Micro-affirmations and Recovery for Persons with Mental Health and Alcohol and Drug Problems: User and Professional Experience-Based Practice and Knowledge

Abstract

Recurrent factors contributing to a recovery process from co-occurring mental health and addiction problems mentioned by users and professionals have been analyzed as part of working alliances and helpful relationships. Still, we lack knowledge about how helpful relationships are developed in daily practice. In this article, we focus on the concrete construction of professional helpful relationships. Forty persons in recovery and fifteen professionals were interviewed. The interviews were analyzed according to thematic analysis, resulting in three themes presented as paradoxes (1) My own decision, but with the help of others; (2) The need for structures and going beyond them; and (3) Small trivial things of great importance. Micro-affirmations have a central role in creating helpful relationships by confirming the individuals involved as more than solely users or professionals. More attention and appreciation should be paid to practices involving micro-affirmations. Keywords Helpful relationships. Working alliance. Co-occurring disorders. Mental health. Drug abuse. Micro-affirmations When a person with schizophrenia who has improved relates that the most important source of that improvement was Bsomeone who cared^, it is poor science just to ignore that report because of difficulties in measurement or because it does not fit into one of our accepted theoretical schemes.

Guiding Principles for Managing Co-occurring Alcohol/Other Drug and Mental Health Conditions: a Scoping Review

“…Several qualitative studies presented similar findings, with clients valuing the quality of therapeutic relationships in achieving recovery, and preferring empathetic providers who view them as whole people (Haskell et al, 2016;McCallum et al, 2016;Motta-Ochoa et al, 2017;Stott & Priest, 2018;Topor et al, 2019). To strengthen the therapeutic relationship, three literature reviews and two qualitative studies among clients and providers of comorbidity services noted the need to flexibly balance validating and challenging the client (Donald et al, 2019;Kendall et al, 2011;Lubman et al, 2011), and ensuring that contact is consistent and continues throughout the referral process (Hoxmark & Wynn, 2010;Staiger et al, 2011).…”

‘Trials and Tribulations’: The Ambivalent Influence of Temporary Accommodation on Mental Health Recovery in Chronically Homeless Adults

“…A humanising ethos of care informed by each client’s unique social positionality, biography, strengths and aspirations is imperative in supporting clients’ long-term recovery and resettlement journeys ( Phipps et al, 2017 ; Todres et al, 2009 ; Topor et al, 2021 ). For instance, providers should be cognizant of how the multiplicity of biographical and structural forms of disadvantage may give rise to existential uncertainty, apathy and hopelessness, which could be mislabelled as service resistance or non-compliance ( Padgett et al, 2016 ; Phipps et al, 2017 ).…”