ForLikeMinds Community

Cybill of NE, Katherine Ponte of NY

Cards donated by Cybill, Messages by Katherine Ponte

Messages by Katherine Ponte

1

Dear Friend, I hope you’re doing OK. I’m here to tell you things will get better. I know, I have struggled too, it’s hard in here — i’ve been here 3 times — 2 in this very same unit. I know what’s it’s like — I missed home so much — all I could think about was going home, but soon you will, sooner than you expect. But please when you go home, please promise to me — even if I’m a stranger — that you will work as hard as you can to get better. It’s going to be really hard. And when things are the hardest you will think that you’ll never get better and that’s okay as long as you don’t give up. Work hard it’s worth it. I did and I reached recovery and I am happy again. Please try. Wishing you all the very best, your friends, xoxo, Katherine + Cybill

2

Dear Friend, I know it may be gloomy and doomy in here, but it will get sunny and bright in just a matter of time, you can get better. There is potential, there is hope, many people have reached recovery and so can you. Look at all of the people, your peers in here with you — surviving, living under very difficult circumstances — you’re doing it — you’re living day to day, month to month and 2020 — a near, a new decade — it could be the start of recovery for you. Soon you can be thriving. Never lose hope, dream again, pursue your dreams, let others help you and you can get better. Wishing you all the very best, your friends, xoxo, Katherine + Cybill

3

Dear Friend, I hope you’re doing ok. I know how hard it is to be in the psych ward. I’ve been here before — 3 times. I’m here, in a little message, in this card to tell you can and you will get better. I’m better, I did it, I worked hard, I listened to those who knew better, I stayed on my meds, I let my friends and family support me. All of this led me to recovery. It did for me and it can for you. You have to believe in yourself, you have to dream again — don’t be afraid, you have to love yourself, you have to know and believe your self worth — because you worthy, very worthy. I hope you know this, I hope you believe this. I hope all of this will guide your recovery journey. Wishing you all the very best, my much courage and strength, your friends, Xoxo, Katherine + Cybill

4.

Dear Friend, hello, my name is Katherine. I’ve been here too, today I’m visiting the psych ward to say hello to you, back to a place I was once in myself — 2 times as you are now. Thankfully I haven’t been back for a while — 5 years now and I’m counting each month since I was here. I could not wait to get out and I did. And when I did, I decided I didn’t want to come back and so I haven’t. I decided to go after recovery instead and I gave it my best shot and I made it. I am much better now. I’m living a full life. I want to let you know that can to. Believe in yourself, work hard, and your dreams can true. It happened for me, it can happen for you. Have hope, pursue it, live it. Wishing you well on your recovery journey. Your friends, Xoxo, Katherine + Cybill

5.

Dear Friend, I know you may not believe me, but please do. People with mental illness are brave and courageous, strong and resilient. You’re surviving, you’re living and that’s an achievement and in a year or two from now you can be thriving with mental illness, you can be in recovery. You’ve got what it takes to get there, but you have to be ready to fight for it, believe in it, do everything you possibly can to reach it and if you do, recovery is more likely than not. Believe me — there was a point in my life that I wanted to call it quits, but I knew that I couldnt — I couldn’t because I had too much to live for, I could not let my mental illness beat me and neither can you. Wishing you good wishes, wishing you recovery, your friends, Xoxo, Katherine + Cybill

6.

Dear Friend, I’m here to send you good wishes. I hope you’re holding up okay. I know it’s hard. I’ve been here too. But — the end of the year is near. A new decade is to begin. It may be full of joy and happiness for you. It may be the beginning of your recovery journey. Recovery is hope, it is promise, it is what every person with mental illness deserves, it is what you deserve. I’m here to tell you it’s waiting for you. It’s waiting for you to work as hard as you can to get better. It’s hard, it’s long, it’s rough and tough. But mental illness makes you strong. Believe in yourself, put all of your heart in it and you can be exactly where I am today — out of the psych ward and in recovery. Xoxo, your friends, Katherine + Cybill

7.

Dear Friend, I hope this card, this message can make you feel just a little bit better. I want you to know that people are thinking of you. A complete stranger gave me this card just for you, I added a message to let you know I understand. I understand what it’s like to be in the psych ward, because i’ve been there before. I haven’t been back in a while. My experience showed me that I had to work hard not to return, I had to get better and so I worked as hard as I could, I listened to those who knew better than me and I got better and so can you. Smile just a tiny, tiny little bit thinking about how how happy you’ll be when you get out of this place and when you do make it a fresh start, do everything right, you may stumble, but that’s all right. It’s part of the process -you must strive to reach recovery. Sooner or later you’ll get better. Be strong, be brave. You will, I did, you can, your friends, Xoxo, Katherine + Cybill

8.

Dear Friend, I’ve been here, exactly the same spot your are now, 11 North — in fact, twice. I know it’s hard, really hard. I’m here to tell that this is not your permanent residence. You will go home to be with your friends and family. Your life will get better, but you have to believe in yourself. You have to believe you can get better, work hard, listen to others when they are right and hopefully — you must always have hope never lose it — you’ll get better. It won’t happen overnight, I will take more than a month, it took me a couple of years, but all of that work finally paid off. I haven’t been back to the psych ward since 2014, I’ve been living in recovery. My mental illness took away my happiness, but recovery brought it back. The same can happen for you. Wishing you all the best, your friends, Katherine + Cybill

9.

