What is the Mental Health Recovery Project? by Laurie Berkshire, M.A.

I have created this site to promote mental health and take the focus off of "illness."

As both a former counselor and client in the mental health system, I've learned the value of "insight." We need to be aware of our symptoms and work through our past issues. We can't face our challenges and address our problems if we don't know what they are.

But I've also learned that focusing too much on our "sickness" is a slow train to hell. Constantly being told we're "sick" (by others, and especially ourselves) can ruin our hope for recovery.

This isn't a new concept. The next time you watch TV, notice how you're constantly beings sent messages that there's something wrong with you. Corporate America NEEDS you to feel old, fat, depressed, impotent, pre-menstrual, under-educated, acne-prone, frizzy-haired and nicotine-addicted. And if you don't already feel this way, they try very hard to convince you otherwise. They're not going to get rich telling you you're fine just the way you are.

Yes, these products can be helpful, but only if we use them to target "the problem." They won't help your self-esteem. They won't help you appreciate the good things in life. And they won't help you realize how strong and beautiful you are despite "the problem."

This is what recovery is all about -- balancing problem-management with self-appreciation. Remember, for every limitation we have, we also have a strength. It's trite, but true. Our brains are hard-wired to make up for what's lacking. It's what has kept the species alive.

So learn about your symptoms or find out how trauma and abuse has affected you. But also pay attention to the Other Side -- the side where you are MORE than your problems and symptoms. This isn't just "positive thinking," because only looking at positives will also put you out of balance.

True recovery is finding YOUR comfort-level with being human. You are full of beauty and imperfections, intelligence and mistakes, happiness and despair, accomplishments and challenges, love and hate, dreams and reality.

Allow yourself to "be." Accept as much bad as you can take, realize how good you actually are, and make changes accordingly. It's much easier to handle the bad if you know you've got the strength to do it.

Monday, June 30, 2008

Recovery...it's YOUR responsibility

Unfortunately, due to that necessary evil called "managed health care," getting treatment for mental health issues basically goes like this:

"You've got a disease. Take your pills. Stop thinking like that. Pay the receptionist on your way out. Who's next?"

Remember, I'm a therapist, so I see this first hand. It happens because mental health issues are considered an "illness" whose only form of "legitimate" treatment is in a "medical-based" system.

The "pros" to this is that we can receive treatment and get it paid by insurance. The "cons" is that treatment focuses on symptoms, not strengths.

When you go to your doctor with flu-like symptoms, he/she gives you a prescription and sends you on your way. Doctors don't discuss your lifestyle, trying to figure out what you do right so they can encourage you to keep doing those things to prevent getting the flu again.

They can't, cuz insurance companies pay "decreased rates" (that the insurance co. decides, not the Doc.) So in order to make any money at all, Doctors need to see as many patients as possible, which leaves little time for you.

Now mental health therapy is the same way since insurance also covers it. So you probably won't be encouraged to focus on strengths in your therapy sessions cuz your therapist NEEDS to address your symptoms.

Why? Cuz if therapists don't do this and you end up in crisis, it's their job on the line (i.e. more money to malpractice insurance companies and lawyers, and less for the people who have devoted their lives to helping people - or so they thought).

In short, the system sucks, which was my reason for starting MHRP.

If you truly want to recover from your mental health issues, you are the one who's going to have to do the work. In other words, you can't rely on your Dr., therapist, or a pill to make you feel better.

And you're already doing it. By visiting this site, you're proving you're attracted to the word "recovery." You're thinking it and believing it. And you're willing to try to get better, despite the limited care you receive from the system.

For that, I am truly grateful.


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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hi,
it was because we were hearing many comments like this that we decided to commission a paper outlining the different approaches to care. The paper - 'Care planning processes: from managed care to self directed care' outlines a range of approaches with links to practical examples. It's part of the Recovery Online Toolkit and is designed to be useful to consumers, carers and service providers.

It's free to download at http://www.auseinet.com/toolkit/rec_plans.php. Hope it's useful...

Joy Sims,
Information Officer,
Australian Network for Promotion, Prevention and Early Intervention for Mental Health.

November 16, 2008 at 11:11 PM

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