Can I/my relative recover from mental illness?

People can and do recover from mental illness. Recovery is very personal and means different things to different. Recovery is different from cure.

The Scottish Recovery Network gives a thorough definition of 'recovery'

Recovery is being able to live a meaningful and satisfying life, as defined by each person, in the presence or absence of symptoms. It is about having control over and input into your own life. Each individual’s recovery, like his or her experience of the mental health problems or illness, is a unique and deeply personal process