The recovery process and chronic illness and disability: Applications and implications

Abstract

Individuals who acquire a chronic illness or disability face a number of significant and profound challenges. Among these is coping with the permanence of the condition and its effects. Rehabilitation counselors working with people who are in the process of coping with such realities may feel that they have little to offer in the face of such monumental life changes. The recovery concept, which has, over the last decade, been receiving increased attention in the mental health literature, offers counselors and consumers a positive framework for healing and growth in the face of chronic disability. The recovery process and its potential application in working with persons with chronic illnesses and disabilities are presented in this paper. Recovery-based implications for rehabilitation service systems are also addressed.