Mental Illness and Recovery: Lived Experiences and Principles of Recovery-Oriented Mental Health Practice

Running head: MENTAL ILLNESS AND RECOVERY 1
Mental illness and Recovery
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MENTAL ILLNESS AND RECOVERY 2
Mental health and illness
Mental health is the state of being mentally fit for a good living. The person is able to
understand his/her abilities and able to deal with all the issues of life. The individual can also
work fruitfully and productively to make a substantial contribution and benefit to the entire
community.
Mental illness or psychiatric disorder is a pattern of behavior that significantly causes
impairment of the individual functioning or distress. The features may be persistent, aggravating
and diminishing. Many disorders have widely varying signs and symptoms. They affect an
individual's moods, feelings, as well thinking. The condition in most cases affect a person's
ability to do their duties and socialize with other people. Different mental conditions are not
caused by the same sequence of events (Fazel, & Seewald, 2012). Research suggests that
different mental disorders are caused by the influence of the lifestyle, genetics, the coping skills,
life history and circumstances, levels of both workplace and personal stress and access to both
health care and social supports.
Mental disorders are very common all over the world. They affect anyone anywhere
regardless of race, age, religion or the social class (Rogers, & Pilgrim,2014). Majority of the
people who are diagnosed with critical mental conditions can experience some relief from the
symptoms by actively taking part in a personal treatment plan.
The objective of the paper is to deeply discuss and illustrate the concept lived experiences of
psychiatric illnesses, principles or concepts of recovery-oriented mental health practice, the
national framework for the recovery-oriented service and the implementation of the framework
in mental illness basing the illustrations from the poems by Sandy Jeff.

MENTAL ILLNESS AND RECOVERY 3
Whatever our experiences or circumstances, it is the goal of every person to live a self-
satisfying, comfortable and fulfilling life. The goal of such life may seem to be unrealistic and
out of reach if one suffers from a serious mental disorder. The care providers and the families of
people with mental health challenges have some unique insights and knowledge of how the
services can influence the mental health and promote the recovery of the client (Schomerus, et al
2012). The focus should be redirected to supporting recovery through self-participation and
determination. Doing this will facilitate and enable the mental wellbeing, building support
networks, resilience and finally the people's strengths.
People who are experiencing some mental disorder face difficult conditions such being
abandoned by both friends and family members, some physical illness, or even drugs and
substance abuse as well as alcohol-related cases. Some groups face challenges in accessing the
mental health care facilities. (Wahl, 2012). Close family members and friends have a significant
impact on mental health depending on the support that they provide. (Goldberg, & Huxley,
2012).in the poem “A journey in the dark wood” Sandy Jeff reveals her childhood experiences
and how they contributed to her mad. She witnessed the domestic violence at home and could
not share with anybody. The memories lived to haunt her the rest of her life. Mental disorders
must be dealt with by creating the partnership between the people with lived experiences and the
society which must provide a full range social, community, and voluntary health services and
other support.
Sandy Jeff uses poetry to express her lived experiences with schizophrenia. In the poem
"The madwoman in this poem" sandy explains some the things that people suffering from mental
disorders have to go through in the hands of family and friends. The madwoman lives on the
twenty-second floor without the husband or any children. The family that is supposed to give her