Visions Journal

The Ongoing Journey of Recovery

Recovery across the lifespan

PDF | EPUB | Vol. 20, No. 3 (2025)

Recovery means many different things to many different people. It may mean the absence of symptoms or sobriety. It may also mean living well despite symptoms, living well between episodes of an illness, gaining insight into substance use, adapting to life changes like going to school, or adapting to changing abilities as you age. This issue of Visions showcases many of the differences in recovery—different goals, different approaches, different timelines. Despite all the difference, this issue also highlights two important similarities. The first similarity is that recovery is a process that includes ups and down, wins and setbacks, frustrations and momentum. It isn’t a simple line but a path with twists and turns. The second similarity is the power of support, both support from family and friends and mental health professionals. Recovery can be lonely and isolating, especially as people confront stigma or shame. This is an important lesson for all of us, whether we are clinicians, family members, friends, or community supporters.