Topic Tuesday // What does recovery mean to you? // 17 Oct. 7pm AEDT

[NikNik]

In this Topic Tuesday we will be having a community discussion about what recovery means to you. 

We take a journey through the word 'recovery' - our feelings around it as well as the public's perception of this word.

- Lauz

If you want to get an email reminder about this session on the night, hit the 'Like' button below.

[Former-Member]

Hi @Former-Member @Janice @MaryMahem @Sparkles13 @Queenie @CheerBear @Cb71 @FiFiNash @Shaz51 @Rails @Neelix @Mazarita @Former-Member @Ziggy @Former-Member @Sans911 @Former-Member @Teej @IrTo

I'm super excited to be running tonight’s Topic Tuesday and to explore recovery with you all! 

I think it is fair to say that in mental health the word 'recovery' bears different weights and meanings to everyone. Some may not like this word at all and others may have found different ways to approach it.

I have found a few definitions of recovery online below:

“A return to normal state of health, mind, or strength” - Oxford Dictionary (by Oxford University Press)

 “A clear definition of recovery is elusive and means different things to different people. But most people agree that a person ‘in recovery’ is working to take back control of his or her life and achieving their own goals and dreams” - Mary Ellen Copeland (Author and mental health recovery advocate. Quote source here)

“From the perspective of the individual with mental illness, recovery means gaining and retaining hope, understanding of ones abilities and disabilities, engagement in an active life, personal autonomy, social identity, meaning and purpose in life, and a positive sense of self”. – Department of Health Australia (article source here )

With this in mind, the first question I am putting to you is, how would you define Recovery?

[Phoenix_Rising]

Hi @Former-Member

This is a super quick fly-by to say I am super interested in this topic but I am about to see my turtle whisperer. I am hoping to get back here later this evening.

[Shaz51]

Hello @Former-Member, @Phoenix_Rising 

[Phoenix_Rising]

@Former-Member 

I really struggle with the way the term "recovery" is used in mental health. In the context of physical health there seems to be no confusion; you have an illness or injury, it gets better, thus you have recovered. I do not understand why in mental health people seem to feel the need to use the word "recovery" when from what I can tell (and based on the definitions you have given) what they actually mean is "living well with...." If that's what they mean, why not just say that?

(My turtle whisperer is running late - I will disappear at some point soon).

[Former-Member]

Hi everyone. I don’t know how I am going to go with the discussion tonight. I find the topic of recovery quite confronting and upsetting. But I’ll see how I go.

From the list above, I guess I find the last definition the most realistic, but it still makes me really sad, because it seems so out of reach to me.

I guess I am one of the people who doesn’t really like the term recovery, because it seems most of the general population thinks the first definition applies.

[Former-Member]

Hi @Shaz51 and @Phoenix_Rising 

Glad you are both here and no problem that you may have to leave soon @Phoenix_Rising - awesome to get your thoughts

[Former-Member]

Hi, I really want to be here, but will see how I go today.

It certainly isn't the first definition. What is normal anyway?

[Phoenix_Rising]

It doesn't really make sense to me to say that "recovery means different things to different people". The whole point of language is to communicate. If we can each define what a word means to ourselves, how can anyone ever know what someone else is saying??? With respect to the term "recovery" this seems unnecessarily complicated given that outside of mental health the term "recovery" is very clearly understood as per the dictionary definition you have given.

@Former-Member