Recovery is not managing illness

It’s discovering wellness

Recovery is not fixing what’s broken

It’s finding wholeness, meaning, and purpose

A love for life

Recovery is a journey

A reconnection to self, others, nature, and Spirit

A willingness to forgive, an openness toward reconciliation

A search for peace …

- Duane Sherry

"Recovery is a deeply personal, unique process of changing one’s attitudes, values, feelings, goals, skills, and/or roles. It is a way of living a satisfying, hopeful, and contributing life even with limitations caused by the illness. Recovery involves the development of new meaning and purpose in one’s life as one grows beyond the catastrophic effects of mental illness".      

- W. Anthony, 1993

What is Recovery?

Recovery is a life-long journey, not a destination.  Recovery is a process, not a cure.  You can't cure your mental illness any more than diabetes or other life-long diseases can be cured.  But you can regain control of your life.

Is Recovery Possible?

Recovery is indeed possible.  You can take control of your disease.  You can create a plan of action in case you begin to lose control of your disease.  You can learn to communicate with support groups (family, friends, co-workers and health care providers) and find the type of help you need to regain control.

“Recovery is as individual as the individual”
-Yvette Sangster, (in NTAC newsletter, 1999)

Recovery includes, but is not limited to:

• Getting one's life back
• Being able to get up each day and go to work
• Believing in oneself.
• Not letting illness control one's life
• Staying awake all day
• Having a reason to live
• Having a checking account
• Being able to help others
• Understanding the medications that are part of recovery
• Not hurting oneself
• Not focusing on one's illness everyday.

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Recovery can be different things to different people.

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Recovery is an ongoing journey of self-healing and transformation.

Recovery is re-claiming a positive sense of self, despite the challenge of mental and/or physical disabilities.

Recovery involves the consumer, his/her family, and health care providers.

Recovery focuses on strengths that each of us has to help overcome and/or deal with life’s challenges.

Recovery encompasses the varied aspects of an individual’s life including mind, body, spirit, and community.

Recovery is based on continual growth with occasional setbacks.

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Recovery is variously called a process, an outlook, a vision, a guiding principle… the overarching message is that hope and restoration of a meaningful life are possible, despite serious mental illness… Instead of focusing primarily on symptom relief, as the medical model dictates, recovery casts a much wider spotlight on restoration of self-esteem and identity and on attaining meaningful roles in society.

Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General,

Chapter 2, 1999