Getting High on Recovery

Principle #1: Recovery is possible and is motivated by the hope that you have.

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In a recent article, I discussed how the way that we look at recovery is changing and opening up to include recovery from mental illness. The reality is that it is impossible to separate a person’s addiction or mental health recovery. The two often come as a package, and even when a person does not live with both, recovery from addiction or mental health are both remarkably similar.

The definition of recovery has been reframed as a “working definition,” meaning that how we see addiction and mental health recovery will continue to evolve. SAMSHA’s definition is:

A process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self directed life, and strive to reach their full potential.

The definition contains four key statements which I have written about here. Over the coming weeks, I will be featuring the 10 Guiding Principles of Recovery as outlined by SAMSHA.

Principle #1. Recovery emerges from hope – “The belief that recovery is real provides the essential and motivating message of a better future—that people can and do overcome the internal and external challenges, barriers, and obstacles that confront them. Hope is internalized and can be fostered by peers, families, providers, allies, and others. Hope is the catalyst of the recovery process.”

To make this practical:

• How do you nurture hope in your life? Examples can include exercise, spiritual practices, positive hobbies, sports or leisure, reading or having a job or other purpose to your life.
• Who are the people who inspire you to a new sense of hope? These can be people whom you know, people you read about in books or listen to in the form of podcasts or music.

For more, you can find the full report by clicking here and by tuning into my blog.

I write articles about wellness, leadership, parenting and personal growth. My hope is to deliver the best content I can to inspire, to inform and to entertain. Sign up for my blog if you want to receive the latest and best of my writing. If you like what I have to say, please share my work with your friends.

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Keep it Real

Photo by Zach Dischner