' Recovery as a recognised approach to improving wellbeing started in addiction services and offered an alternative way to live . An approach that when transferred to mental health helped shape how people with mental illness were viewed and treated .'
fundamental principle in 12-step programmes , where recovering addicts are encouraged to keep an ongoing inventory of their conduct and when appropriate accept responsibility for wrong doings and make positive changes to support a morally strong and motivated way of living . In psychological terms , this is an example of practising reflective thinking , where an individual can compassionately look at their strengths and weaknesses and use this evaluation to constructively inform their future choices . Furthermore , research has shown this is an essential ingredient for personal growth and development . For recovering addicts , following a path of continuing selfimprovement , along with having the ability to enact constructive change , safeguards recovery . Negative behaviours and ways of thinking are reflected on , unhelpful ways are left behind , to be replaced with more positive equivalents that strengthen recovery .
For practitioners working with people in recovery , such as those engaged with addiction services , the G-CHIME model is multifaceted . It can be used for targeted interventions when it is felt that an individual has a deficit with one or more of the components , for example , promoting mutual aid meetings and recovery activities for clients feeling lonely or disconnected or running workshops to help clients who are prone to negative bias foster a more hopeful and optimistic outlook in decision making and goal setting . Similarly , it could be extended as a treatment approach , in a similar way to that seen with the Five Ways to Wellbeing , where the components are grouped together to offer a more holistic package of support , in this case encouraging a broader perspective on resilience in addiction recovery .
RAISING AWARENESS G-CHIME can provide an itinerary for raising client awareness and educating them on the key aspects of recovery , as well as helping them understand where personal responsibility lies . As a framework , it offers a structure for assessing client development , as well as tracking progress over time to support addiction recovery as long-term endeavour . Matching appropriate scales to the six components of G-CHIME , such as , the Perceived Hope Scale , the Office for National Statistics personal wellbeing questions , or the meaning in life questionnaire , will enable practitioners to evaluate the personal resources held by their clients for each of the components .
The G-CHIME model is currently being used to study addiction recovery through a series of firsthand accounts of addicts living in recovery . Each story is unique to the experience and circumstances of the individual author . For each , a structured interview is conducted based on the six components of the G-CHIME model . This provides a basis to standardise the different accounts in relation to the common and necessary components of successful addiction recovery . In addition to this , G-CHIME is being used to promote the use of positive psychology in addiction treatment services , to disseminate positive addiction recovery to clients as an achievable lifestyle choice .
MEANINGFUL LIVES Recovery as a recognised approach to improving wellbeing started in addiction services and offered an
CHIME COMPONENTS
The CHIME model represents five necessary components for mental health recovery – these are equally important , with an enduring body of research that is testament to this
CONNECTEDNESS , a key component in recovery communities that offers a supportive alliance to recovering addicts . This is evident in the local , national , and international membership of organisations such as AA and NA .
HOPE AND OPTIMISM about the future , summarised by the well-known AA recovery adage ‘ living a life beyond your wildest dreams ,’ which conveys a message of what recovery means to those living it . Describing an addict ’ s transition to a happy and free life beyond the constraints of addiction , where everyday possibilities are seen as attainable .
IDENTITY , in 12-step programmes , the starting point is admitting you are powerless in addiction . Identifying as an addict is part of the recovery process , along with the transformation that happens in identifying as someone who
alternative way to live . An approach that when transferred to mental health helped shape how people with mental illness were viewed and treated . This has seen a move from an assumed dependence on traditional psychiatric treatment to one that supports and encourages people with mental health problems to live a meaningful and satisfying life that is not defined by the challenges presented through illness .
From this , important knowledge has been acquired about the components necessary to support recovery , resulting in the advent lives in recovery , as opposed to someone defined by addiction .
MEANING IN LIFE , lost to those in active addiction , when purpose is driven by obsession with a substance or substances . Finding meaning is important to experiencing a renewed enthusiasm for life , and is necessary in having the aspiration to maintain recovery . Research has shown that meaning in life correlates with the longevity of recovery .
EMPOWERMENT , is minimised in addiction where choice is narrowed , having been limited by unhealthy behaviours and thought patterns relied on . The freedom of having a choice no longer restricted by active addiction is empowering . This is apparent in the many accounts recounted by recovering addicts telling of mended relationships , a return to education , finding employment , and forming new friendships .
of the CHIME model . G-CHIME takes the existing recovery components of Connectedness , Hope and optimism in the future , Identity , Meaning in life , and Empowerment , and adds Growth . This adaptation enhances it for addiction recovery where personal growth and development are a necessary part of sustaining recovery as a prolonged lifestyle choice . We commend it to colleagues .
Lisa Ogilvie is a PhD student and Jerome Carson is professor of psychology at the University of Bolton
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