Recovery & Mental Health

The best way to understand mental wellness is to view it as a continuum. Our positions may shift from time to time depending on the events of our lives. Seeing mental health as a continuum means that we are not always stuck in one state and we are able to move back and forth. It’s important to understand that we all have mental health, just as we all have physical health. The quality of our mental and physical health fluctuates. Factors such as stress, lack of sleep and traumatic experiences can impact our mental health as can the level and quality of support that one has in times of stress. Just as we need to do things to maintain good physical health, it helps to do certain things to maintain good mental health, such as manage our stress, seek counseling and support when overwhelmed, or take care of our bodies through proper sleep, diet and nutrition.

Mental wellness occurs when everything feels like it is working well. You feel good about yourself, your relationships with others, and are able to cope with life challenges. There are a number of factors that affect our emotional state; they are considered risk factors. Risk factors can include things such as physical illness, family problems, or financial problems. Protective factors stabilize our emotional well-being. Protective Factors can include things like strong family ties, close relationships with friends, or engagement in the community (i.e. work or school). When a person experiences numerous unfortunate events all at once or consecutively, there can be effects on an individual’s mental health.

The recovery model is a concept that has been integrated into mental health services and treatments relatively recently. The idea of recovery is an important foundation for how social workers and other health professionals engage with individuals living with mental health issues and their families. The recovery model offers a more life-affirming conceptual framework and a more optimistic outlook. Recovery encompasses a holistic approach towards treatment. A holistic approach “embraces the interconnectedness of our body, mind, and spirit, and encourages us to cultivate physical, mental, and spiritual health”. This approach focuses on the person as a whole rather than on symptoms alone, and it avoids making assumptions based on an individual’s diagnosis.

Hope is one of the main components of the recovery model. It is important for workers in the field of mental health to relay a message of hope. Regardless of the symptoms that a person might experience, individuals living with a mental illness can provide themselves every opportunity to lead fulfilling and satisfying lives. Maintaining hope involves adopting an open-minded perspective, developing a sense of life’s possibilities, and learning to use the language of recovery. Hope promotes the idea that recovery is possible for anyone struggling with a mental illness.

In a mental health context, recovery does not necessarily mean absence of symptoms like recovery from a physical injury indicates. The recovery model supports an individual’s potential to lead a meaningful life despite co-existing symptoms. There is no single definition for recovery, which is often referred to as a journey or a process. This journey involves devising ways to lead a satisfying, hopeful, and productive life despite limitations that may be associated with a mental illness.

Recovery is seen as person-driven; each individual defines what recovery means to them. For some people, recovery might mean being symptom-free, while for others it could mean staying in control of their thoughts and behaviours despite their mental illness. Recovery involves building upon strengths. It is essential to mobilize and tap into individuals’ talents, resources, and potential instead of focusing on their illness, symptoms, and problems. Recovery also entails individuals taking responsibility for and controlling their own health-related choices.

Recovery is not a step-by-step process but one based on continual growth, occasional setback, and learning from experience. Recovery begins with an initial stage of awareness in which a person recognizes that positive change is possible. This awareness enables the individual to move on to fully engage in the work of recovery.

Factors that can influence recovery may include: access to education and employment opportunities, quality and availability of treatment, and supportive social networks. The individual’s ability and willingness to participate in their own treatment also influences recovery. Accessing strong supports within the community which are effective is essential towards strengthening the recovery process. It is not just about supports in the community, recovery also includes spirituality, culture and their connections to others. As a caregiver, we may not have influence over all factors but we do have influence over living environment and positive relationships. It is best to find supports for yourself, to learn skills on how to communicate and support your loved one through their recovery process.