Spotlight On: Hope

*From time to time, the ITE/MH Campaign reflects on the values of the Campaign, sharing these reflections with Campaign Ambassadors, Partners, and other supporters. Below we share with you the Campaign’s reflections on Hope.

"One of the most hopeful signs of today is the renewal of thinking about hope." - Leon Putman

Hope, one of the values of the ITE/MH Campaign, is a crucial element of the healing process, whether the healing is mental, physical, emotional, or spiritual. As an ally in recovery from mental illness, hope is encouraged to be active, rather than passive, and based on connection, attachment, and engagement. When we experience true hope, we can see something beyond the challenges, sadness, and pain we might currently feel.

People in recovery from mental illness know that recovery cannot occur without hope. Hope offers all of the essential elements of recovery:  the courage to change, to try, and to trust. In 1988, Patricia Deegan, PhD, a pioneer in the mental health recovery movement, described the process of recovery as a transition from despair, anguish, and pessimism to a new hope that life can be different, a hope born out of the presence of another person ready to provide support and care.

The ITE/MH Campaign asks you to take action today. Reflect on what hope has meant in your life and the lives of the people your organization serves. Share your hope with others, and inspire hope in those who are on their recovery journeys. Share your thoughts and actions on the ITE/MH Facebook page or as a story on our stories page.

Some wonderful sources of information about hope and its role in mental health recovery:

• Gain Hope: A place for hope in the age of anxiety
• Providers' hope- inspiring competence as a factor optimizing psychiatric rehabilitation outcomes (Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Russinova, Z., 1999)
• The Hope Foundation of Alberta

Learn more about ITE/MH and the other Campaign values at itecampaign.org.