I've been talking about WRAPs to a few people lately and promising to send resources. But when I go to the internet, I don't like anything I find.
So I decided to write my own guide. If I sent you a link to this post, it's because I love you and want you to have tools to be mentally well on your own schedule. If you just found this without me and think it's useful, then hooray.
WRAP stands for Wellness Recovery Action Plan.
It's a plan you write for yourself so the next time you're feeling a little crazy or unwell, you can consult your plan and do something besides grit your teeth and hope.
When you notice that you're maybe sliding into crazy, you're probably not clear-headed enough at the time to remember what it is you do to feel less crazy. This is the chief value of a WRAP. You wrote it all down when you were feeling not so bad, and you made some reference points for yourself.
It's your deal.
You don't have to show this to anyone. It can be like a diary that way. WRAP is a pretty flexible system, and it's meant to be iterative. If you don't get it all or if you don't get it right the first time, whatever. Just go back to it later and update what worked or didn't work.
NB: Try to take this seriously.
This makes you think hard, maybe about things you don't like thinking about. You might get bored or bogged down before you finish the whole thing. If you don't finish, it's fine. Any part of it that you do will be useful.
But try not to lose it after you're done, because a) you might want it next time you're not doing so well, and b) if you remember where you put it, then you're more likely to finish it later.
A WRAP has nine sections.
Get a few sheets of paper or open up a text file or whatever you like. I've got my WRAP condensed onto one page, but when you're working it out for the first time, it's good to have room.
1) What I'm Like When I'm Well
Describe what you're like when you're not crazy. Organized? Outgoing? Quiet? Safe driver? Describe it. You can use one word descriptors or whole sentences. Whatever works. Maybe five things, if you can name five.
If you're having trouble, think about what you miss when you're in the crazy, or your opposite of crazy. Por ejemplo: I get depressed. When I'm depressed, I don't want to go anywhere or do anything. But when I'm not depressed, I love going places and doing things! I like traveling and learning and being curious. So those are in my #1 section.
2) Things I Need to Do Every Day to Feel Well
If you take meds, that's probably on this list. Exercise, quiet, grooming, and calling friends are also popular choices. You might not have a very fleshed out section 2 first time you take a crack at this because you've never really thought about it this way--what you MUST DO every day to stay well. But write down whatever you think of.
3) Things I Might Do to Stay Well
This is a broader field. Not stuff you're going to do every day--maybe because you can't afford to, or it's not convenient, or it's seasonal or just not a good idea to do all the time. But if you need it, you might do it. Examples: Take a day off from work. Road trip. Blow some money shopping. Eat out. Watch a TV marathon. Call an old friend you haven't talked to in a while. For me, I like to think of this category as "ways to be conspicuously nice to myself."
Seeing your therapist is also a popular choice. You don't do it every day, but you might put it on your list as something you do occasionally to keep things running smoothly.
4) Triggers
Things that you know about yourself that could make this worse. Maybe a specific person or family member who sends you into spiral, or the anniversary of some shitty event, or a song or some weather condition. Whatever it is, it's an EXTERNAL EVENT that could start you down a grim path or make things worse if they're already headed that way.
5) Trigger Response
For each trigger, plot the antidote, so you can handle your triggers before they makes things worse for you. "When X-trigger happens, I will do Y." It might just be "Get the hell away from X-trigger." But you might also want something more nuanced.
This is one that's really helpful to have planned ahead of time, because when your crazymaker is boring into your mind, you're in poor shape to formulate an appropriate response on the fly. You will want to run or fight or freak out. But if your WRAP is handy, you can be like, "Ah, my sister is harping on my boyfriend history again. Instead of raging, I'm going to use my prepared response and my fake reason to leave her presence. Then I'm going to call my best friend who I prepped for this contingency and unload immediately." Nothing groundbreaking, but having your response in your pocket is the money here.
6) Early Warning Signs
As opposed to triggers, early warning signs are INTERNAL. This is the stuff that indicates that you're breaking down. You're still in control, but this is the list of signs that you're in bad territory. Little avoidances or upswings in nervous tics... this is likely to be specific for you, so my examples are less helpful. Watch yourself, and listen to what other people say about you to make this list. It might be largely invisible to other people... or you might just think it is.
7) Early Warning Response
Make must/might lists for when you notice your early warning signs cropping up. Think of this as 7a and 7b. What do you HAVE to do to tend to your early warning signs? And what MIGHT you do if it seems appropriate? You might have some of the same stuff here that you had in sections 2 and 3. That's fine. If it works, it counts.
8) When Things Are Breaking Down
These are signs and symptoms that things are getting serious, and you think you might be getting out of control. It's not a crisis yet, but it could get that way quick. You haven't bathed in a week, or you missed work for two days running, or the voices in your head are starting to get really angry and abusive.
9) Breaking Down Response
Create an action plan for what to do here. This is no longer the time for eating more chocolate and being extra nice to yourself. You can still do those things if they help, but more drastic action is called for. This is the time for taking clear, external action such as alerting other people to what's going on, making near-term appointments with a therapist, and removing shit in your way with prejudice.
The next stop after here is crisis, when things will potentially happen out of your control. So anything you can still do that's in your control, put it here.
That's the short version of a WRAP.
It's a useful tool, and as I said, any part that you get done is better than nothing. If you want to talk to me about it, I'll be happy to talk more. In person or email or whatever.
