What recovery means to us: understanding real life recovery

Abstract

In this booklet we have brought together stories from a group of people who are at various stages in their recovery, to understand what recovery has meant to them in their lives. The stories in this booklet are real-life. They show the ups and downs of recovery which can often be difficult but still reveal moments of hope. When people share their recovery stories or experiences, they help us to better understand the barriers as well as the things that helped. While different people will find different things helpful and unhelpful, some of the stories and experiences might be useful to you. The quotes from people who shared their stories are in inverted commas and sometimes we have added words to help make it easier to read. When we have done this we have put our extra words in brackets like (this). When we have cut out some words, you will see a few dots like this ... When you have taken some time to read the stories, we suggest that you use them to raise questions with your support worker or counsellor, and that you think about how these stories might relate to your journey.