Visions Journal

PDF | EPUB | Vol. 15, No. 2 (2019)

Recovery is word that doesn’t feel appropriate to some people, perhaps because it sounds like trying to retrieve something that is lost or going back instead of going forward. When we’ve made the decision to seek and accept help and/or make changes, it can feel like we should be “done.” But life happens and symptoms or behaviours can return. Just like recovery is expected, dips are expected. Whether we call those early warning signs, relapses, setbacks or blips, it’s clear there is no one simple path between sickness and health, even assuming that binary exists. Acceptance that we can’t do everything on our own is also central to wellness. This edition of Visions looks at ways to consider and experience dips and detours in our well-being from personal, professional and programmatic perspectives.

Background

• Editor's Message
  (Sarah Hamid-Balma)

• Well-Being as a Non-Linear Journey: Reframing the blips and dips that come with being human
  (Jenn Cusick)

• Addiction, Wellness and Language: How the words we use shape our experience and understanding of substance use
  (Gaëlle Nicolussi Rossi)

Experiences and Perspectives

• Operating Instructions: How your loved ones can be your safety net
  (Daphnée)

• The Haunting
  (Mike Alexander)

• The Recovery Mindset: A mother’s insight into mental illness and renewal
  (Heidi Kilham)

• My Recovery Discovery
  (Jillian P.)

• Navigating through Mania and Depression
  (Leslie)

• Recovery as a Collective Process: How empathy for self and others makes the journey possible
  (Samantha Stambaugh)

• In Recovery, Setbacks Are Temporary: Reach out for help, stay positive and find what works for you
  (Jason Zulyniak)

Alternatives and Approaches

• When Psychosis Comes Back: How to make and use a relapse prevention plan
  (Tom Ehmann)

• Inpatient Occupational Therapy: A tool for overcoming relapse and continuing the recovery journey
  (Shu-Ping Chen)

• No Improvement Needed: How practising mindfulness takes us beyond self-improvement to a deeper sense of well-being
  (Brandi Matheson)

• WRAP and Roll: Embracing the Wellness Recovery Action Plan, harnessing peer support and living your best life
  (Hazel Meredith)

Resources