Recovery From Mental Illness: Importance Of Lived Experience, Principles Of Recovery, And Impact On Service Delivery Essay.

The concept of lived experience on mental illness

Discuss about the Mental Health Nursing for Medical Practitioners.

Recovery from mental disorder or illness requires more efforts than the treatment and medication offered by the medical professionals. Recovery encompasses wholesome efforts applied by the individual, medical practitioners and the community support (Slade et al., 2015). In order to effectively conduct recovery-oriented mental health practices, medical practitioners had to learn from people how have experienced life in mental illness. The knowledge gained is necessary and relevant to understanding the effective methods of dealing with clients (Nolen & Rector, 2015). Mental illness refers to a disease which alters the brain functionality causing a significant effect on thinking capacity, behaviour, personal control and interacting socially. Mental health is a state of the mind being well and fit to make decisions, think properly, having feeling and emotions (Rogers & Pilgrim, 2014). The scope of this discussion will cover the concept of lived experience on mental health and illness. Secondly, it will cover the six principles of recovery and the means of personal recovery. Thirdly, explain how the lived experience have impact change in the service delivery. Finally, the discussion will offer an outline of the main ideas as depicted from the framework of recovery on mental health.

The concept of lived experience on mental illness is highly valued today by medical professionals. This knowledge is valued since it opens the minds of medical practitioners on how to effectively manage and cure mental illness. Medical professional access such information through living with mental illness or listening to testimonies of individuals who have experienced the same (Shea, 2016). People with mental health experience a lot of challenges in their daily life. In fact, lacking self-realization is one of their greatest problem since they experience inability in coop with routine activities. Consequently, they never enjoy as decent meal since preparing it is a challenge, maintaining personal hygiene as well as the environment is also hard for them. Poor hygienic conditions is a source of infections which may result in other diseases apart from the mental illness. Their financial power is limited and some of them opt in depend on begging for money on the streets. Begging would result in earn fewer coins which are hardly enough to cater for their basic needs, this make them to scrounge through dustbins. Some individuals survive on leftovers as source of food which poses a danger of suffering from foodborne diseases (Koslowski, 2016).

Challenges faced by people with mental illness

A person living with mental illness experiences a high level of stigma and discrimination. This makes it even difficult to engage in education as their colleagues shun away from them. In line with that, engagement in employment is also a challenge, rendering them to lack a purpose in life. The community around them view them as incapable of doing anything, thus judging them as not productive (Einarsen & Nielsen, 2015). Lack of proper employment results in idleness, making them to degenerate into drugs and substances abuse. Addiction then follows after continuous usage of drugs especially cigarette and alcohol (Halter, 2017).

Isolation and loneliness is another dominant challenge faced by people with mental illness. Persons with mental illness feel as if the society has set them aside. The community discriminate them which in turn lowers the self-confidence of such individuals. After they lose their self-esteem, such individuals lose hope and the meaning of life. In some instances, other individuals prefer committing suicide as they feel worthless and it's as if they are not wanted in the society (Perry & Pescosolido, 2015).

Recovery is a personal journey of hope on re-discover and realization of oneself. Self-determination, understanding your capability and gaining a positive view of life are some of the requirements for recovery (Jeffs & Leggatt, 2014). The principles established for recovery-oriented mental health practices serve as the guideline for medical health practitioner. This will enable service delivery in an effective manner that supports full recover to people with mental health issues. The six recovery principles currently known include; individual uniqueness, respect and dignity, personal attitude and human right, settled choice, recovery evaluation and finally partnership and proper communication (Shepherd, 2010).