Dear Friend, I come here to you, into the psych ward to offer good wishes, to wish you a speedy recovery. To share a little hope. It may seem dark and gloomy in here, but the clouds will part, sun will rise, shine bright, bring you good luck. Your struggle will end with recovery. Recovery won’t happen over night, it won’t come to you without great effort, but if you believe in yourself — and people with mental illness are strong and brave — it can happen for you, it may be just a matter of time. With each struggle overcome you will become stronger and stronger. Wishing you all the best, your friends, Katherine + Cybill

10.

Dear Friend, I’ve been in the psych ward just like you. It was hard, harder than anything I had ever experienced in my life. I struggled. I thought I’d never get better, but I did. Please listen to me when I say — today is not forever, tomorrow will not be the rest of your, but maybe slowly the next day and the day after that will be the day to start to get better, because you can. Have hope, work hard, ask for help and let others help you, do the right thing and you can get well. Wishing you much courage and strength, your friends, xoxo, Katherine + Cybill

11.

Dear Friend, please cheer up just a little, please feel better just a little. I know it’s hard in here, I know there’s a not a whole lot to do, I know the food could be better — I know all of this because i’ve been here before — 2 times, in fact. They were the most difficult times in my life. I thought I would never get better, but I surprised everybody, including myself. I got better. I had to work hard, I made mistakes, but I made it. I made it to a better life and I have not been back to the psych ward in 5 years. This, my experience could also be the same for you. Never give up, always have hope, good things can happen for you as it did for me. Believe that you can and you may. Wishing you all the very best, your friends, xoxo, Katherine + Cybill

12.

Dear Friend, I hope you’re doing okay, as the days pass along I hope you feel better and better. Things can and do get better as difficult as it may seem to believe now. I know that it may be difficult to feel happy, but you can feel happy again — I promise you. I did not think it was possible, but I discovered it was. I began to enjoy life again, have a life, after years of struggle. Nobody understood what I was feeling, but I understand what you’re going through — I’ve been in the hospital three times — I’ve been where you are 2 times. Make 2020 the year things start to get better, because they can when you work hard and believe in yourself, good things will happen for you. Wishing you all the best, good wishes, your friends, xoxo, Katherine + Cybill

13.

Dear Friend, don’t worry, don’t fret, today is not the rest of your life. Tomorrow is a new day, it’s the end of the year — out with the old, in with the new in 2020, a brand new decade, a whole new beginning. It was 5 years ago for me — I was in the psych ward — I thought I would never go home, but I did and I have not been back since, because I decided I wanted Recovery, I wanted my life back, I got it back by working hard, really hard. And I made it. And you can too. I am convinced of that, because you are strong, you are brave, you’re making it. Wishing you well, all the best, your friends, xoxo, katherine + Cybill

14.

Dear Friend, I am here with me. You don’t know me. I’m on the outside looking in, looking at you, I see you in my mind, I see what you’re going through, I see that you’re brave and courageous, because I was too when I was in the psych ward. It was the hardest time of my life. But I made it. I made it to recovery. I had a whole bunch of hope I’m not sure where it all came from, but it started with my peers, they gave me strength. There is a lot of strength in the psych ward, but mental illness makes you think otherwise, but it’s a lie, there is. You are strong, you will make it out of here. You can reach reach recovery if you work really hard. Believe you can do it, find the hope within you and watch it grow. I’m with you, wishing you well, hoping you’ll reach recovery, your friends, xoxo, Katherine — Cybill

15.

Dear Friend, please don’t worry. I know how hard it is right now for you. I know that you don’t have a lot of hope. But let me hold onto your hope for you — what little you may have until you’re ready for it and that will be soon. When I got of the hospital I was sad — my world was full of doubt, but day by day my hope grew and grew. It made me believe that recovery was possible. I held on tight. And it was possible. I eventually got better with a lot of hard work, good medical care, a lot of love from my friends and family. Your life will be better. Right now is not the rest of your life. I know it’s hard to believe it right now, but believe it because if you work, it will be true for you. I know you can do it, I know will do it, I an rooting you on, and so are so many others, all of your peers. So please, never lose hope, your friends, xoxo, Katherine + Cybill

16.

Dear Friend, we don’t know each other, but I care for you, I am thinking of about you, I am imagining all of the wonderful things that will be true for you, I am rooting you on. Because you and I are a lot alike. I was in the psych ward 3 times. You and I have been through a lot and we deserve to get better. I did and so can you. You need to believe in yourself, you need to have hope in your heart and it’s there it’s just sometimes hard to feel it when we’re feeling down, but soon it will reappear and it will grow stronger and stronger and lead you to recovery. So please don’t give up, believe in your hope, my hope for you, you can get better, and I’ll be really happy for you, wishing you well, your friends, xoxo, Katherine + Cybill