What Are The Risks And Benefits Of Using A “Recovery” Vision For Mental Health Services?
Because the feelings and symptoms that have been commonly referred to as “mental illness” are very unpredictable, our health care professionals may fear that we will “decompensate” (a nasty word to many of us) and may put ourselves or others at risk. Health care professionals become fearful that, if they do not continue to provide the kind of caretaking and protective services they have provided in the past, people will become discouraged, disappointed and may even harm themselves. It must be recognized that risk is inherent in the experience of life. It is up to us to make choices about how we will live our lives and it is not up to health care professionals to protect us from the real world. We need our health care professionals to believe that we are capable of taking risks and support us as we take them. More clinicians working in a recovery based environment will enjoy the positive reinforcement of successful experiences in working with people who are growing, changing and moving
