Recovery-oriented language
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Recovery-oriented language
As we have learned, language has the power to create reality. It can generate an enormous amount of feelings and emotions, which can result in the difference between a person feeling good about their life and feeling bad about it.
Therefore, using positive and empowering recovery-oriented language is strengths-based and represents the hope that people do move forward in their recovery. This is opposed to using deficit-based language which makes assumptions about people and limits them.
The following pages identify the difference between strengths-based and deficit-based language. The examples are not exhaustive, so please feel free to add to the list and include alternative examples of your own.
Recovery-Oriented Language
|
Deficit-based |
Strenghths-based |
|
Is a schizophrenic |
Is a person diagnosed with schizophrenia who experiences the following… |
|
Has PD |
Has lived experience of trauma |
|
Treatment works |
Person uses treatment to support his/her recovery |
|
Discharged to aftercare |
Connected to long-term recovery management |
|
Enable |
Empower the individual through empathy, emotional authenticity, and encouragement |
|
Grandiose |
Has high hopes and expectations that those around them do not share |
|
Dangerous |
Tends to (describes actions, e.g., kick) when they’re (describe behaviour, e.g., hearing voices) |
|
Kicking off |
Expressing distress/ Individually expressing themselves in a way that feels threatening to those around them |
|
Is borderline |
A person diagnosed with BPD who will have experienced traumatic/distressing life events |
|
Is clean (from drugs) |
No longer takes drugs |
|
Also has problems with substances |
A person who experiences mental health and co-existing difficulties with substance use |
|
Treatment Team |
Recovery Team, Recovery Support System |
|
Refused |
Prefers not to… |
|
Resisted |
Chose not to / Disagreed with the suggestion |
|
Client believes that… |
Client stated that… |
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Delusional |
Experiencing thoughts which invlove worrying/believing that …./ Having experiences which are not shared by others |
|
Paranoid |
Experiencing a lot of fear around… |
|
High-functioning vs. Low Functioning |
Person’s experiences interfere with their relationship (work habits, etc.) in the following way…/ Is really good at/ Has a tough time taking care of themself |
|
Acting-out |
Person disagrees with Recovery Team and prefers to use alternative coping strategies. These strategies include shouting etc. |
|
Unrealistic |
Has high expectations for self and recovery |
|
Denial, unable to accept illness, lack of insight |
Person disagrees with diagnosis; does not agree that they have a ‘mental illness’ pre-contemplative stage of recovery |
|
Decompensate |
Experiencing an increase in difficult experiences/ Experiencing a difficult time |
|
Manipulative |
Seeking alternative methods of meeting needs/ Trying really hard to self-advocate and communicate that they need support in a way that has worked for them in the past |
|
Noncompliant |
Not in agreement with the treatment plan/ Difficulty following treatment recommendations/ Choosing not to |
|
Unmotivated |
Bored / Has not begun/ Preferred options not available/ Working towards achieving their goals |
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Suffering from |
Working to recover from; experiencing; living with |
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Resistant/non-compliant |
Not open to… Chooses not to…Has own ideas… |
|
Weaknesses
|
Barriers to change; needs |
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Clinical decompensation, relapse, failure |
Person has experienced a significant trigger that has overwhelmed their coping resources |
|
Maintaining clinical stability/abstinence |
Promoting and sustaining recovery/ Progressing/ Doing well |
|
Puts self/recovery at risk |
Is using ways of coping that are difficult/scary for those around them |
|
Non-compliant with medications/treatment |
Prefers alternative coping strategies (e.g., exercise, structures time, spends time with family) to reduce reliance on medication; Has a crisis plan for when meds should be used; beginning to think for oneself |
|
Patient (in mental health community) |
Individual, consumer, person using services
|
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