The Mental Wealth Trialogue was held on 6 September, attended by 21 people. 14 of these indicated they had lived experience, 5 identified as carers, 16 as professionals and 5 as having a public interest.

Part 1 :  What is recovery and what does it mean to you?

Having freedom and taking responsibility for my actions

It’s a non-linear journey

Snakes and ladders, you go up in mood and  something happens and you come down again

Not comparing your situation to others

Relapse happens, it’s a dynamic process not a destination, it’s not black and white

An increased skill set, becoming more recovered over time overall

To develop a flourishing life

A sense of wellbeing

Long term functional management of life when difficulties happen

Increased resilience

Not needing as much support or direction from services

Services say ‘your disordered and we don’t like your behaviour’

Sometimes skills don’t come back, with an acquired brain injury for example

You have to find new ways of doing things

Being less isolated and more connected to people

Being seen, showing up regardless

A growing sense of gratitude for life

A sense of others acknowledging others, compassion for empathy for others, wanting to serve

we would query if anyone ever gets recovered

Recovery is a big challenge

Society put you on pathways to make you better is this always the right path for you?

Is individual to everybody

The biomedical model tends to disorder because of a broken brain, this suggests that fixing the chemistry would be OK, that recovery is about coming back to the original state.

With mental health problems you can never get back you can’t return

The word is a little misleading, recovery

Increased capacity for flourishing life

Becoming a better person, going forward in a better state

As you recover if you discover things about yourself

Changing the body posture can change your emotions

We are always a work in progress

If you have a cup of poison and keep adding water then eventually it becomes water

Gratitude and acceptance

Mindfulness rather than focusing on gaps which makes us upset to the exclusion of all that might dilute it, we should not pretend it doesn’t exist but perhaps focus on what does make us feel better

How much strength it can take others to just survive the trials they have experienced in life

Learning to look after yourself better

Recovery is scary, not always good with emotions we change our state for example with alcohol

Sometimes we can only do it minute by minute

How understanding people can be.

Lateral thinking how to be more creative in life

Look for little points of goodness and focus on these

Pick self up and be kind to self more to move forward

Not always believing your thoughts but to move into your body, grounding and absorbed in activities which lead  to achievement, this builds resilience

We often stop doing those things that help us when we feel unwell and really we should do these things more

Too much time thinking

Developmental trauma is huge and how we lives in the body today leads to vulnerable terrified children within many of us

We often push down and ignore and harm this child

There are good people in the world and some people can be trusted

Have learnt a lot of skills that others can find useful

These tools can help others and is a positive things to come out of difficulties

we need to teach our children to become emotionally literate

Our emotions affect our thought processes

Learn to forgive and move on not to be held hostage to the past

Cut the emotional cord to patients

Radical acceptance, parents do the best they can mostly we need to have compassion for them

Part 2:  How do we get ourselves well again and keep well?

Managing stress, think of self as a jenga block, challenges knock blocks out so we do things that put blocks back in

It’s hard work, learning to look after yourself better

Learning to be with the dark stuff

Sometimes we have to have others to help

Recognise struggles and think how you used to do things

Figure out who you are

Get rid of fantasy that all problems will go away if I did one thing, it’s a mix

Be careful of drugs and alcohol and medication

Appreciate the polarity of acceptance

The radical quality of action

Keep topping up your Wellness, have a flake moment, a little bit of nice for yourself, realise this is selfish.  It’s essential

Need to work hard at it just as we would with physical health

Practice things as we would in a course of physiotherapy

Self soothe boxes

Realizing there aren’t just black and whites

On picking thoughts to help find our national bits, challenge yourself

Pace yourself and be realistic.

Have realistic expectations of yourself

Watch classic comedies at least once a week to keep the spirits up

Have a laugh

Take negatives as you take positives, finds the positive from the negative on reflection

Connect with different people

Yoga and massage, these help process your mind

What we feel stays in our bodies we somatise for example of when stressed

Figure out what way he works for us

We often criticise ourselves, ask would I talk to her friend like that?

To fit into society’s expectations, difference is not always excepted.  Regardless find what makes you happy and do it, as long as it’s legal

Being you, you’re the best one of you

Find the joyful moments in your life

We are a work in progress, this is comforting

The text each other three or four things that your grateful for

Speak the truth your own truth

Being aware of something that’s bigger than me

A sense of connection and presence

Change of perspective, grateful for the small things

Trusting others to recover, holding the vision for them when they can’t

Lots of places are starting recovery and well-being cafes and so on

The importance of being independent, yes it’s important but also interdependence is important.

Independence can make you feel very lonely and isolated

If human beings are social animals

Community needs to be are healing force

What’s could you put in a self-soothe box?

Tattoos and jewellery

Rescue remedy

A ripple

Bubble bath

Cuddly toy

To be a complete person we need to be able to be empathetic and not be entirely autonomous

I might be afraid as I’m not in danger I have resources and can set boundaries

Freedom to do good, fraternity, just be a good person

Strive to be a better person and think about the retribution consequences

Connection to animals, they can be very intuitive

Also get into nature

Connection belonging nurture security

Questions for next time:

How do we engage with mental Health Services?

What’s been helpful and what’s been challenging?  Our act