Hope

H

The definition of hope is that it is ‘a feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen.’

The very definition of hope recognizes

that it is just that a ‘feeling’, in regards to mental health wellness hope can support someone in recovery, as in recovery the very definition of hope can promote the individual to desire mental health wellness. However sometimes that feeling of hope can seem so far out of our reach in regards to mental health wellness and recovery, I know that personally I have felt hopeless at times throughout my life. Hope can support us in feeling, well, hopeful that we will move forward and towards a more balanced sense of mental health wellness.

Mental health recovery encompasses the concept of HOPE, when we have that feeling of hope it means we desire a change from our current mindset or current circumstance. Without hope we can feel perhaps lost, like giving up on our journey towards recovery and overall mental health wellness. Throughout my 7 month journey of sobriety, I have had moments of hopelessness, where my negative self-talk tells me ‘I can’t do this’ and ‘what's the point?’, and in those moments my hope for bettering myself becomes a distant memory. Nonetheless here I am today 7 months sober, and currently feeling hopeful that I am listening to my higher self in regards to what is helpful for my recovery and what could potentially not be helpful.

“The opposite of hope is despair, and when we despair, it is because we feel there are no choices”- Warren G Bennis

When we feel hopeless, or when we are in despair, that is when our hope is challenged, we forget our inner intentions around recovery and mental health wellness and that is when our limiting self-beliefs start to sink in. In my last blog I talked alot about fear, and I guess in relation to hope there is always that fear that sits there, the fear that I will drink again and also the fear of my mental health deteriorating. Although it is important when we feel hopeful that we accept that part of us that is also fearful, as my therapist reminds me there is always a positive intention in that negative self-belief and self-talk. For myself, that fear of relapse, also brings me hope, because I can see the positive intention around that fear, it is that it motivates me to stay true to my inner intention around sobriety and mental health wellness.

By reframing how I view the concept of HOPE I would say my own definition of hope in regards to recovery and mental health wellness is that, hope and fear come hand in hand they compliment each other. Hope is defined by a desire to be more, achieve more, that something will be attained, in my case that is my sobriety and mental health wellness, however without that fear of relapse I can become complacent, and perhaps even accepting that relapse will happen. I have relapsed along my journey in sobriety and I am no longer fearful of relapse, because with each relapse I learnt more about the importance of sobriety, so now I am hopeful that I will remain in recovery and also fearful that relapse may happen again and that it is okay.

With SKART, I hope to inspire change and reduce the stigma that is still attached to mental health and addiction. By sharing my story I hope to instill hope in others that recovery is possible.