Learning about recovery and mental health
03-22-2023
Learning about recovery and mental health is an important part of the journey of a person with mental illness. It helps them understand that their experience does not define who they are or how they think or feel. Rather, it is a natural and healthy process that will enable them to improve their lives, achieve greater independence, and regain their full potential.
There are many pathways to recovery, based on the unique strengths, needs, preferences, goals, and culture of each individual. They are empowered to choose among options and participate in all decisions that affect their recovery.
Individuals can access services and supports to improve their quality of life, including clinical treatment, medication, self-care practices, peer support, faith-based approaches, social and community activities, and family support. They can also develop and practice coping skills, strengthen relationships, and manage the impact of their illness on their home, work, and social lives.
Tanner Iskra described the recovery model as a new approach that focuses on hope and the belief that people can recover from mental illnesses. It stresses the importance of connecting with other people who have experienced a similar situation and providing unconditional love to each other.
Optimism is key to recovery because it provides the motivation for people to pursue change and develop the coping strategies needed for long-term healing. It also enables the people involved to work together to develop plans and find resources that will help them make progress.
Recovery is a nonlinear process that involves continual growth, occasional setbacks, and learning from experience. It is strengths-based and builds on a person's inherent values, talents, coping abilities, and resiliencies.
It is a holistic process that embraces all aspects of life, including housing, education, employment, mental health, and addiction treatment. It is a journey that can be long and difficult, but it is possible for those affected by mental illnesses to find recovery.
The mental health system, primary care, and public health, as well as community organizations, must be adaptable and open to changing ways of working. They must support the recovery model and be willing to accept new concepts of care, including nonlinear recovery, that build on a person's strengths rather than their symptoms.
