Recovery is often described as a journey of personal discovery which includes new learning on how to live well.
Mental health recovery is a unique experience to each person, and is possible for everyone.
Here we share some information we think you might find useful to your own recovery journey.
The more you look after yourself, the better you feel and the stronger you are. Making even small improvements in things like getting enough sleep, relaxing, doing a bit of exercise and eating and drinking as healthily as you can make a big, positive difference.
You knew that already.
But we’re all human, and sometimes – because you’re ill, you’re tired or you just can’t see the point – you can’t be bothered to take proper care of yourself.
Be bothered. You’re worth it. That’s the point.
Most commonly, people have a new treatment plan when they first enter the treatment system; when they engage with a new treatment, care or support provider; and when (if) they’re going to be discharged into the community from a hospital admission.
The more involved you are in shaping your treatment plan, the better. You’re the expert in what goals you want to achieve through treatment. There are some simple – but very effective – steps you can take to make sure that your treatment plan works for you.
The idea is to get as much information as possible so that you can make an informed decision about including things in your plan. So ask as many questions as you need to. Think about making a list to take with you. If the other person uses jargon or words you don’t understand, ask them to explain what they mean (you can always take a friend, relative or other carer along for moral support). It's a good idea to ask for a copy of any notes, diagnosis or treatment plan made by the clinician.
It’s also a good idea to ask when your treatment plan will be reviewed. If you find it isn’t working, ask for it to be changed.
Check out the Getting organised for an inpatient stay checklist created by Mind.
Trauma informed care (TIC) is a key part of recovery oriented practice.
People receiving treatment for mental ill-health may have experienced significant trauma, including physical and sexual abuse, neglect and long-term emotional abuse such as domestic violence. Childhood trauma in particular can damage a person’s ability to form and maintain healthy relationships and manage their emotions. It can also affect their educational performance and development towards maturity.
Trauma informed care has been developed to address the impacts of trauma. Doing this has made a difference to the way services operate and how support is delivered. For example:
In trauma informed practice, staff work with the person to identify problematic behaviour caused by trauma and help them to find healthy ways of changing or living with it. Forcing someone to confront a traumatic past is not part of TIC. It’s up to the individual to decide if and when they do that.
Good relationships are important for everybody’s health and wellbeing. When it comes to mental health recovery, they’re vital.
Have you ever thought about your relationship with yourself? This means how you treat yourself. We all criticise and beat ourselves up sometimes, but life’s a lot easier if you’re generally nice to yourself and are your own best mate. People with good relationships with themselves look after themselves: they tend to eat healthily, exercise and don’t put themselves under pressure.
Connecting with peers (people who have similar experiences to you in recovery) can lead to wonderful relationships. There’s a lot of evidence that support from peers leads to reduced symptoms, increased ability to deal with stress and better outcomes in terms of housing, money and employment. Relationships with people who understand you and won’t judge you but will support you can be helpful.
Good relationships with relatives and friends can be very helpful, too. But mental illness can be confusing, frightening and disruptive to them, especially children.
The experience of talking through episodes of mental illness can often strengthen relationships: the shared experiences of dealing with the situation and then going into recovery can bring people closer together and increase their understanding of one another.
More good news. There’s a lot that can be done to mend relationships that have been put under pressure by mental illness.
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