Does recovery mean the return to a former state?
Although traditional meanings of recovery imply a return to a former state, and proponents of the empowerment model adopt this principle, many consumers do not feel the same as they did before developing the illness. This is not necessarily a negative thing. As Crowley explains: ‘Much can be accomplished when we let go of who we were and get to know who we are now and who we can become’ (Crowley, 2000, p. 11). Others are adamant that they do not want to be the same as they were before, as their earlier development had been hampered by the illness (D. Marsh, 2000; Ralph, 2000b). Harding (1994), in discussing issues surrounding the measurement of recovery, questioned whether a 35-year-old would want to be compared to their pre-morbid self, if that self was an 18-year-old. This notion is illustrated by McQuillin:
The schizophrenia struck when I was nineteen, and a lot of normal maturation was suspended at that point. My experience at the Centre has enabled me to resume my growing up. I am still searching for a place in the world, but the task is coming clearer now. (McQuillin, 1994, p. 9)
Some consumers have even expressed that they had no ‘before’ (e.g. Ralph, 2000a). Even those who first became ill as adults do not regard being the ‘same as before’ as a criterion for recovery. Fekete (2004) was a doctoral student when psychosis first struck. He was awarded his PhD two years later. Although he says ‘I like who I am now’ (p. 194), he elaborates:
I’m not sure that I have returned to the same person I was before my episode. This can be one of the most difficult aspects about recovery. We may not exactly ‘recover.’ We may become someone different from what we were. (Fekete, 2004, p. 193) In fact, many consumers expressed no doubt that they are a better person for having experienced and recovered from the illness. For example:
The struggle can enrich us or it can make us bitter. As I talk with others thus afflicted, it is my gut feeling that this struggle has not embittered most of us nor defeated us, but has made us more compassionate, sensitive and courageous. We have also learned some valuable lessons along the way. (Watson, 1994, p. 74)
I’m not romanticizing the experience, as it is one of the most painful one can feel, but once you go through it, you can be as Dr. Karl Menninger said, ‘Weller than well.’ (Alexander, 1994, p. 39)
Clearly, returning to the way one was before the illness is not only often impossible, due to the growth that has taken place during the work of recovery, but to some people, undesirable.
Although traditional meanings of recovery imply a return to a former state, and proponents of the empowerment model adopt this principle, many consumers do not feel the same as they did before developing the illness. This is not necessarily a negative thing. As Crowley explains: ‘Much can be accomplished when we let go of who we were and get to know who we are now and who we can become’ (Crowley, 2000, p. 11). Others are adamant that they do not want to be the same as they were before, as their earlier development had been hampered by the illness (D. Marsh, 2000; Ralph, 2000b). Harding (1994), in discussing issues surrounding the measurement of recovery, questioned whether a 35-year-old would want to be compared to their pre-morbid self, if that self was an 18-year-old. This notion is illustrated by McQuillin:
The schizophrenia struck when I was nineteen, and a lot of normal maturation was suspended at that point. My experience at the Centre has enabled me to resume my growing up. I am still searching for a place in the world, but the task is coming clearer now. (McQuillin, 1994, p. 9)
Some consumers have even expressed that they had no ‘before’ (e.g. Ralph, 2000a). Even those who first became ill as adults do not regard being the ‘same as before’ as a criterion for recovery. Fekete (2004) was a doctoral student when psychosis first struck. He was awarded his PhD two years later. Although he says ‘I like who I am now’ (p. 194), he elaborates:
I’m not sure that I have returned to the same person I was before my episode. This can be one of the most difficult aspects about recovery. We may not exactly ‘recover.’ We may become someone different from what we were. (Fekete, 2004, p. 193) In fact, many consumers expressed no doubt that they are a better person for having experienced and recovered from the illness. For example:
The struggle can enrich us or it can make us bitter. As I talk with others thus afflicted, it is my gut feeling that this struggle has not embittered most of us nor defeated us, but has made us more compassionate, sensitive and courageous. We have also learned some valuable lessons along the way. (Watson, 1994, p. 74)
I’m not romanticizing the experience, as it is one of the most painful one can feel, but once you go through it, you can be as Dr. Karl Menninger said, ‘Weller than well.’ (Alexander, 1994, p. 39)
Clearly, returning to the way one was before the illness is not only often impossible, due to the growth that has taken place during the work of recovery, but to some people, undesirable.
