A pioneering mental health group, which was started by people with mental health issues at a time when straight jackets and shock therapy were in use, has celebrated its 60th anniversary.
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Initially known as Recovery and now known as Grow, the now national organisation formed in Hurstville on April 26, 1957, and in the first four years a branch formed in Orange after staff at Bloomfield took an interest in the group’s practical approach to self-recovery.
Grow Western and Far Western field worker Luke Fogarty said that at the time the group initially formed, it was an innovative approach for people with a mental illness to be responsible for their own recovery.
The name changed to Grow because the group went beyond recovery.
Mr Fogarty said the group is about peer support and connecting with others.
There is also a 12-step program with cognitive therapy that has been in use for decades to help people with issues including depression, anxiety and panic attacks as well as diagnosed mental illnesses.
“[The six founding members] would get together to work on their mental health and they recorded what was working for their mental health recovery,” he said.
“Back then [outside the group] it was straight jackets, padded cells and shock therapy, one of the members had 100 shock therapies.”
From those early meetings a new program was written by people with significant mental health illnesses who came from all walks of life including priest Con Keogh.
Mr Fogarty said the organisation has come and gone in towns throughout the Central West and the current group started in Orange in 2011.
“We used to be called a recovery group back when we started in 1957, Recovery as an offshoot of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA),” he said.
“We had founding members who were part of AA for two years but they found out there were people who had significant mental health issues.”
Despite initial suprise that the group’s methods worked, branches formed around the country including, Bathurst, Dubbo, Cowra and Lithgow.
The Orange branch, celebrated the 60th anniversary at Orange City Bowling Club on Friday.