The Changing Face of Psychiatric Rehabilitation - Part 2
by Sarah Hancock
If
you've never heard of the Recovery Model, don't worry, you're not
alone. Although the concept has been around for more than 20 years,
like many other psychiatric movements, it's taken awhile to catch on.
Let me tell you, I'm grateful it's finally taking hold! Utilizing the
Recovery Model is what got me back on track and progressing towards
stabilization.
I
do have to clarify one thing, the word "recovery" may lead
you to assume that if a person follows this model they will have an
absence of symptoms. However, recovery as described by this model of
treatment is actually learning how to work around and minimize the
impact of the symptoms. So while I am definitely on my road to
recovery, that is not to say I am symptom free. It merely means that
I have learned tools and skills which no longer cause my illness to
control my life at all times. Now my recovery skills allow me to live
a much fuller, richer life.
Unlike
the Medical Model, the Recovery Model doesn't place any emphasis on
diagnosis or medication. In some ways I think that's why it hasn't
caught on. Insurance companies cannot bill without a diagnosis code
and pharmaceuticals really make bucket loads of money which they
aren't interested in sharing. So while the Recovery Model is more
effective in my eyes, it's not out there generating income for all
those hard working people associated with that business industry.
By
now you're probably wondering, "If they don't focus on diagnosis
and medication, how in the world do they treat psychiatric illness?"
I guess it's right about now that I explain that, while there is a
place for diagnosis and medication, the focus of the Recovery Model
is wellness, accomplishments, abilities and peer support. Allow me to
break them down for you as I understand them.
What
comes to your mind when speaking of wellness? For me wellness
includes my body, mind and environment. How I treat my body includes
what I eat and how (or I should admit, IF) I exercise. It also
excludes anything else I might do to or for my body. Heavenly Father
taught this principle of the Recovery Model when he reveals to Paul
at Corinth saying, "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God?"
(1 Cor 3:16). The ancient medicine of many different cultures have
always included every aspect of wellness in treating a person for any
illness. Us Westerners are finally catching up! We need to care for
our temples!
Accomplishments
are a huge part of the road to recovery. When I first started out in
this life I was as goal oriented and competitive as they come. I
always had to do better and be better than anyone I knew. I don't
know why. That was just how I popped out. I excelled in academics. If
I didn't get an A, I considered myself a failure. As I graduated and
went to college, I took 18-21 credits. I woke up early. I went to bed
late. Then I was slammed with symptoms of my illness. Suddenly I was
taking a single three credit class and unable to keep up because my
medication slowed my brain down to the point that life was completely
overwhelming. Getting out of bed and getting ready for school,
getting to campus and making it to class consumed so much energy that
I had nothing else to give myself or the teacher. I'm sure I fell
asleep in many a class because I could hardly keep my eyes open
through an hour. For me, an accomplishment became taking a shower.
For years I let this drag me down rather than acknowledging it as the
true accomplishment it was! I had to finally realize I wasn't
lowering my standards. Once I let the guilt go--once those I knew let
me let the guilt go--I
was able to move forward and build on those accomplishments.
Abilities
are the third focus of the Recovery Model. Abilities require you to
focus on what you CAN do, not what you can't. So suddenly I was
working on looking at my strengths, trying not to let myself (and
others) stare at my weaknesses. I worked on building those abilities.
Most importantly, I stopped comparing what I used to be capable of
and focus on what I was now capable of now. That alone, made a HUGE
difference. I learned I was just as capable of doing things as I was
before, I just had to go about doing them differently. Different
doesn't mean wrong. Different means different.
Peer
support is vital, but it has to be the right kind of peer support.
For me, it meant finding people who were living with my type of
symptoms who, in my eyes, were living successfully. Now the
psychiatric community is striving to train people with "lived
experience" so that the people with a diagnosis can better help
others new (or not so new) to the symptoms. If you've ever known
someone who's participated with Alcoholics Anonymous, think of a peer
specialist kind of like a sponsor. Same idea. A person who's learned
how to walk the walk for long enough that they can support and help
bring someone along the way.
As
you can imagine, the Recovery Model can be applied to any illness,
disorder or disability. The next five columns will look into the five
pillars which strengthen the Recovery Model's Foundation: hope,
choice, empowerment, recovery environment and spirituality. I look
forward to discussing each pillar with you in depth. Maybe, just
maybe, either you or someone you know, serve, work with or love can
completely change their life for the better. I did.
Sarah Price Hancock, a graduate of San Diego State University's rehabilitation
counseling Masters of Science program with a certificate psychiatric
rehabilitation.
Having embarked on her own journey with a mental health diagnosis, she is
passionate about psychiatric recovery. She enjoys working as a lector
for universities, training upcoming mental health professionals.
Sarah also enjoys sharing insights with peers working to strengthen
their "recovery toolbox." With proper support, Sarah
knows psychiatric recovery isn’t just possible — it’s
probable.
Born and raised in San Diego, California, Sarah served a Spanish-speaking
and ASL mission for the LDS Church in the Texas Dallas Mission. She
was graduated from Ricks College and BYU. Sarah currently resides in
San Diego and inherited four amazing children when she married the
man of her dreams in 2011. She loves writing, public speaking,
ceramics, jewelry-making and kite-flying — not necessarily in
that order.