Psychosocial disability recovery is not always a straight path forward. There can be good* days, difficult days and days when simply getting through is enough.
You may feel confident and connected one week, then find everyday tasks more difficult the next. Your energy, motivation, concentration or ability to communicate may change. You may need more support during one period and less during another.
This does not mean you have failed or gone backwards. It means recovery is human, individual and rarely predictable.
What Does Psychosocial Disability Recovery Mean?
Psychosocial disability can occur when a mental health condition has a significant and ongoing impact on your daily life.
It may affect your ability to manage routines, connect with others, attend appointments, make decisions, work, study or take part in your community.
Psychosocial disability recovery does not necessarily mean that every symptom disappears. Instead, it can mean building a meaningful life while learning how to manage challenges, draw on your strengths and access the right support.
Recovery looks different for everyone. For one person, it might mean reconnecting with a friend. For someone else, it could mean preparing a meal, attending an appointment or trying a new activity.
There is no single version of progress and no set timeline you need to follow.
Why Your Support Needs May Change
Your mental health and daily capacity can be affected by many things. Changes in sleep, stress, physical health, relationships, housing, medication or routine can all influence how you feel and function.
Sometimes there is a clear reason why things feel harder. At other times, there may not be.
You may be able to complete a task independently one day but need support with the same task on another. This can be part of the fluctuating nature of psychosocial disability.
The NDIA has also recognised that people with psychosocial disability may need different levels of support at different times. A plan period with lower support needs does not mean those needs will always remain at that level.
Your support should respond to your circumstances rather than expecting your capacity to be the same every day.
Progress Can Be Easy to Miss
We often imagine progress as something big and obvious. In reality, some of the most meaningful changes can be easy to overlook.
Progress might look like:
- Responding to a message you have been avoiding
- Getting out of bed and having a shower
- Speaking openly about what is not working
- Attending part of an appointment
- Returning to a familiar activity
- Setting a boundary
- Asking for more support
- Trying again after a difficult experience
These steps may appear modest sometimes, other times may require enormous courage, energy and trust.
Recognising these moments can assist in building momentum. Shifting the focus away from what is possible right now and stacking positive changes over time.
A Difficult Period Does Not Erase Your Progress
We all experience setbacks. In fact, a difficult day, week or month is sometimes part of the journey. Remember, you still hold onto what you’ve learned and achieved even if there are some tougher days.
You may still carry new skills, stronger relationships, greater self awareness or a clearer understanding of what you need.
Sometimes progress means moving forward. Sometimes it means pausing, adjusting your expectations or accepting more support.
There may also be times when progress means recognising that something is not working and choosing a different direction.
Sometimes it’s facing recurring tough patterns with new skills or knowledge that help take some of the rougher edges off.
How a Psychosocial Recovery Coach Can Support You
A Psychosocial Recovery Coach can work alongside you as you navigate the changing parts of your recovery.
This may include supporting you to:
- Understand your strengths, needs and goals
- Develop routines that feel manageable
- Recognise early signs that you may need more support
- Prepare for appointments or important conversations
- Connect with mental health, community and mainstream services
- Build confidence in making decisions
- Explore strategies for difficult periods
- Keep your supports informed and connected
- Notice and recognise your progress
Recovery Coaching is not about telling you what your life should look like. It is about working with you to understand what matters to you and identifying realistic steps towards it.
Planning for the Hard Days
It can be useful to think about what you may need before a difficult period arrives.
With your Recovery Coach, you might explore:
- Signs that your mental health is beginning to change
- People you feel comfortable contacting
- Activities or routines that provide stability
- Appointments or responsibilities that may need to be adjusted
- The best ways for others to communicate with you
- Services you can contact when you need additional support
Your Recovery Belongs to You
There is no correct way to experience psychosocial disability recovery.
Recovery is about building a life that feels meaningful to you, one good* day and one achievable step at a time.
At One Good* Day, our Psychosocial Recovery Coaches work alongside you through the steady days, the difficult days and everything in between.
If you would like to learn more about Recovery Coaching with One Good* Day, get in touch with our team.