By Anita Bradley, Sugy Choi, CJ Clemmons-James; Beth Hutton, Michelle Kavouras, Kris Kelly, Maureen Nichols, Jeanne Pulvermacher, Shannon Roberts, Sandy Valentine, and Noel Vest, ATTC Recovery Across the Lifespan POWER Team
Recovery is a dynamic, lifelong process that cannot be reduced to a single path or solution. It is shaped by personal history, identity, environmental context, and the systems that surround and support an individual. For some, it may mean healing from trauma; for others, it may involve reconnecting with purpose, health, or community.
Regardless of its form, recovery is most effective when it is person-centered and rooted in connection. Just as every life stage brings about unique experiences and contexts, so too does recovery vary across those stages.
One's experience of recovery is as individualized as the life being lived, and this includes the circumstances of a given phase of life (Witbrodt et al., 2015). This article explores what recovery might look like across the lifespan within the context of behavioral health and considers other contextualizing factors that shape it.