Recovery

It is important to understand that people can and do recover from mental health issues and live productive and fulfilling lives. Recovery is different for everyone and can take time depending on the illness and the person.

Recovery from mental health issues can involve treatment and management of symptoms by a health professional like a doctor, mental health nurse, psychologist or psychiatrist. This could include taking medication along with attending regular appointments, and talking through issues that may be disrupting your wellbeing. For many people recovering from mental health issues, treatment is only one aspect of their recovery journey. While treatment can help with a person’s recovery, there are other things that they can do to help themselves and to help them stay well¹, both in terms of their clinical and personal recovery.

Personal recovery includes actions to live a meaningful and productive life regardless of any past or ongoing mental health issues.² While personal recovery will vary from person to person in various ways, it will generally involve building people’s hope and optimism for the future, increasing people’s self-determination and self-management to increase control over their lives, increasing their resilience to stressors, and being able to speak up for their rights. Personal recovery focuses on a person’s strengths, values and preferences rather than on their issue. It’s about resilience and possibilities. It’s also realistic and practical. It’s about identifying and dealing with whatever’s getting in the way of people’s emotional wellbeing.³

Recovery brings change, and change is challenging; but recovery also brings hope, inspiration and empowerment to people who may almost have forgotten what those things feel like.⁴ It is an ongoing, non-linear process, and it is normal to have difficulties or setbacks along the way.

Overall, as referred to by Mind Australia⁵, personal recovery is fundamentally positive. It focuses on a person’s strengths, values and preferences rather than their mental health issue, and involves:

• Finding hope, and developing your self-esteem and resilience.
• Having a sense of purpose and meaning in your life.
• Building healthy relationships with people in your community.
• Gaining independence in your life.⁶

The National Mental Health Strategy has developed the consumer and carer guide to recovery principles pamphlet that provides more information on Recovery. 

There are many things you can do to help yourself recover and look after your mental health and wellbeing: 

• The Act Belong Commit message promotes information on how to be active, build a sense of belonging and have a purpose in life that all contribute to recovery.
• Mental health recovery programs such as Well Ways, Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP), My Recovery, Grow and Flourish.
• Investigating specific mental health support services. 

A range of community support services can also be found through these organisations:

• Connect Groups is the peak body for self help and support groups in Western Australia; their service directory lists a number of community support groups.
• Consumers of Mental Health WA help and support page lists services recommended by their members.
• The Green Book, is a service directory that connects people with mental health and alcohol and other drug services.
• The Western Australian Association for Mental Health is the peak body for community mental health in Western Australia and promotes raising community awareness, and increasing participation and support for mental wellbeing, recovery and citizenship.
• RUHA’s Early Psychosis Youth Service (from September 2018) provides personalised recovery support to improve quality of life, relationships and wellbeing.
• Act Belong Commit in Recovery workshops are available for health professionals to utilise when working with people in recovery.

There is a lot of support available to assist you with your recovery. The important thing is to find the right support that works for you.