Individuals and Managing Recovery Processes - Essay Example

According to Bill Anthony, “Recovery is a deeply personal, unique process of changing one’s attitudes, values, feelings, goals, skills and roles. It is a way of living a satisfying, hopeful, and contributing life even with limitations caused by illness. Recovery involves the development of new meaning and purpose in life as one grows beyond the catastrophic effects of mental illness” (Anthony, 1993). Our focus will therefore be on how individual, family, and group approaches to treatment are likely to contribute different effects to the recovery process of an individual.

Individuals are the most important for any recovery journey to successfully come to an end, as everyone else can do their part but the final decision to take up treatment and recover relies upon them. The process is based on self-determination, management as well as an aspect of hope that is meant to act as a motivating factor and an opportunity for patients to have their life expectations fulfilled. Individuals have to develop and positive attitude towards treatment which is very critical in ensuring they recover in time and begin on a journey to rebuild their lives (Perkins, 2006). A positive attitude towards treatment as well as cooperating with those involved cannot come by without hope, as it is the aspect of hope that triggers one’s belief in getting well even in their worst health conditions. Rediscovering one’s sense of personal control is equally central when it comes to the recovery process as it enables an individual to focus on what they can do as opposed to what they cannot do, therefore letting anything block their journey towards recovery and be able to fulfill their missions in life.

Friends and family on the other hand provide the individual with the support they might need in terms of physical, moral, and psychological. This support is of great benefit to an individual as they feel they are not alone in their recovery process, and with this therefore in mind, their journey to recovery is fastened. Their understanding of the individual’s condition or situation as well as of the challenges waiting is of much help and if effectively done can work wonders on the health and recovery process of an individual. Due to the closeness between the individual and their family, the communication between them is improved and they can talk about their feelings and other issues concerning their treatment freely to their family, making it easy therefore to figure out ways of making the recovery process a success. Family involvement also reduces stress and assists the individual from co-occurring disorders.

Groups, preferably trained ones provide company that helps in reducing isolation in these individuals and enable members to witness the recovery of others, which are important qualities in drawing clients into a recovery culture (Shepherd, 1984). Given their suitability in treating problems that come as a result of substance abuse; isolation, depression,n, and shame, they can help these individuals overcome these and recover quickly as compared to if there were none of these group therapies. These groups equally instill hope in the individuals and encourage them, giving them a reason to live and an assurance that they will get well. This fastens the recovery process.

For the recovery process to therefore produce the positive effect it is required of and be able to come by at the expected time; families, individuals, and groups have to be able to understand what supporting individuals in need of the process is and quickly work towards it, which could be through providing the various forms of support, hope, encouraging the individuals as well as the individual themselves tuning their minds to the recovery process with hope that all will be well and get back to their feet to continue with normal life. Read More