All things considered, I do a pretty decent job of managing my own life. I vote and I pay taxes. I obey the laws (most of them, anyway). I dress and feed myself. I pay bills. I manage a checking account. I plan vacations. The list goes on and on. I am a United States citizen. An adult woman, with a brain! But sometimes, as a person in recovery, I feel I am treated like I can't think or be trusted to make good decisions. It happens more than you might imagine, and it bothers me as much as it would bother you.
I am very aware of certain trends. I keep up with them. I know that concepts such as "participatory treatment" "consumer driven" and "self-determination" are part of today's recovery initiatives. I know that these ideas can truly make a difference in a person's life. Sometimes I see those trends being applied within our system of care. Sometimes I don't.
These trends may not be easy for some to accept and deal with. They probably aren't the way that things were done in the past. And they may involve hurdles that I may not even be aware of and therefore cannot truly appreciate. I just know that sometimes the chance to participate seems real, sometimes it's token, and sometimes it's non-existent.
Here is what else I know: It is a lot easier to feel like an important part of something when you have the chance to be fully involved; it's a lot easier to hear words like "act like you are responsible for yourself," when you are given the opportunity to do so. Please remember that I have a stake in my recovery and its success. I insist on my right to take hold of it.
And so I ask those who work to help people in recovery; do you ever feel you would like a little more say in the way things are done within the system?
Try walking a while in my shoes!