Recovery Support: Treatment Resources and Strategies
Key points
- Recovery is the process of change by which someone improves their health and wellness from medical, mental health, and addiction challenges.
- The recovery process is considered to be lifelong – “It’s the journey, not the destination.”
- Recovery support is a highly-individualized process that reinforces healing and relapse prevention.
- Recovery support can be professional, personal, or community-based.
The Importance of Recovery
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) working definition, recovery is defined as a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live self-directed lives, and strive to reach their full potential.[1]
The guiding principle of recovery is that anyone, anywhere, can enter into this process and more effectively manage their conditions, be they mental health or addiction-based—a viewpoint endorsed by treatment providers the world over as well as the Office of the Surgeon General and the National Academy of Medicine, among many others.[2,3]
Recovery is possible, no matter what your struggle may be. Let Alpas Wellness lend you a helping hand towards improving your health and wellness today.
Why is support important for recovery?
According to a recent report by Mental Health America (MHA), 20.78% of all adults in the US were experiencing a mental illness—that’s equivalent to over 50 million Americans. Furthermore, the vast majority of individuals with a substance use disorder in the U.S. are not receiving treatment: 15.35% of adults had a substance use disorder in the past year, and 93.5% of these individuals did not receive any form of treatment. Over half of adults with a mental illness did not receive treatment.[4]
Mental health or addiction challenges (which can happen simultaneously and are referred to as co-occurring disorders) can be complex and pervasive issues, which means they can also be incredibly difficult to battle alone. Isolation and stigma often add additional strain to those looking to improve their lives and better manage their conditions, leading to poorer outcomes and the potential worsening of such conditions and their overall quality of life.
What are the different kinds of recovery support?
Recovery support can take many different forms, from the professional to the personal. Some kinds of recovery support include:
- Recovery systems of care: Professional supports and treatment programs intended to provide structure and interventions to mental health and addiction challenges. These systems can include clinicians, therapists, and medical staff, along with several structured treatment environments (such as inpatient care, medically managed care, detoxification, etc.).
- Recovery support services: These supports involve several community-based agencies and individuals providing emotional and practical support for recovery, including support groups, community centers, and twelve-step programs.
- Personal supports: All the family, friends, and colleagues invested in the ongoing recovery and improvement of the individual
How can recovery support help me to begin or strengthen my own recovery?
Alpas Wellness provides several levels of care and innovative, evidence-based recovery systems of care to help you recapture your potential and live your best life again. Our dedicated team of professionals will help to co-create a unique, personalized treatment plan that addresses every aspect of your struggle, providing the treatment and support you need to begin or strengthen your recovery process.
Learn More About:
Allison Bradbury. (2019, January 14). Recovery and Recovery Support | SAMHSA – Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Samhsa.gov. https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/recovery on July 20th, 2023
Office. (2019, May 14). Office of the Surgeon General (OSG). HHS.gov. https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/index.html on July 20th, 2023
National Academy of Medicine. (2019). About the NAM – National Academy of Medicine. National Academy of Medicine. https://nam.edu/about-the-nam/ on July 20th, 2023
Mental Health America. (2023). The State of Mental Health in America. Mhanational.org; Mental Health America. https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america on July 20th, 2023