For more than 20 years, WRAP has been helping people get well, stay well, and make their lives the way they want them to be. As many of you know, WRAP was developed in 1997 by a group of people who were searching for ways to overcome their own mental health issues and move on to fulfilling their dreams and goals. It’s used extensively by people facing all kinds of circumstances and by health care and mental health systems all over the world to address countless physical, mental, and life issues.
“When the group developed WRAP, I was so impressed that I went home and wrote one for myself. As I began to live WRAP, my life changed dramatically. Over time, I felt better and better. WRAP is a way of life for me—a great life.”
—Mary Ellen Copeland, Ph.D., author of the original WRAP: Wellness Recovery Action Plan (“Red Book”)
This month is a perfect time to focus on hope, one of the five key recovery concepts. Following are some of the exercises taken from WRAP Plus.
- Develop a WRAP and use it as your guide to daily living.
- Repeat these affirmations whenever you can, or create and find other hopeful affirmations:
- “Every day in every way, I am getting better and better and better.”
- “People like me get well, stay well, and do the things they want to with their lives.”
- Make lists of things and people who give you a sense of hope.
- List your hopes and dreams for your life, along with the first steps to make them happen.
There is hope. Many, many people—even those who had the most serious difficulties—have achieved a high level of wellness. When people start to have hope, they can also realize that a better life is achievable. As we begin to feel hopeful about one thing, that can lead to feeling positive about something else, and soon the quality of our lives can start to improve.
Hope means we always have options.
Mary Jaffe is the Publisher for Advocates for Human Potential. She joined the AHP family in October 2017. She has been working in publishing and nonprofit publishing for over 30 years. Reach her at mjaffe@ahpnet.com with your questions, comments, and ideas!
