Recovery

In two previous posts, we discussed “How to Set Achievable Personal Recovery Goals” and “How to Develop a Successful Personal Recovery Plan.”  Please review these if you haven’t already as they form the foundation for this post. I’ll give a very brief summary here: Identify one or more specific personal recovery goals that are important to you. Prioritize these goals and first focus on those most vital to your health. Develop a written personal recovery plan for each goal with specific …

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I’ve been fortunate to be able to help a number of people in recovery develop plans to begin to achieve their personal goals. Careful preparation and planning is a critical step, for as artist Pablo Picasso said, “Our goals can only be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.” Not having a plan for recovery is like trying to go on a long …

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When I help people who are in recovery from mental illness and addiction, one thing we often discuss is setting goals. Usually, personal goals have gotten off track or have gone by the wayside completely as a result of stress, illness, or other challenges. People often feel adrift and without clear direction in their life. As Robert Heinlein said, “In absence of clearly defined goals, we become strangely loyal to performing daily acts of trivia.” As recovery takes hold, hope for the …

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Comprehensive recovery training programs available through SAMHSA “Recovery to Practice” project The concept of “recovery” as applied to mental illness and addiction is widely accepted by both mental health professionals and by people who have experienced these issues first-hand. Recovery has been endorsed by both the US Surgeon General (1999) and the President’s New Freedom Commission (2003) as the single most important goal of mental health services. What is recovery? SAMHSA, the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, …

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I’m a clinical psychologist. I first provided therapy to help others way back during the Reagan administration and I worked in a busy public psychiatric hospital for over twenty years. I’ve also taught hundreds of grad students at a large state university how to become excellent therapists. I won’t say I’ve seen or heard it all, but I’ve heard and seen plenty.  Suicide attempts, addiction, sexual abuse, and schizophrenia are all part of my daily vocabulary.  I’ve been involved in …

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