Fragile

No offense felt at all @Last-Lament Thanks for quick reply.

You put it very well, something which has been a large part of my social issues again and again.

Rejection and invalidation because of the other's ability to comprehend.

@Appleblossom

There's many good points in that pdf. It does sound very nice, and wouldn't it be lovely if it actually happened that way.

Indeed having a working definition of what recovery could look like sounds, on the surface, to be an excellent starting point.

I say, 'on the surface', because, to me, with my history (I'm close 70 years old), and experiences throughout that time, I've been a client of trained, registered, providors whose advertising covered many of those points, yet they did not deliver on any of them.

The concept of recovery is tossed around a little too blithely for my liking too. Recovery implies one will become as well as one was prior to the 'injury or illness' whatever that injury or illness might have been. Life tells us that is simply not always, if ever, going to happen.

I prefer honesty to pretty lies and half truths, that way I can make better decisions about which path to go down in an attempt at bettering the life I have to contend with. To me, that is not negativity, it is open honesty, that allows for informed decision making, yet lots of people see it as being negative.

A definition of what recovery might be like would be more productive, imo. Recovery can mean different things, at different times, in different situations, so a one size fits all implication of recovery isn't, I don't think, helpful.

In my case, overcoming the physical damage wrought against my physical body during the SA won't, and can't, be fixed, or overcome. Due to other reasons, help with that was denied me, so that as I age, more and more capability is taken from me, due to that first situation. The mental toll was separate from the physical, but is now entangled with it because of the continued degradation of that initial spinal injury.

There's one point that I can't see addressed in that information, and that's the concept of 'judgment and preconceived notions' being applied to a person's situation, management processes, in fact, any aspect of them, as being harmful to any level of recovery. It's an area that needs so much more attention paid to it.

"... Hope is the catalyst of the recovery process."

Oh, what I could say about hope and how unscrupulously it is used, and how it influences our better judgments ... my post would not be alllowed.

You have posted something that has provoked a great deal of thought, passion, and many emotions for me Appleblossom, please forgive me if I have taken the topic and taken a direction you did not intend.

These are thoughts, discussions that we as a society need to be having in an open and honest manner, otherwise how else shall we ever become more humane.

To be a better person, one has to first know it is possible, then learn how to become a better person - open discussion about often taboo topics will help this happen.

@Last-Lament

I value your reply highly. No worries at all. Thank you for reading it and sharing.

Hearing you about "on the surface" ... and being a senior... Me too.

Especially your point:

"There's one point that I can't see addressed in that information, and that's the concept of 'judgment and preconceived notions' being applied to a person's situation, management processes, in fact, any aspect of them, as being harmful to any level of recovery. It's an area that needs so much more attention paid to it."

I was at a workshop with lot of Canberra people once (nothing MH related) and was told they are thinking about the problem of subjectivity of health providers, including doctors in providing services. It is a huge area, and being professional, is simply not enough when so many lives are at stake. Its why I keep posting on here.

I am really sorry you have had spinal injury and SA. I have also, though mostly for me itsmy neck. I understand the separation of emotional and physical pain a little. It is hard work.

Dear @MDT I appreciate your take away point and just having you around.

However, I am probably incredibly resilient, but the big problem for me is the point where resilience does not make the grade, and the body fails and injury or death occurs. I am sure my father was very resilient too, as he had a quiet stoic thoughtful kind of personality. What do we see under a label ... Thanks anyhow.

Apple

Dogs are so intuitive @Mazarita Maltese Shih Tzus have a great temperament and are very good companions so I am not surprised this little friend has become attached to you too.

@Appleblossom

Thanks @Appleblossom .

I have had experience of the wheel of life and a wellness wheel.

I have not seen anything like this before. i could relate all the points and see the signifance and importance of their place in the wheel ,except the trauma section.

I have none to minimal knowledge of the theory of trauma based care so thank you for this link and i will look at the website of SAMHSA. this looks like a US site. I wonder is there an equivalent Australia site or org.

I have heard this term trauma informed care being spoken about by health professionals but have not personal experience of it.

Although i do not know how influenced by this theory the psychologists i have worked with are.

It is something to look at very carefully and to go slowly as not to trigger any past wounds I imagine.

@Last-Lament

Thank you for your post and your discussion on the concept of recovery. Yes maybe recovery is not the word.

I have not really considered that i could fully recover from mental illness as it is part of me. Though many times i have wished it would never happen again and there i mean psychosis would not happen again.

Im in my fifites and have had 5 episodes that have required significant medical care -2 episodes in my twenties requiring lengthy hospitalisations, nil in my thirties, 2 episodes in my forties , one in my fifties.

I feel that the physical mental and emotional are allways entertwined and some past events cannot be changed, repercussions are lasting and how we adapt is crucial.

I shy away from the difficult or taboo topics often and sadly agree with you there.

Thank you for your honesty and wisdom.