People are diverse and each person with mental illness has a unique experience. Since these experience are divers, recovery-oriented practices should understand the world of their patients. It is through learning from live experience of others that has enabled medical practitioners to recognize the uniqueness of an individuals. Recovery process is not only supposed to cure but also concerns providing opportunities for alternatives. The choices made will aid in living a meaningful life, one which adds value to the community. During decision making on the lifestyle aspects, people with the mental health defects need support and empowerment to acknowledge the available choices. The medial professionals should therefore be aware of the relevance of such support need. This will aid in enhancing their treatment practices on recovery of the mentally ill. As a result strengthening them in taking responsibility of their lives and take positive risks so as to exploit new opportunities (Townsend & Morgan, 2017). 

Principles of recovery-oriented practices in mental health

Recovery-oriented mental health practices involve impacting a positive attitude through listening and responding to what is important to them. Since people are different, nurses need to interact freely with the clients thus making them overcome the feeling of loneliness. The interaction will help in installing hope to an individual mind that some care and there is a possibility of a good future. It is through such interactions that practitioners can protect the rights of the sick individual and also secure the individual's citizenship. The medical practitioners can enhance their bonding with the mentally ill through involving them in recreational activities such as sports and festivals. In doing so, the mentally ill will feel like they do belong somewhere and this will help them to develop as well as keep up a social network. Recovery practice plays a major role in restoring dignity and respect to people suffering from mental health. Nurses should exhibit courtesy and politeness as well as creating sincere and respectful communication while interacting their clients. This reduces stigma and discrimination among the service providers while making the individuals develop self-confidence (Mårtensson, 2014).

The mental health practitioners should create a partnership between them and individual suffering from mental illness. In so doing, the service provider will have an easy time to provide support in the most comfortable way to them. Since an individual knows himself better, frequent sharing of information, will make the nurses to understand the perfectly. Upon learning their behaviour and wants, the medical practitioner will have additional knowledge on how to boost the recovery journey. In addition, it will facilitate working in realistic and achievable ways toward helping the individuals in restoring the lost identify. Evaluation is very key in recovery oriented practices. The metal practitioner should constantly monitor and record the progress on each stage of recovery. The partnership created will also simplify the evaluation process (Slade & Longden, 2015).

The document of Recovery-oriented practices of mental health services provides vital policies. The national framework team has combined a number of recovery-oriented approaches to improve mental health and service delivery in Australia. The approaches have appreciated the importance of lived experience in formulation of recovery oriented practices. The document has elaborated a number of practices which are important to recovery. Such practices include applying sets of capabilities that enable people to take responsibility for their actions. This is achieved through setting goals, having ambitions and maturing their desires. Recovery-oriented service delivery focuses on the needs and aspirations of the individuals and provides of psychosocial support needed for recovery and rehabilitation. The practices of recovery and service delivery emphasize on providing options and self-determination. It also requires ensuring safety and protection of the client's human right (Council, A. H. M. A. 2013).

Impact of lived experience on service delivery

The framework also focuses on recovery across the mental health service spectrum. This provides an interactive relationship that exists between recovery-oriented practices and service delivery to facilitate rehabilitation. The government, private sectors, and non-government agencies have a role in recovery within the broader context. This institution enhances maximization of people's quality life, through providing necessities such as housing, jobs, training and psychological support. The framework consists of capabilities which reflects the core principle, values knowledge and skill, attitudes and their behaviour. There are also domains normally associated with these capabilities that ease the provision of support to the mentally ill. Thus, giving meaning as well as a contribution of life to their chosen community. The framework encourages the community to have a diversity in mind in order to curb the various emotional problems. Such problems arise from discrimination derived from race, ethnicity, culture and tradition or even gender oriented (Council, A. H. M. A. 2013).

In conclusion, recovery from mental illness is a process which needs the expertise of medical professionals, persons with lived experience, support from the community and the individual person. Recovery consists of wide range of meanings. However, it is perceived as personal and unique to each person since he will undergo a different path to recovery. This is because each person with mental illness experiences different circumstances in arrange of situations. Therefore, it is necessary for medical professionals to take advantage of the available information offered by people with lived experience. This will make them understand these differences and make an effort to work closely with their clients in order to achieve full recovery.

Reference

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