Suddenly, seemingly overnight, Joe is seeing the world with the eyes of the man he might have become. His senses are alert, his mind clear. Lifting the veil of delusion can bring a reactive depression so legitimate and so powerful it may lead to immobilization or even thoughts of suicide. It seems to me that any pharmacologic agent with such powerful potential for reviving the lost self requires concomitant psychotherapy, preferably in a group format with peers undergoing the same type of transformation. Although Oliver Sacks had previously written about awakenings from specific neurological disorders, they were self-limiting and the patients ultimately regressed.
Sustained awakenings are unexplored territory, a brave but frightening new world.
Consumers have to build a new idea of themselves, a revised self concept, before they can proceed to enjoy their new unclouded rationality. Having been controlled both by their illness and by their caregivers, they must give themselves permission to take control of their own lives. Mental health professionals can be very helpful, simply because they are trained to help clients see themselves and their options more clearly. But family members and other consumers are equally important in this process. Consumers who have experienced their own awakenings are friends, motivators, and role models.