It seems natural that when people think about the mentally ill, they think about them needing support. Of course they are right, but then everyone in the world needs some kind of support. People were not designed/did not evolve to live alone.
Could it be that the human need to support others is as strong or maybe even stronger than an adults need to be supported?
As soon as we start to recover we regain our need to support others. If we ignore this and keep on expecting to be supported then we stifle our recovery.
Could it be that bipolar people who take on roles such as coordinator , secretary, librarian, publicist for their local bipolar self-help group tend to be recovering better than those who only attend the group? It does seem that way. Of course there will always be those who say that the people most likely to recover are the ones who take on these roles... EXACTLY! If you are the sort of person who grasps the idea that helping others is key to getting back on your feet then you will become the sort of person who makes a good recovery from bipolar disorder.
What do you reckon?
Do you have examples of this supporting aiding recovery?
Training course currently available from Stop Paddling: Wellness Recovery Action Planning