community event

Course Length: Single session introduction to recovery.
Related Course: Road to Recovery, a four-week course offering more in-depth information.
Instructor: Hugh, a recovery trainer at CMHA Calgary with seven years of experience and lived experience in mental health and addiction.

Tracy: Peer support worker with personal experience in mental health, such as anxiety and depression. She also supports her two adult children with anxiety and other mental health struggles. Previously a registered nurse.
Danny: Encourages questions and emphasizes Tracy's availability for additional support.

Acknowledges traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy, Tsuu T'ina, and the Metis Nation in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta.
Importance: Highlights histories that precede current lives and responsibilities toward truth and reconciliation.

Focus: Discussions will center on recovery aspects—promoting hope and moving ahead in life.
Right to Pass: Participants can choose not to share.
Confidentiality: Emphasizes what is shared in the group stays within the group.
Judgment-Free Zone: Everyone comes from different backgrounds and points in recovery.
Class Environment: Not a therapy or support group; structured learning environment, with materials provided for reference.
Take Care of Yourself: Ensure self-care and enjoyment in the learning process.
Comfort Agreement: Agreement that encourages a comfortable learning space for all participants.

Definition of Recovery: Living a fulfilling life; does not equate to symptom elimination but involves managing symptoms effectively.
Personal Definitions of Recovery:
- Living without restrictions of mental illness.
- “Living in wellness” as opposed to focusing on simply being in recovery, which allows for setbacks and learning.
- Recovery's unique definitions to every individual.Recovery has unique definitions for every individual.
Recovery Examples: Setting personal goals, embracing daily activities, and achieving personal milestones like education or employment.

Focus on self-determination: Taking charge of one’s life choices, akin to steering a ship.
Importance of connection: Relationships and community belonging are crucial, as conveyed by Dr. Gabor Maté’s idea that connection is the opposite of addiction.
Building Meaning and Purpose: Recovery involves finding personal significance and pursuing what fulfills oneself.
Concept of resilience as emerging from life struggles—the strength to bounce back from difficulties.

Core Principles:
- Hope: Recovery is possible for all individuals and serves as a foundation for change.
- Person-Centered: Focus on the individual in recovery rather than the illness itself, empowering individuals to set and pursue their goals.
- Empowerment and Active Participation: Participants actively dictate their recovery pathways.
- Includes addressing social determinants of health: Integration of housing, relationships, work, and community in recovery.
- Strength-Based Approach: Focus on strengths and resources rather than setbacks.
- Respect and Dignity: Ensuring inclusion and cultural safety for individuals.

Impacts of Fear:
- Limits decision-making and creates a negative outlook based on potential downsides.
- Can lead to avoidance, stifling growth and personal development.
Strategies to Overcome Fear:
- Naming fears to lessen their power.
- Engaging in rituals or actions such as crumpling and discarding papers with fears written on them.
- Emphasizing hope and maintaining focus on positive elements.

Definition of Hope: A motivating force that encourages individuals to envision and strive for a better future, igniting a persistent belief in positive change.
Strategies for Building Hope:
- Small Acts: Routine tasks that bring joy and satisfaction, such as cleaning and organizing.
- Random Acts of Kindness: Promoting community and positive interaction through small acts of all kinds.
- Utilizing Humor: Engaging with entertaining content to uplift mood and foster positivity.
- Creating Rituals around Hope: Lighting candles in meaningful situations or keeping photographs to remind oneself of joy and potential.
- Accountability Buddies: Partnering with someone for shared goals to encourage mutual growth.
- Self-Reflection: Keeping a gratitude journal to document aspects of life one is thankful for, no matter how small.

Journey of Recovery: Recovery is neither linear nor simple; it typically includes ups and downs, and one unique path does not define another’s experience.
The class encourages participants to assess their recovery journeys, focusing on personal growth through the strategies outlined.
Invitation to continue participating in courses on mental health and recovery offered by CMHA Calgary.