At Centred, we believe that care and support for people with mental ill-health should always be moving forward. So we don’t want to just follow a recovery-focussed approach, we want to be leading the way in developing it. Our years of experience have taught us that everyone’s situation is unique and this steers our person-centric approach across all the services we offer.
We inspire our staff at every level to help improve the lives of the people we work with. And we’re big believers in empowering people with mental ill-health to learn to help themselves too. Working together, our approach means people really can start living more independent, fulfilling and rewarding lives.
What is Recovery?
Recovery can mean different things to different people. For some, it will mean no longer having symptoms of mental ill-health and for others it can be learning to live with and manage their symptoms, regaining control of their lives and their futures.
Recovery is often described as a process, meaning that it’s not always a straightforward journey. There may be days, weeks or even months where people feel completely well and then there can be times when symptoms return. This is completely normal for the recovery process.
What we know is that if someone has learned to manage their symptoms they are much more likely to feel more confident and less overwhelmed by them. When it comes to recovery it helps people to think about things that are important in their life. Remember there are no right or wrong ways to recover but research suggests that the key things are:
- Good relationships
- Satisfying work
- Personal growth
- The right living environment
Consider making SMART goals-SMART stands for :
- Specific-being clear about what you want to do
- Meaningful- if it’s important to you you are more likely to stick with it
- Achievable- Don’t set your goals too high-be sure you can achieve them, though it may take a little effort
- Realistic – Is your goal appropriate for you- like “I’ve been for a walk once this week, can I do it again?”
- Time-Limited – set a date when you want to achieve the goals you have set
It’s important you’re not too hard on yourself, even though you may not have achieved your goals yet, you can still do it.
And remember you never have to figure things out on your own, friends, family, your GP or support workers involved in your care are there to help you achieve and recover. This can make the process much easier and you’re much more likely to feel better when you have help and support.
What Support is Available?
The best way to start is by talking to your GP. Make an appointment as soon as you have concerns and your GP may recommend medication or therapy. Or you can access many alternative remedies such as peer support, talking therapies or mindfulness. Your GP will be able to help you find the right treatment for you and to reassure you.
Centred is developing a Discovery College which will offer free courses on different aspects of mental ill-health to help you manage your own condition and become an expert in your own mental wellbeing.
Your lifestyle can be a huge factor in how you think and feel too. Think about other things that affect you such as debt, poor housing, trauma, physical illness or pain.
Our website will give you more information on how you can seek help and you can contact us for more information. Visit: Discovery College for more information on the courses we offer.