A mental health service user's perspective on the 'Recovery Model'

I would certainly not describe myself as 'recovered', although that is a term and a concept developed by service users as a far back as 1995. It was introduced as a concept to challenge those who would set us apart from others, denigrate us in society. It was an attempt we made to be better understood and accepted.

The response to the concept of 'recovery' has been mixed. It is now adopted as the new model in mental health, no reference or credibility has been given to the service users like myself who initiated the whole concept through giving talks on mental illness around the country, taking questions and answers and so on. Framing mental illness as an understandable phenomenon to everyone. Some of my first thoughts and writings on the subject are in documents archived by the National Perception Forum.

That reality and history has been obscured and, under the recovery model, we are treated as if we are stupid and have to be pushed and cajoled into work as part of our 'recovery'. It doesn't seem to occur to those administering 'recovery' that we do actually live in the community now, so many of us know where and how to find jobs. Many of us have already tried with varying degrees of success to work, we do not need to be pushed around.

The ultimate aim in the 'recovery model' is to discharge us from mental health services and the mental health remit altogether, the 'logic' being that we have 'recovered'. That is dubious and lacks understanding of mental illness, emotional distress and the ensuing disability.

After a true breakdown, we do not ever really recover, as I have not. It still remains that I would dearly like to have a close relationshiop with another person, but that ( which many people may take for granted) is a near impossibility for me. I cannot watch TV as it either bores me to distraction, or I have uncontrollable fits of crying. Emotionally, I cannot cope with being around children. I cannot go out easily therefore I stay in on my own. I cannot go out at night, and have a poor understanding of money. I have auditory, visual and tactile hallucinations, panic attacks, night terrors, panic attacks at night and I self harm, the scars are there for all to see. Then there are permanent physical health problems from the long term use of psychotropic drugs including mood stabilisers, problems such as diabetes, oedema, weight gain, muscle stiffness which leads to a sedentary lifestyle and exacerbates problems.

The 'Recovery Model' now adopted is highly patronising, it assumes we know nothing and that there is nothing wrong with us, therefore there is no duty of care, but we do still have to take medication.

What I would like to know, now that I have expressed a little of what it is like from a service users perspective, is how do the staff feel about constantly making us do their work for them? I will give an example ( although there are plenty of examples like this), it will hopefully make it clear; groups are set up in the community to help mental patients, like a 'walk and talk' group, or a 'walking group', we are then told that we will then (after a period of time) have to run it ourselves. It is because it is an 'aid' to our 'recovery', and we should not get dependant on services. Is it such a terrrible sin to depend on others? ( and are we very bad children if we let this happen?). According to the recovery model, it should not be, we should not be dependent on anyone for anything. Are we not human then? Surely as human beings it is acknowledged that we are social beings and not solitary, does this not apply to menatally ill people too? How come we as mental health service users should have nothing, no support, no day centre, no care ... only medication? Told to do voluntary work? This is not 'recovery', it is more like 'exploitation'.

Treatment and care has come full circle to what was there before, but now, there is actually much less support.