Remission or Recovery

Health and Recovery
1

I think this section should be called Remission. Who knows when they are actually recovered? Sorry, the pessimist in me is coming out tonight.

2

I think the opposite. You can go through the process of recovery while still experiencing symptoms. For some of us there will always be symptoms, it doesn’t mean we can’t recover. Remember, recovery is a process and journey and has little to do with symptoms.

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3

I’ve pondered this many times as well… I think for me… as optimistic as I am…

I don’t consider myself recovered. I consider myself some what in remission.

Yes…
I don’t live with my parents, but I do live with my sister
I have a job I like and can do despite this illness
I am in school part time.
I am getting a friend or two back in my life
I have a Girlfriend
I’m learning how to self manage
Some of my voices have faded into nothing

But…
I am still on meds
I still have glitch days
I still have sneaky brained thinking and delusions
I still have days I just can’t handle even the simplest of stuff. There are days that just getting to the corner store for some milk is the hardest thing in the world

I would definitely consider myself more in remission then recovered. I do still have days where this illness will lock me back down.

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4

I think to a certain extend Remission and Recovery can be interchangeable. At the same time though remission implies being symptom free of a condition whereas as Malvok stated recovery is a process regardless of symptoms. You don’t need to be symptom free to be in recovery. In fact you can be in remission from symptoms and still not be doing anything in terms of recovery. Recovery covers a wider ranch of circumstances and life choices that more members can participate in.

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5

That is an excellent point. I never looked at that side of the coin.

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6

Personally I guess I think of recovery as recovering from all the damage and setbacks this illness can wreck upon our lives. I absolutely agree that one can be on a path of recovery while still experiencing symptoms. I’ve been in remission for long periods of time in the past experiencing little to no symptoms of Sz while for the most part stuck in a rut in life…that is not recovery. So I guess remission without recovery is absolutely possible too.

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7

Wow. You all made some good points! I see recovery as being out of the woods, no relapse. And you just can’t know if you’ve achieved that. I wonder how many ppl with sz actually recover, statistically. But I like how you all view it. As more of a process then an absolute.

8

For me describing it as a ‘process’ makes it very abstract and subjective. There’s an element of ‘recovery is in the mind of the individual’ about it. You could take 2 people in identical situations and one might consider him/herself in recovery and the other not.
To me this doesn’t make sense .
For me I would be looking for concrete markers that applied across the board ie from one individual to the next in such areas as educational/occupational/ social functioning and symptom presentation.

9

It is subjective, you can’t tell someone else they’re not in recovery because they haven’t lived up to your criteria. I think some people here want a tight definition of recovery so they can safely sit back and say they’re not recovering.

10

The argument could be reversed ie some want an abstract/loose definition because they want to say they’re in recovery when they’re not.

11

That’s rich. If someone is working towards recovery who are you to say they aren’t? Wallowing in self-pity isn’t for everyone.

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12

Here’s a good page. http://www.mentalhealth.gov/basics/recovery/index.html

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13

Cancer patients go into remission - 'Ex Drug Addicts recover - People afflicted with SZ or another severe mental illness can get into stable periods - I prefer the word Stability over remission or recovery - but thats me

14

There is a difference between working towards recovery and actually being in recovery.
As for the wallowing in self-pity comment that was below the belt, but at least I now know what you think of me.

15

Recovery is a process, I don’t know what’s so hard to understand about that.

16

Recovery is not nearly straightforward. I was convinced that my own recovery was so awesome that I tapered off meds for example. Which did not go nearly as well as I had hoped it would. I ended up back on meds fortunately but not before I relapsed and lost a job I took years to return to along the way. But I would still say I’m recovering. I have progressed from years of isolation to living with a roommate and having a few friends to hang out with sometimes. If I manage to hold down another job I might hail that as being recovered again. The wheel of fortune turns.

17

Here’s a good pdf. Though I doubt many will bother to read it.

18

Recovery will mean different things to different people.

Malvok’s link is worth taking a look at.

What is Recovery?
Recovery from mental disorders and/or substance abuse disorders is a process of change through which individuals:

Improve their health and wellness
Live a self-directed life
Strive to achieve their full potential

For some this may mean college or a career. For some it may mean family. For some it may mean getting through the day. Or a combination of these things.

Some links from previous discussions:

19

I looked at it . Even within their liberal definition I couldn’t say I was recovered. Certainly not in terms of social inclusion/networks .
What I can say is I have been worse and less functioning in the past. Whether that would count as being in the ‘process of recovery’ ,especially as I went up a level then plateaued, is to my mind debatable . It’s certainly not gradual progression even a one step back two steps forward kind.

20

Yeah it was below the belt, and it was a poor choice of words. It’s not that you seem to wallow in self pity as much as you seem very pessimistic about your condition, almost defeatist. I’ve been there before and should have more empathy.