Illness Management and Recovery / IMR-A09-1
Coping with Persistent Experiences — Concept brief
Understand the idea behind coping with persistent experiences and consider whether it fits your context.
8 minutes · Handout · Adults; supported use as appropriate
Fictional example: Casey finds a familiar activity helpful when distracting experiences increase.
Use an ordinary or fictional example, with a clinician when appropriate. Coping options should be individualized and evaluated for fit.
The idea
Coping options should be individualized and evaluated for fit.
An ordinary example
Casey finds a familiar activity helpful when distracting experiences increase.
What this can look like
Compare an external focus task, a structured activity, and a support conversation for an ordinary difficult experience.
Check the fit
Which option helps functioning without requiring you to deny the experience? You may disagree with the framing, use fiction, or decide that this approach is not useful today.
A useful distinction
A personal recovery goal and a symptom-management strategy serve related but different purposes; the person defines what a meaningful life includes.
Prompts for this resource
- What part of this idea makes sense to me?
- Which option helps functioning without requiring you to deny the experience?
Conceptual background
Illness Management and Recovery Evidence-Based Practices KIT — SAMHSA
Background on the approach only. Original exercises and wording are by More Than Therapy with AI assistance; the source does not validate or endorse these materials.