Recovery is a complex notion that can be applied to a number of psychological issues, from addictions to zelophobia (fear of jealousy). SAMHSA (the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) defines recovery as “a process of change that helps people improve their health and wellness, live self-directed lives, and reach their full potential.” Such a broad definition suggests that most anyone could likely find a domain that could use some fine-tuning or adjustment, but disorders or difficulties that are interfering significantly with functioning are ones that generally require more of a concentrated recovery focus.

Different difficulties naturally call for distinctive action steps as part of the recovery process, but several metaphors serve to address some all-encompassing issues that are present in most any journey toward better psychological health.

Repressing feelings, thoughts, needs, or other significant information in our personal world can lead to more rather than fewer difficulties in the long run. Similar to pushing a beach ball underwater and having to use a fair amount of energy to keep it hidden, repressing unwanted feelings or thoughts doesn’t tend to work. We need to let the ball come up to the surface, examine the details, accept that certain features may simply be a part of it, and then figure out how to relate to that thing. This is uncomfortable, scary, and overwhelming at times, but is generally a necessary part of accepting the reality of the........

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