Recovery Stories Weekly, Issue 6

In the first part of the week, my blog posts focused on our Wired In work. Firstly, our qualitative research focusing on the RAPT treatment programme in two UK prisons in 2008. Secondly, our evaluation of the structured day care programme at BAC O’Connor in Burton-upon-Trent back in 2004.

Blogs in the second half of the week focused on three of my heroes in the mental health and addiction recovery fields: Mark Ragins, Larry Davidson and Bill White.

An Illustration of the Manner in Which Factors Facilitating Recovery Impact: Four inter-related themes were derived from the analysis that were labelled: ‘Belonging’, ‘Socialisation’, ‘Learning’, and ‘Support’. Each of these themes impacted on a fifth theme, ‘Personal Change’, which had two key components, motivation to change and self-esteem.

Learning About Addiction Treatment, Part 8: Clients learnt to use, and practice, skills and tools that helped them remain abstinent, engage in ‘normal’ social patterns of behaviour, maintain mutually beneficial interpersonal relationships, and live an independent life. They learnt and practiced these new skills and tools in a supportive environment, alongside their peers.

Learning About Addiction Treatment, Part 9: It is up to BAC O’Connor staff to motivate clients into wanting to take the journey towards recovery. If they can’t do that, how are they going to keep the client motivated on their recovery journey?

‘The Four Stages of Recovery’ by Mark Ragins: To be empowered, they need access to information and the opportunity to make their own choices. They may need encouragement to start focusing on their strengths instead of their losses. Sometimes they need another person to believe in them before they’re confident enough to believe in themselves.

How Do I Know a Treatment Service is Recovery-Oriented?: Is it focused on your addiction, or is it focused on helping you build a better life? ‘Is all of you included there, your strengths, your weaknesses, your hopes, your dreams, your goals… Does it look at where you going to live, where you going to work, your friends, your family… or is it all about your addiction?’ (Film)

Recovery as an Organising Construct – Bill White Interviews Larry Davidson: What the recovery paradigm has taught us is that people are active agents in their own lives whether well or ill, and that recovery does not come about through their passively following the instructions or guidance of others, no matter how well-trained or well-intended those others may be.