The word “recovery” is usually associated with addiction, sobriety, AA, substance use disorder, treatment, or abstinence. In healthcare, we associate “recovery” with healing after surgery, illness, or injury. In the recovery world, “recovery” from mental health disorders can look like managing symptoms, absence of hospital stays, improvement in mental health, or increased ability to function in day-to-day life.
How do we define recovery for mental health? Recovery is generally a well understood concept when it relates to physical illnesses or injuries or substance use. The timeline for recovery is definable as the date that an illness was diagnosed, an injury occurred, or a person stops using substances (or reduces use in harm reduction). Some recovery programs, such as 12-step, acknowledge that time with a physical item given at specific intervals (30 days, 60 days, 1 year, etc.). Mental health recovery is a bit more nebulous.
In a world that often feels divided by differences, it’s easy to forget the simple yet profound truth that binds us all: our shared humanity. Each day, we encounter many stories, experiences, and perspectives, all reflecting the richness of human existence. Amidst this diversity, one universal thread has the power to weave us together, kindness and empathy toward others who may appear different from ourselves.
Community and peer support are important components of recovery for LGBTQ+ individuals dealing with mental health issues. They provide a lifeline of understanding, acceptance, and encouragement and help mitigate the adverse effects of discrimination, family issues, and internalized stigma while fostering resilience and promoting well-being. Several organizations, including the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), PFLAG, GLAAD, and the Human Rights Campaign, emphasize the importance of such support systems in improving the mental health outcomes of LGBTQ+ individuals.
I am introverted. People who know me are often surprised by that because I am an actor in a theatre company and am quite comfortable speaking in front of people. I often am seen as bubbly in social situations in which I am comfortable. Introversion is sometimes seen as shyness or anxiety around people but that isn’t necessarily accurate. Am I shy around people? I am quite shy around people I don’t know very well. I do have social anxiety, so I sometimes am viewed as not liking people. These factors aren’t directly related to my introversion, though. My parents sometimes worried about how much time I spent alone and would try to coax me out of my room to spend time with the family. This was rarely a positive experience.
Comprehensive Behavioral Health Peer Support Certification training program.
Celebrations that generally revolve around alcohol may be difficult for people in recovery and a good number of New Year’s Eve celebrations do just that. Toasting the new year with champagne is a staple for many celebrations. For those in recovery or who just prefer substance free New Year’s celebrations, it can be difficult to find activities. You can always host your own events but many of us hosted events just a few days ago and the thought of hosting another can be overwhelming.
I am a “grinch.” Originally, that was a title given to me by people around me. Specifically when I worked at an early childhood program and had small children of my own. I do not enjoy the holidays. There were many years that we didn’t put up a Christmas tree and when my co-workers heard me say that, they acted as if I was severely neglecting my children. We aren’t a religious family so we really only celebrated Christmas as a secular holiday. I enjoyed Christmas Day as a kid. It was predictable. Christmas Eve was different. We spent Christmas eve with my dad’s family and Christmas Day with my mom’s family. My grandpa on my mom’s side loved decorating for the holidays and genuinely enjoyed Christmas so it was fun to be there. Celebrations with my dad’s extended family were always focused around alcohol and were not enjoyable. Inevitably, some family members would have a disagreement that resulted in loud arguments which were scary as a young child but I got to spend time with my great grandma who I adored so I could sometimes block out the other stuff. When my great grandma moved into a nursing home, those larger family gatherings ended and we would visit her on holidays. It was easy to leave when more people showed up because there simply wasn’t enough space in her room for several people.
We most often hear about radical acceptance in the context of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) but the concept can be applied with other therapies as well. Part of radical acceptance is acknowledging our thoughts about ourselves even if we aren’t in the right space to challenge those thoughts directly as with DBT or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
You have probably heard that computers, phones, social media, and other apps are bad for your mental health. That can definitely be an issue as many things in our lives can affect our mental health. In general, too much of just about anything can be problematic. There are various ways in which technology can adversely affect us but there are great things that technology can do for us.
Check out stickers and other resources for Mental Health Awareness Month and Children’s Mental Health Acceptance Week!
Get support navigating the path of becoming a parent with creative solutions. A guided conversation with weekly recovery topics and creative projects with a focus on “Recovery by the Week” and Healthy Minds and Healthy Bodies. Groups offered online every other Tuesday at noon.
