What does recovery mean?

What I think is important is working out what recovery means as it is something different to everyone and a different benchmark is set by each person, those around them and their health professionals. One can technically be recovered with treatments such as medication and therapy but there is a difference when its personal recovery - there is such importance on gaining the skills to manage difficulties in the future - with a persons mental health directly but also when difficult situations arise in one's life it is important to have the skills and supports so that one's mental health and mental illness can remain manageable.

It is important to be able to live with a mental illness and be able to use your skills to still have a meaningful life and do what is important to one, have relationships and have things which are important to oneself. One does not have to be 100% recovered - or as some will quite carelessly and unhelpfully often end up saying 'back to normal' to have things which are meaningful and important in life as is often presumed in clinical recovery. Life can be meaningful, important and worthwhile living with mental illness. You don't have to be 'cured' or have things be 100% perfect for it to count as some form of success. No one's life is without its challenges.

No one should be scared to share having mental health difficulties with others or need to be ashamed of mental illness, but like any other illness they should be able to tell whomever they choose. They shouldn't be seen as incapable because of these extra things they have to work with in their lives or adjustments or accommodations which might need to be made for them. They should be supported, be able to use their strengths to make things work for them even if there are ways in which things can sometimes be a whole lot harder for them or if different approaches to things have to be considered.

Treatments and supports should be available in a way which works for each individual and those around them, allowing them to form a sense of self and self-identity that is individualised for each persons needs and builds on their strengths. Some people will have great success with initial treatments - like responding to a medication and a few psychological sessions. For others it will take lots and lots of tries of things like ect, many medications, hospital admissions, many regular therapies and even surgeries to get them to a point where they are able to function as they'd like to and to feel well enough. There is much variation but one thing is for certain everyone's mental health should be properly supported, even though this will definitely be different for everyone.