Unlocking the Puzzle of Recovery

Larry Drain is a fellow blogger who has many many readers!  He's also been a friend to me and has shared his insights regarding blogging.  Some time ago I asked him to write a piece for us here on the Fresh Hope blog and I'm finally getting it posted.  He has some great insights about unlocking the recovery puzzle.  Larry works in the mental health field.  (Thanks Larry!) I believe his insights will bless you as you press on with recovery:

For many of us recovery is a puzzle.  The picture on the box seems clear, but the pieces don't fit together so easily.

I think it is at least three pieces that fit together.  They don't stand alone.  The boundaries between them are more apparent than real.  The presence of one affects the strength of the others.  The absence of one makes the other two much harder to access.  But when these three pieces fit together recovery has a real chance and better life a reality that can be reached rather than a dream which disappoints.

1. Knowledge-  First, and foremost, people need to become experts on themselves, their issues, the challenges they face and the resources available.  Recovery means to be in charge of your life, to make the decisions that you wish and to create the possibilities you value.  Without knowledge it is like steering a car blindfolded.  You will get somewhere, but probably not where you intend.  The gathering of knowledge, the development of expertise on yourself is a lifelong process.  Life is ever-changing and to be content with what you know is to become the victim of what you don't know.
2. Experience-  Experiencing some improvement makes it more likely you continue to show other improvement.  As an academic exercise recovery soon becomes boring and overwhelming.  As a personal experience it is something you buy into and find out you have a large hunger to continue to do what you need to do to have more life.  You must act on what you know and it slowly becomes a momentum building process.  Practice doesn't make perfect.  It makes different.
3. Support- Person after person has told me the most important thing for them has been to see others with similar issues prosper.  Seeing that it can be done, even when you are not sure of exactly how is so important.  Having enduring relationships with others that have a stake in life becoming better for you is a value beyond measure.  Recovery is not something you do to.  It is something you do with.

3 small things, but taken together, each feeding into the other recovery can become real to you and life can once again become something you had long ago forgotten it could be.



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Larry and Linda Drain
www.hopeworkscommunity.wordpress.com
www.health.groups.yahoo.com/group/hopeworkscommunity
www.hopeworkscommunity.ning.com