Weekly meetings are held in public buildings available to all. Recovery meetings follow a structured format aimed at providing a comfortable framework for learning and discussion. The major portion of the two-hour meeting centers on Low's message and a discussion of incidents that show how participants are learning to use Recovery's selfhelp method. After a question period for newcomers and observers, the meeting adjourns to informal discussion and mutual aid over coffee. Group leader Mary Jane Spudeas says it takes about six months for an individual to become familiar with the program.
Recovery is a philosophy, a way of living daily life and dealing with everyday situations.
Recovery provides a lot of support at a very concrete level. Recovery gives you a lot of skills and a lot of ways to cope that you can apply every single day. These practical coping skills tend to modify behavior, thereby reducing or preventing relapses and re-hospitalizations . Recovery group participants all agreed that after attending even one of the meetings they came away with new options, new perspectives and the right to hope. They also found new meaning and a sense of control in their lives.