Home 
Register for updates
Register for updates
About SRN |
What is Recovery?People can and do recover from even the most serious and long-term mental health problems. Recovery is a unique and individual experience and while there may be common themes and experiences, no two people's recovery journeys will be identical.We describe recovery as follows: "Recovery is being able to live a meaningful and satisfying life, as defined by each person, in the presence or absence of symptoms. It is about having control over and input into your own life. Each individual's recovery, like his or her experience of the mental health problems or illness, is a unique and deeply personal process." We developed this description based on experiences shared in our Narrative Research Project. In talking about recovery we acknowledge that it is not necessarily easy or straightforward. Many people describe the need to persevere and to find ways to maintain hope through the most trying times. We believe that by sharing experiences through our Network we can have a positive impact. Key themes in recoveryWhile recovery is a unique and individual experience it is possible to identify key themes and ideas in relation to the experience. The following list, while not exhaustive, highlights some of the most commonly identified elements.Recovery as a journeyThe recovery journey can have ups and downs and some people describe being in recovery rather than recovered to reflect this.Hope, optimism and strengthsHope is widely acknowledged as key to recovery. There can be no change without the belief that a better life is both possible and attainable. One way to realise a more hopeful approach is to find ways to focus on strengths.More than recovery from illnessSome people describe being in recovery while still experiencing symptoms. For some it is about recovering a life and identity beyond the experience of mental ill health.Control, choice and inclusionTaking control can be hard but many people describe how it important it is to find a way to take an active and responsible role in their own recovery. Control is supported by the inclusion of people with experience of mental health issues in their communities. It is reduced by the experience of exclusion, stigma and discrimination.Self managementOne way to gain more control over recovery is to develop and use self management techniques. One such self management tool which SRN promotes is the Wellness Recovery Action Plan.Finding meaning and purposeWe all find meaning in very different ways. Some people may find spirituality important, while others may find meaning through employment or the development of stronger interpersonal or community links. Many people describe the importance of feeling valued and of contributing as active members of a community.RelationshipsSupportive relationships based on belief, trust and shared humanity help promote recovery.Document linksAll discussion papers in the series (also available in Resources) Recovering Mental Health in Scotland (1.33 MB) Routes to Recovery (1.99 MB) |
Well certainly in my experience, the route to recovery is not a linear process and that may mean going off in directions that might not look all that productive.
- Narrative Research Participant |
 |