So I decided to write my own guide. If I sent you a link to this post, it's because I love you and want you to have tools to be mentally well on your own schedule. If you just found this without me and think it's useful, then hooray.
WRAP stands for Wellness Recovery Action Plan.
It's a plan you write for yourself so the next time you're feeling a little crazy or unwell, you can consult your plan and do something besides grit your teeth and hope.
When you notice that you're maybe sliding into crazy, you're probably not clear-headed enough at the time to remember what it is you do to feel less crazy. This is the chief value of a WRAP. You wrote it all down when you were feeling not so bad, and you made some reference points for yourself.
It's your deal.
You don't have to show this to anyone. It can be like a diary that way. WRAP is a pretty flexible system, and it's meant to be iterative. If you don't get it all or if you don't get it right the first time, whatever. Just go back to it later and update what worked or didn't work.
NB: Try to take this seriously.
This makes you think hard, maybe about things you don't like thinking about. You might get bored or bogged down before you finish the whole thing. If you don't finish, it's fine. Any part of it that you do will be useful.
But try not to lose it after you're done, because a) you might want it next time you're not doing so well, and b) if you remember where you put it, then you're more likely to finish it later.
A WRAP has nine sections.
Get a few sheets of paper or open up a text file or whatever you like. I've got my WRAP condensed onto one page, but when you're working it out for the first time, it's good to have room.
1) What I'm Like When I'm Well
Describe what you're like when you're not crazy. Organized? Outgoing? Quiet? Safe driver? Describe it. You can use one word descriptors or whole sentences. Whatever works. Maybe five things, if you can name five.
If you're having trouble, think about what you miss when you're in the crazy, or your opposite of crazy. Por ejemplo: I get depressed. When I'm depressed, I don't want to go anywhere or do anything. But when I'm not depressed, I love going places and doing things! I like traveling and learning and being curious. So those are in my #1 section.
2) Things I Need to Do Every Day to Feel Well
If you take meds, that's probably on this list. Exercise, quiet, grooming, and calling friends are also popular choices. You might not have a very fleshed out section 2 first time you take a crack at this because you've never really thought about it this way--what you MUST DO every day to stay well. But write down whatever you think of.
3) Things I Might Do to Stay Well
This is a broader field. Not stuff you're going to do every day--maybe because you can't afford to, or it's not convenient, or it's seasonal or just not a good idea to do all the time. But if you need it, you might do it. Examples: Take a day off from work. Road trip. Blow some money shopping. Eat out. Watch a TV marathon. Call an old friend you haven't talked to in a while. For me, I like to think of this category as "ways to be conspicuously nice to myself."
Seeing your therapist is also a popular choice. You don't do it every day, but you might put it on your list as something you do occasionally to keep things running smoothly.
4) Triggers
Things that you know about yourself that could make this worse. Maybe a specific person or family member who sends you into spiral, or the anniversary of some shitty event, or a song or some weather condition. Whatever it is, it's an EXTERNAL EVENT that could start you down a grim path or make things worse if they're already headed that way.
5) Trigger Response
For each trigger, plot the antidote, so you can handle your triggers before they makes things worse for you. "When X-trigger happens, I will do Y." It might just be "Get the hell away from X-trigger." But you might also want something more nuanced.
This is one that's really helpful to have planned ahead of time, because when your crazymaker is boring into your mind, you're in poor shape to formulate an appropriate response on the fly. You will want to run or fight or freak out. But if your WRAP is handy, you can be like, "Ah, my sister is harping on my boyfriend history again. Instead of raging, I'm going to use my prepared response and my fake reason to leave her presence. Then I'm going to call my best friend who I prepped for this contingency and unload immediately." Nothing groundbreaking, but having your response in your pocket is the money here.
6) Early Warning Signs
As opposed to triggers, early warning signs are INTERNAL. This is the stuff that indicates that you're breaking down. You're still in control, but this is the list of signs that you're in bad territory. Little avoidances or upswings in nervous tics... this is likely to be specific for you, so my examples are less helpful. Watch yourself, and listen to what other people say about you to make this list. It might be largely invisible to other people... or you might just think it is.
7) Early Warning Response
Make must/might lists for when you notice your early warning signs cropping up. Think of this as 7a and 7b. What do you HAVE to do to tend to your early warning signs? And what MIGHT you do if it seems appropriate? You might have some of the same stuff here that you had in sections 2 and 3. That's fine. If it works, it counts.
8) When Things Are Breaking Down
These are signs and symptoms that things are getting serious, and you think you might be getting out of control. It's not a crisis yet, but it could get that way quick. You haven't bathed in a week, or you missed work for two days running, or the voices in your head are starting to get really angry and abusive.
9) Breaking Down Response
Create an action plan for what to do here. This is no longer the time for eating more chocolate and being extra nice to yourself. You can still do those things if they help, but more drastic action is called for. This is the time for taking clear, external action such as alerting other people to what's going on, making near-term appointments with a therapist, and removing shit in your way with prejudice.
The next stop after here is crisis, when things will potentially happen out of your control. So anything you can still do that's in your control, put it here.
That's the short version of a WRAP.
It's a useful tool, and as I said, any part that you get done is better than nothing. If you want to talk to me about it, I'll be happy to talk more. In person or email or whatever.
