What is "Recovery"? What am I supposed to be recovering from?

Question

My therapist keeps saying things like, "In Recovery we sometimes...." and "A lot of people in Recovery..." She says recovery is a life-long process.

I have Bi-Polar disorder but other than that I don't have anything to recover from and there is no cure for that anyway.

Answer 1

Why don't you ask her what she means.

Answer 2

Maybe your therapist is a counselor for Recovery Inc., 802 North Dearborn Street, Chicago IL,60610; (312)-337-5661 This was an organization founded in about 1950 to offer a systematic method of self help developed by the late Abraham A. Low, MD to prevent relapses and chronic conditions in people suffering from mental or emotional problems. The non-profit organization was still functioning across the USA in 1997.

It was founded in about 1950 before most mentally active medications were invented and used. The book outlining its program is still available from Amazon.com; its bibliography is:

Abraham A. Low, MD;"Mental health through will training"; Willett Publishing Co., Glencoe IL, 1997

I was exposed to this group, which was a local chapter in Wyoming, in about 1967-68. It was free and very effective although at that time some neuroleptic meds were being used. What it proposes for the member is RECOVERY FROM RELAPSE AND CRONIC MENTAL CONDITIONS. Their methods work. They meet weekly. A local chapter may be found in many phone directories in the white pages. I could not find it listed in my current local telephone book.

Good luck in your recovery, good health, peace and love!

Answer 3

Being bi polar isn't something that goes away technically, like diabetes, but it is manageable. With meds and alot of self awareness, you can be helped to restore your life to normalcy. I have a genetic form of anxiety and depression. Some of my kin with it, drink, take handfuls of downers, and partake in illegal drugs. I take antidepressent, know what food to watch,(caffeine, chocolate, alcohol), and learn techniques to calm myself when I'm feeling nervious or like I may have a "dark" episode. Mind you, the meds help 75%, but the rest comes from self management. I still eat chocolate and drink soda, but never right before I have to do something I'm on edge to do. I'm also a tad OCD. I had to do things in 3's. Now, with a little neurotic imagination, I am able to use other numbers. Sounds quirky, huh? It is, but it is a part of me! Your "recovery", as they call it, is finding what meds work for you, being self aware of when an episode will strike, and how to "deal" with it...so giving you an awesome outlook on the life that lies not so far away!!!!!!

Answer 4

Recovery is a hard concept for me also. If I am needing medication changes to keep my head above water how am I in recovery. I guess recovery is when we hit a plateu where we are doing better. Personally I do not like the term. We are bipolar not alcoholics.

Answer 5

Being Bi-Polar does mean you have some thing to recover from. Also, there is ways to manage your Bi-Polar hopefully your doctor has told you that and your working on it. If yousee a therapist there must be something that happened to make you see one.

Good luck

Answer 6

What are you supposed to be recovering from? Hmm. How about swings in mood from one extreme to another. See, treatment is two fold for nearly all mental health illnesses and I speak from experience. You have treatment of the brain (psychiatry) and treatment of the mind (psychology). Both disciplines work together to help you "recover" from the effects of being bipolar.

Hopefully in therapy you learn two things: One, that you aren't a total victim of your emotions and Two, that you must be accountable for my actions. That takes time, but it can be done. No, there's no cure for bipolar illness, but extremes of mood can be minimized through medication and changes of thought.

Answer 7

Recovery from a manic or depressive episode.