title: Slip sliding away: a journey from professional to consumer.
abstract: Although I am primarily known in my local mental health community for my professional advocacy and consumer satisfaction work, my consumer status has never been a secret. This article briefly details what has happened as I see and feel the effectiveness of my medications decrease along with my professional credibility and self-respect. Despite my diligence to my mental health and recovery practices, I, nonetheless, feel I am decompensating. The article explores some thoughts and lessons I am learning, along with my fellow consumers/professionals, as I find myself straddling the fence between these two groups of my colleagues.
authors.affiliation: West Chester University, Chester County Consumer Satisfaction Team of the COAD Group, Chester County, Pennsylvania, USA. rweiss@coadgroup.com
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Weiss
mesh_terms: D000739:Anecdotes as Topic; D003156:Community Mental Health Services; D003254:Consumer Advocacy; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D028642:Persons with Psychiatric Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D011363:Professional Impairment / Q000523:psychology*; D012650:Self Disclosure; D000078329:Workforce