My own thoughts about the word recovery are this; it doesn’t apply to me and my experience with serious and persistent mental illness. My belief is I will recover only at the desire of my Higher power; just like alcoholism or diabetes.
My being is resilient. Like all living things, I am dynamic. I have the ability to grow and change as long as I am alive. I can learn to adapt to my environment and circumstances. I can have stable times and times of a re-occurrence of my symptoms. I can create, learn and adapt tools to assist me in reducing my perceived effects of the symptoms. I am resilient; the comeback kid. So are the survivors I know. It’s only natural.
At issue is that a persons adaptivity to environment as the spirit and mind tries to balance itself under the circumstances, is not often appreciated, validated or valued. If the environment holds out hope, holds the person in esteem, and nourishes the flagging spirit with acceptance and possibilities; action will occur. It’s only natural. Pat Deegan PHD., illustrates this concept in her “Coke and Smoke” article regarding her own life experience with being diagnosed with Schizophrenia. http://www.intentionalcare.org/articles/articles_trans.pdf pg.10,par.2
For me, resilience is healing ; resilience is change; change is life. Recovery is an end product.
