k u .co. mind our y think re #IFeelBetterWhen Recovery - Royal College of Psychiatrists Recovery is a personal process of learning how to live a satisfying and productive life with or without enduring symptoms or vulnerabilities. Even with the limitations caused by illness, it is about gaining hope, meaning, purpose, choice and control over patterns of living valued by the person themselves. It is not necessarily about going back to how you were before you experienced a mental illness but about managing your symptoms better with, or without, medication. But it is more than this. People describe it as finding a different kind of meaning and purpose as they improve and move beyond the effects of illness. Drivers of the recovery process: • Finding hope and optimism • Believing in yourself, developing meaning and purpose • Taking control of your illness and life • Taking opportunities to develop a meaningful and satisfying life While some experience similar things, no two people have exactly the same way of reacting to them. Therefore, your recovery may be similar to, or very different from, that of someone else with mental health problems. Remember, it’s your recovery and it’s important to do what you feel is best for you and at your own pace. Some people find that treatment controls remove their symptoms completely. For others, they remain – or fluctuate. For some, treatment does not help at all. Despite this, recovery is still possible. This means returning to a productive life even if you continue having troublesome experiences. Rather than being simply stabilised in the community, the aim of recovery is for you to be a part of it in a way that suits you. There is ‘no one size fits all’ approach to recovery. It will be different for each person. Reference LE BOUTILLIER C, LEAMY M, BIRD VJ, DAVIDSON L, WILLIAMS J, SLADE M (2011) WHAT DOES RECOVERY MEAN IN PRACTICE? A QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF INTERNATIONAL RECOVERY- ORIENTED PRACTICE GUIDANCE, PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES, 62, 1470-1476. 40