to confidently declare that the patient is completely cured.
However, this is not to say that nobody ever gets better from mental illnesses - it does happen, but doctors are careful to point out that relapse is always a possibility.
Don't let anything I've said upset you, though - many people learn to live with their condition and lead perfectly contented lives. If they receive the correct support and treatment, then they can learn to spot any signs of relapse, and react promptly to avoid them worsening.
