“Renew Wellness Recovery” is not just a journal. Even though it is only 87 pp, the double-columned pages feel full-fledged as an anthology. There are sections that include non-fiction essays, book review, fiction poetry, interviews, and even poetry. Even though each piece may not appeal for every reader, “Recovering Self” has something for everyone. It is most likely that everyone will find something to enjoy and it will help them grow.
It would be impossible that I could cover every aspect of this journal. But, I will summarize the key pieces for you to get a sense of the broad recovery concept.
Christy Lowry, “Forgiveness is a God Thing?” It is about a woman learning to forgive the man who struck her daughter and killed her. In addition to forgiveness, the article discussed how to overcome grief. It is definitely a strong theme in the journal that we must all deal.
Frank A. Gerbode, in his article, “A Theory of Resilience”, gave insight and solutions to how to deal trauma and what levels of experience can lead to stress. He uses an example from a musical performance that Gerbode bungled to illustrate how it caused stress during practice rather than during performance. This article helps one understand stress in different situations and for different people. Needless to state, I was amazed that Frank Gerbode – the metapsychology expert – contributed to this journal’s inaugural issue. It raises my expectations of future great issues.
Sam Vaknin presents a comprehensive discussion about gender and homosexuality in “Sex, Gender and Personality Disorders” and whether or not it is biological or cultural. Although the discussion is not new in any way, it provided enough information for people to form their own opinions. I found much of it new.