By Emalee Gillis, NAMI Spokane Blog Editor.
Recovery from a life interrupted by a mental health condition looks different for every person who experiences it. This article first provides a standard definition of recovery and then includes quotes that show how different people have experienced recovery. Material in this article was excerpted from the 8-week Peer to Peer course for those with a mental health condition that is offered regularly by NAMI Spokane.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration defines recovery as a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential. Through the Recovery Support Strategic Initiative, SAMHSA has delineated four major dimensions that support a life in recovery:
Health: Overcoming or managing one’s disease(s) or symptoms—for example, abstaining from use of alcohol, illicit drugs, and non-prescribed medications if one has an addiction problem—and for everyone in recovery, making informed, healthy choices that support physical and emotional well-being
Home: A stable and safe place to live
Purpose: Meaningful daily activities, such as a job, school, volunteerism, family caretaking, or creative endeavors, and the independence, income and resources to participate in society
Community: Relationships and social networks that provide support, friendship, love and hope
What people living with a mental health condition who have taken NAMI programs say about recovery:
“Recovery is about remembering what we want, remembering who we are, whether it’s our family, our strengths or what’s important to us and never letting that go.”
“For me, it means feeling safe, feeling loved, feeling connected, and feeling like I belong. I want to feel seen. I want to feel understood, you know, and to do that, I need to believe that people love me and that I have a place.”
“Recovery means overcoming your limitations, showing that you can be independent, and can take care of your bills and your lifestyle, and all of the things you need to take care of.”
“I got better because I surrounded myself by people who showed that they cared about me and who got me laughing again. These were all fellow patients, people who had been through it, people who knew what it felt like to feel that depressed. No one had ever told me I should do things like change my diet and exercise, to get out there when I’m depressed, not to isolate. I started learning these things from people who had gone through it. I realize that I can take charge. Now I don’t have to lie in bed and think about how miserable I am. I can get up and do something that’s going to get my mind off of those negative thoughts. I still have the same “symptoms” I had before, but they don’t bother me like they used to.”
“I think recovery means being able to do the things that anybody else can do. It means going to work, it means driving a car, it means being able to take care of your kids, it just means living a normal life like everybody else.”
“Recovery means to me, taking it one day at a time, not getting too far ahead of myself, and not focusing too far in the past. Just taking it one day at a time, taking it easy. You know, we sometimes live in this world where we rush to answer questions, where we rush to do this, where we rush to do that. But, just to slow the pace down a little bit and do things intentionally. I think that’s going to be the key to recovery right there.”
“Recovery to me means working on living a happy, healthy, productive lifestyle, having a support network that you can count on, generally just being comfortable with yourself. You don’t need to be perfect; obviously that is difficult to attain, but, recovery is a process. Maybe it’s never done.”
What does recovery mean to you?
To sign-up for the next Peer to Peer course from which this article was excerpted, email Ashley Olivarez, Programs and Community Engagement Manager at NAMI Spokane
NAMI Peer-to-Peer Educational Course is a free 8-week educational course for adults living with a mental health condition(s) who are looking to better understand their condition(s) and journey toward recovery. This is a place to learn more about recovery in an accepting environment. It meets for 2 hours each week, and each class builds on the knowledge of previous classes.
NAMI Peer-to-Peer is taught by trained peers on a similar journey and provides an opportunity for mutual support and growth. Experience compassion and understanding from people who relate to your experiences. It is a designated evidence-based program and research shows that Peer-to-Peer decreases stigma regarding mental health conditions and improves recovery outcomes for participants.