September is National Recovery Month, and it is dedicated to celebrating and supporting people who are in recovery from mental health and substance use disorders. Recovery is something we talk about year-round at TR because it’s part of the work we do. But for those outside of the work, the term “recovery” gets thrown out in varying contexts, and it can be hard to pin down what it means.
In the media and our culture, the term “recovery” is often condensed into a single point that doesn’t match the complexity that “recovery” truly involves. “Recovery” is often likened or seen as a synonym for “sobriety” or “being clean,” but that is not what it is: recovery is the process of getting better or improving into a new state of health, strength, or previous condition. Recovery is not the final outcome. Recovery Month gives people in recovery a voice and to raise awareness of how common it is; approximately 1 in 10 adults in the U.S. consider themselves to be in recovery of either substance abuse or mental illness!
Recovery doesn’t look the same for any two people; for some people, recovery means reducing the number of emergency room visits. For others, it’s managing symptoms well enough to hold a part-time job reconnect with family they lost touch with. Sometimes it’s simply not using a substance as much as they previously did. Either way, improvement is the key. Aiming to be in a better place in the future and then achieving that goal. Because the the outcome of the recovery process looks different for every person, it can be confusing to people outside of the field who don’t understand; the definition is that the process is different, unique and individualized for each person.
What is important is not that there is a fixed, “correct,” or predetermined destination, it’s that people get to define success on their own terms with support instead of pressure. That’s the model TR is built on, to meet someone where they are, not where a program or outside entity says they should be.
Giving people the chance to progress in their own way leads to more positive, consistent outcomes. Here are three different stories from our clients that reflect what that recovery can look like:
Maria’s Story: Housing First
Maria spent three years cycling between shelters and the street. She had tried to get help and engage with the support system, but she struggled to get through some of the entry points. Her substance abuse kept her from certain housing, her rental history was outdated, her credit score not good enough, not to mention she had no way to pay any kind of deposit or first/last month’s rent. She became distrustful of the system after it had failed her many times. When she came to TR’s Supportive Housing program, she had a place to live immediately, not having to prove she was sober to get into housing. She got a key and a safe place to sleep. Because of this stability, everything else became possible: building a relationship case manager who she began to trust, a return to treatment at her own pace, and eventually, a part-time job working for TR. Maria’s recovery started with a roof over her head and a door that locked. Everything else followed.
James’s Story: Recovery Through Community
James had been in and out of crisis care for a decade, frequently visiting emergency rooms, hospitals, and short-term clinics. He would be discharged once he was stable but had no follow up or any other support to ensure he could maintain stability. When he came to TR, he found a community of support who could help him at every stage. He spent time in our Residential Program, having consistent case managers and staff to check in with, making friends with others in the house, and building a routine. When his symptoms acted up, he was able to get support immediately before a crisis came. He also joined groups where he connected with others who had been where he was and weren’t afraid to share their stories and support. For James, recovery didn’t come from a clinical breakthrough, it was through morning coffee with people who understood what he was going through and a case manager who picked up the phone at midnight when things got hard. James hasn’t been hospitalized in over a year and a half.
Destiny’s Story: Recovery Through Stability
Destiny found herself homeless with nowhere to go and a diagnosis she didn’t understand. TR’s residential program gave her more than a bed, it gave her a structured, supportive environment to help people like her navigate the often difficult and confusing symptoms of a serious mental illness for the first time. She had a foundation to build on and the time she needed to heal and to understand her diagnosis. Just over a year later, Destiny had found the right combination of medication and treatment to manage her symptoms. She also rediscovered beading as a hobby and is now working towards the goal of selling her creations at the local Farmer’s Market. Her recovery was rooted in having the time and support she needed to find compassion, peace, and clarity about her new reality. A reality she didn’t have to be afraid of because she was not facing it alone.
Why This Matters
None of these stories end with “and then they were all better and their issues were fixed!” That’s the point. Recovery is ongoing, individual, and often invisible from the outside. A program that demands people already arrive to it “better” or “improved” doesn’t serve the purpose of helping someone, it simply ensures fewer people will feel safe enough to take the first steps forward in the journey. It is not a perfect, linear line, a system to be measured against on a timeline, or a final destination with a clear end. To be in recovery is the steady work, progression, and commitment to keep going and to do better, however long that takes and whatever it ends up looking like.