- I have the right to ask for what I want
- I have the right to say no to requests or demands I cannot meet
- I have the right to change my mind
- I have the right to make mistakes and don’t have to be perfect
- I have the right to follow my own values and standards
- I have the right to express all of my feelings, both positive and negative, in a manner that will not harm others
- I have the right to say no to anything when I feel I am not ready, it is unsafe, or it violates my values
- I have the right to feel angry and to express my anger in a responsible manner
- I have the right to be uniquely myself
- I have the right to feel scared and say, “I’m afraid”
- I have the right to say, “I don’t know”
- I have the right to make decisions based on my feelings, beliefs and values
- I have the right to my own reality
- I have the right to my own need for personal space and time
- I have the right to be playful and frivolous
- I have the right to be healthy
- I have the right to be in a non-abusive environment
- I have the right to change and grow
- I have the right to be treated with dignity and respect
- I have the right to have my needs and wants respected by others
- I have the right to be happy
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Mary Ellen Copeland, PhD, developed Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) with a group of people with lived experience who were attending a mental health recovery workshop in 1997. She is the original author of the WRAP Red Book, as well as dozens of other WRAP books and materials. She has dedicated the last 30 years of her life to learning from people who have mental health issues; discovering the simple, safe, non-invasive ways they get well, stay well, and move forward in their lives; and then sharing what she has learned with others through keynote addresses, trainings, and the development of books, curriculums, and other resources. Now that she is retired, and that, as she intended, others are continuing to share what she has learned, she continues to learn from those who have mental health issues and those who support them. She is a frequent contributor to this site.