‘Recovery’ will be different for every patient fighting addiction, but it is always worth pursuing

‘Recovery is rarely linear or tidy. The rule of thumb is the sooner you enter some form of treatment, the better the outcomes.’ Photograph: Westend61/Getty Images

Recovery is an interesting term in mental health. The idealised version for people with mental illness is to rapidly return to their “normal” level of functioning shortly after entering treatment with their general practitioner, psychologist or psychiatrist. Unfortunately, recovery is not always clear-cut and people often aren’t sure what they will lose along the way.

Peter is a client that often comes to mind.