Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance: Recovery Steps

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Good Summary of Recovery Process:

Relief of symptoms is only the first step in treating depression or bipolar disorder. Wellness, or recovery, is a return to a life that you care about. Recovery happens when your illness stops getting in the way of your life.

What is Recovery?

SAMSHA (the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration/Center for Mental Health Services) (http://www.samhsa.gov/) defines recovery as:

Mental health recovery is a journey of healing and transformation enabling a person with a mental health problem to live a meaningful life in a community of his or her choice while striving to achieve his or her full potential.

Next Steps in Recovery

Depression and bipolar disorder are mood disorders, real physical illnesses that affect a person’s moods, thoughts, body, energy and emotions.  Both illnesses, especially bipolar disorder, tend to follow a cyclical course, meaning they have ups and downs. 

Treatment for these illnesses can also have ups and downs. As much as we may want it to, wellness often does not happen overnight.  It is normal to wish you could feel better faster or to worry that you will never feel better.  However, know that you can feel better, and that ultimately you are in charge of your recovery.  There are many things you can do to help yourself. 

Relief of symptoms is only the first step in treating depression or bipolar disorder. Wellness, or recovery, is a return to a life that you care about. Recovery happens when your illness stops getting in the way of your life. You decide what recovery means to you.

You have the right to recover according to your needs and goals.  Talk to your health care provider (HCP) about what you need from treatment to reach your recovery. Your HCP can provide the treatment(s) and/or medication(s) that work best for you. Along the way, you have a right to ask questions about the treatments you are getting and choose the treatments you want.

It can also be helpful to work with a therapist, family member, friend and peer supporters to help define your recovery.  Your definition of a meaning life may change at different times in life.  At times, depression and bipolar disorder might make it seem difficult to set a goal for yourself. 

Sometimes it might feel almost impossible to think about the things that you hope for or care about.   But goal setting is an important part of wellness, no matter where you are on your path to recovery. Work on what you can when you can…….

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance: Recovery Steps