Recovery Narrative

I had a few relapses and thought that he was going to change and we would get back together but they were all false alarms. I continued to love him and help him and in return, he continued to hurt me and toy with my emotions. Until I was completely drained and mentally could not deal with him anymore.

I feel a sense of calmness wash over me. My thoughts are peaceful and positive. I am confident and capable. I sleep a deep, healing sleep. I wake in the morning refreshed and renewed.

Growing up in a small town in Iowa I was unaware of the many situations involving hardship or misfortune that were around me. Therefore, it was not till college when I received the opportunity to work for a reentry program called the Transformative Justice Initiative that I became aware of the multiple factors lead to incarceration, drug use, homelessness, and other areas of hardship. The longer I was involved with the program the more I learned how mental health is convoluted in all of these situations and in all populations. Consequently, my experiences with the Transformative Justice Initiative helped me develop my future aspirations as a professional, which include a desire to work with individuals that have mental illness.

is no longer hidden but confronts us demanding an intervention that will disrupt its history. Critical analysis places us all in the glaring light that pans negligence, but it is the policymakers that stand in the focus of this beam while the rest of us are in its important penumbra. Policymakers are challenged to 1) restore and increase proper community mental health structures, 2) deinstitutionalize mental ill-health patients, 3) train police officers, and also personnel serving

Police have long been the default resource to manage new demands from changes in society, and in regards to mental illness, they have been referred to as the “informal first responders of mental health” (Council of Canadian 33).

Overall I managed to gain a lot from Rehabs story. The more profound topic that really stick out to me was the fact that no matter how sinful ones past was the Lord can still work wondrous things through you. That alone blows my mind beyond measure. This just goes to show you how immense and grand is the love that our father has for us.

The fictional character that I have chosen is Maddie from the show “Road to Recovery”. This character makes risky decisions, like going partying, drinking, and getting high. Maddie is this 17 year old girl where her locker gets searched right after her mother has suspicions that there’s alcohol in there. After that Maddie gets sent to rehab, so that she can get the alcohol out of her system and then to a sobriety to start the process to getting herself sober. In this house, she meets other people who are either going through the same thing or have gone through the same thing, so if she ever needs any advice she can go to these people as well as her counselor Craig. Although Maddie still wants to hang out with her friends, party, and do what

works the best for substance abuse, however, the group counselor could step in for individual counseling if Alice felt the need for one on one sessions during her recovery. A family counselor will be a part of the team since Alice is married and has two little girls and her drinking has affected the unit and the goal will be to make sure that we can strengthen the unit. With family counseling will be slowly brought into Alice’s recovery processed. It may look something like working with the couple first and then bringing the girls in later down the road once Alice and Michael and a firmer foundation built in this new stage of their relationship. A play therapist will be brought into for the girls to process their own experiences.

Often times, people live through painful events in their life that can alter their perception of themselves, their family, and the world. Narrative therapy offers the client the opportunity to re-write their story and gain a different perspective of specific events. It is important to understand that within the history of narrative therapy, therapists view client’s stories through a political lens. Often times, focusing on the oppression and cultural dominance that exists within the constructs of our society. Thus, empowering clients to change their story allows them to break free from the constraints that have shaped their outlook and allow for alternative ways of thinking.

Academically, I am interested in mental health care system reform and specifically, how we can achieve better outcomes for people with mental health and addiction issues, at a lower cost. While mental health care programs and services have dramatically improved over the past 40 years, serious problems persist and dramatic changes are needed. I am interested in this issue because of my extensive professional and volunteer work in the mental health care field. I currently work as a Hospital Outreach Worker with the Canadian Medical Health Association’s Emergency Department Hospital Outreach team. Research tells us that patients with mental illness and addictions issues are often brought by ambulance to the emergency room because there is nowhere else for them to go.

After few days I recovered. Later when Jack and his father came in Jack wanted to unchain me. I thought that he was trying to hit me before he hit me I hit him in his hand because I thought that he is going to hurt me. Then Jack took chain and chain in the deck. After that I went outside. I saw Jack holding food for me and I ate the whole food he had. Now I was happy with him I was not angry with him. Jack was patting me and I was

The path of addiction leads to a seemingly hopeless end, filled with distorted reality and irrational behavior producing a recipe for chaos and trauma for all it encompasses. Though an individual that chooses to abuse substances does not plan to become addicted, the metamorphosis toward addiction and all it entails does not happen overnight. Understanding that recovery is the necessary action to change the course of active addiction, it is imperative to realize this is a process. Process is defined as “A series of actions or steps taken in order to achieve a particular end (process, n.d.). These steps are critical to achieve a positive and successful recovery for the addict and family structure ultimately restoring the potential of endless

Moving on, again westward, I was looking for a panel that I'd wanted to find for several years. I had written down clues I found in blog posts and forum trip reports, looked at maps for likely places and spent far too much time on Google Earth. I was pretty confident this time. The dogs and I started off up the steep slope to where I thought it was, this asthmatic flatlander and her flatlander dogs sucking wind as we went. After a bit of searching, I decided I was thwarted again, which was fine - the view was pretty fantastic and it gave me another reason to visit the area and explore more next

1. Describe why you are applying to this program, what your goals are, and how your professional and educational experiences have prepared you for this program.

During the day, my team helped reconstruct church buildings and youth centers, but most rewarding were the nightly gatherings with youth groups. We listened to each one recount their stories, inclining our ears and heart to them as they voiced their fears and struggles. Unspeakably, I learned the immense value of dialogue in the healing process - the importance of storytelling and listening. Beyond the outward chaos, a testimony of resiliency radiated from these young kids as they fearlessly tackle life’s storms. Such an experience implanted within me the desire to combat a pressing global health challenge and the value of the collective impact of the community, launching my serious interest in public health. With limited