The Pursuit of Happiness for All Marion Aslan

Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions Dalai Lama

20’sUniversityTeacherTravel30’sMarried Running own business Mother

1994 – my physiology changed!!

“… severely and enduringly mentally ill. You must realise you won’t be able to work again; you will need to be on medication for the rest of your life”

“You are to give up working and cancel your holiday – you’re just running away from your problems!” Oh, and by the way send me your driving licence, I’ll return it to the licensing authority”

Is it any wonder that people get stuck? At the Mental Health Center of Denver (MHCD) we know recovery is possible because we see it happen every day.Mental Health Center of Denver

Recovery “What are the 3 most important things in Recovery? Hope, hope and even more hope!” Aslan 2008 Aslan 2008 “The Purpose of our lives is to be happy” Dalai Lama Dalai Lama … happiness, contentment, self actualisation, contribution, inclusion

Resilience and Tenacity “I had to assess and then reject everything I was being told by “the experts” and become my own “Expert by Experience” Anger at what I’d experienced and fear of going back made me look at - “reframing” the experience “reframing” the experience giving up a sick role giving up a sick role learning how to emancipate myself learning how to emancipate myself Recovery is hard work!! Others can’t “cure” you – but they can help (or hinder!)

Time Healing Resilience Interdependence Vivacity Emancipation

THRIVING “The concept of thriving is to go beyond mere recovery to a place of restoration. Recovery may recovery to a place of restoration. Recovery may take you back to where you were prior to take you back to where you were prior to becoming distressed but to thrive means so much becoming distressed but to thrive means so much more… more… A place of ; Renewal, new optimism and joy Renewal, new optimism and joy Broken in order to become whole again – “weller than well” having learned from the experience Broken in order to become whole again – “weller than well” having learned from the experience

Happiness & Thriving as a Journey Turning point Turning point Identify Identify Explore Explore Understand Understand Move on Move on Reforming your experience into a more helpful one Reforming your experience into a more helpful one – symptoms going or –changing cognitions and understanding, e.g voices

Turning points

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. compassion. If you want to be happy, practice If you want to be happy, practice compassion” compassion” “An old day passes, a new day arrives. The important thing is to make it meaningful” Dalai Lama Dalai Lama

Krysalis

The Big Issue

Anam Cara – First User led Crisis Service in UK

“We can live without religion and meditation, but we cannot survive without meditation, but we cannot survive without human affection” Dalai Lama human affection” Dalai Lama

Family / Children / Friends

Animals

Faith / Spirituality Belief in something Belief in something Purpose Purpose Hope Hope Connectedness Connectedness

“We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves” until we make peace with ourselves”

Recovery and Happiness requires work and effort!

Our mission: Enriching lives and minds by focusing on strengths and recovery MHCD