We should also be clear that we believe the definition of �recovery� to be somewhat pliable. Obviously, there is no red light that starts flashing and no bells that begin ringing when someone has reached the point of being �cured,� as if they were a turkey becoming fully cooked in the oven! There is also no guarantee that, on the grand continuum of mental health, that someone may not move back and forth periodically. So, ultimately, �recovery� must be identified by the individual. For some, it may mean living symptom free. For others it may mean shedding the label and identity of someone who is mentally ill. For still others, it may mean finding a way to have a high quality of life with symptoms that are well-managed.
Once these two issues have been addressed, the path towards recovery can become much clearer. On the path of recovery, we believe the following points to be critical:
� The individual must take personal responsibility for and become active in his or her own process of recovery, including the ongoing review of one�s definition of recovery and the development of a healthy identity.
� The individual must accept that he or she may not have been responsible for the events leading up to their current struggles and pain, but that no one else can be responsible for healing them.
� The individual must continue to believe that recovery is possible and within their power, and that they have not necessarily been given a �life sentence.�
� The individual must be willing to accept that their will be hurdles and obstacles to recovery.
� The individual must be willing to accept that the values and expectations of his or her community must also be taken into consideration. (Though it is certainly possible for individuals within the same area to have vastly different ideas about mental illness and recovery, it is clear that at least some others in one�s community must see his or her choices and identity as valid in order for recovery to be successful within that community.)
� To sustain recovery, it is advisable for an individual to develop a support network that may include mental health professionals, but also may be comprised entirely of peer supports, family, friends, Internet newsgroups, and so on.
In summary, there have been many very successful people in this world who have been labeled with or experienced symptoms of a mental illness and there have been many unsuccessful people in this world who haven�t! We at SSN know from personal experience that mental health struggles do not have to define us, rule us or guide us through our lives, and we wish the same wisdom upon everyone.
