EP 214 – You Don’t Have To Recover: You Have Choice

You Have Choice!

You don’t have to recover.  The power of choice and the right to choose your own fate is always in your hands.

Nobody, including me, should force you or shame you into getting better.  In the end, you have full control over the choices you make and you are free to make whatever choices you want to make based on what you think is best for you.  As a result, only you get to decide whether the things I say on this podcast are right for you, and that should always be respected.

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The Highlights

Therapists, counselors, advocates, social media content creators, and anyone else in the mental health space can believe in your ability to recover.  We should not try to convince you that you should or must recover. 

I would not do this thing that I do if I did not believe in your ability to get better, but you are always in charge.  Because of this, my belief in you does not mean that I have the right to force you into engaging in the recovery process or to shame you should you decide to not engage.

The community surrounding this podcast can often get very enthusiastic about a thing that works for them and helps them get better.  This is to be expected, but as a result more enthusiastic members of the community may inadvertently make you feel bad about your choice to back away from this process or decide that you are not ready for it. Know that they likely mean well, but this does not give anyone the right to shame you for your mental health choices.

Regardless of what I, or anyone else believes, the only thing that matters is what YOU believe about yourself and what you think is right for you.  Do not let anyone try to convince you that you must do the things I talk and right about. That includes me.

You may believe that there are other ways to recover that are better for you.  That’s perfectly valid.  I would not take it personally at all if you were to choose a different approach to recovery because you disagree with me.  I, and everyone else, should respect your right to make your own choice.

You May Not Be Ready

You may be drawn to this approach, but at the same time you may not be ready to move forward toward your fear.  We all follow our own path that leads us to “readiness”.  Sometimes its anger and frustration that will make you ready to recover.  It might be a bit of desperation.  There could be external factors that will motivate you to move in a different direction.  It could be a combination of all of these things.  There is no “one size fits all” in this situation.

Just remember that however way you get there – or don’t get there – is perfectly valid.