News News Archive 2010 New stories demonstrate the reality of recovery
New stories demonstrate the reality of recovery |
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| Thursday, 10 June 2010 |
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We are delighted to share three new stories of recovery each inspiring and powerful in their own way. Together they demonstrate that recovery, whether that be personal or within service provision, is not necessarily easy but it is possible. Tenacity and belief shine through as consistent themes. Mandy McLernon describes how good supports from colleagues and family combined with the discovery of recovery planning tools helped her take control of her recovery and work towards previously unimagined dreams: "Ten years before I had been seriously unwell. I had lost everything and had been told that I would probably never hold down a job. Ten years later here I was standing in front of 100 work colleagues, speaking about innovation in mental health." For Michelle Howieson recovery is characterised by hope and belief. She describes how a combination of lifestyle changes, talking therapy and new learning about recovery offered direction and personal growth: “I wouldn’t have gained all this fantastic experience if I hadn’t had mental health difficulties and I believe my life is richer because of it. Some people think that bipolar disorder is an affliction that causes nothing but chaos and despair. I strongly disagree and believe that you should never give up hope of a better life.” Susie Paden describes the remarkable journey of the Orchard Clinic, Lothian’s medium secure unit, towards recovery focused practice. It’s a story characterised by persistence, energy and commitment in a challenging forensic service environment that should offer inspiration to all service providers seeking to develop their practice to better support recovery: “To create a sense of equality, the event was held outside the clinic, with everyone training, eating and socialising together - a simple and easy to arrange idea, but, for a forensic service, groundbreaking.” To read more recovery stories, click here. If you’d like to share your thoughts or experiences of recovery, click here, or contact us on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 0141 240 7790 |
| New SRN research explores the experience of recovery over time |
16 May Since the first discussions about bringing recovery based approaches to Scotland began, one thing has always been clear: that people's personal narratives - the stories and experiences they share - are central to understanding and encouraging mental health recovery. |
| Black women, recovery and resilience |
16 May In a specially commissioned article for SRN, researcher and psychiatric survivor Dr Jayasree Kalathil explores the issues of recovery and resilience from the perspective of black women interviewed for a 2011 study by Survivor Research and the Mental Health Foundation. While the article focuses on recent data from England, there are important lessons to be learnt everywhere, including Scotland. |
| What mental health practitioners talk about, when they talk about SRI 2 |
16 May Having recently facilitated Learning Networks on the use of the updated Scottish Recovery Indicator (SRI 2), SRN’s John McCormack was keen to hear from practitioners about their use of the tool and how it affects practice in the field. Here John shares his discussions with Lindsay Kerr and Jan Thomson who both work in NHS Ayrshire and Arran’s Mental Health Services. |
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