The Origins Of GROW

GROW is a community mental health movement of Australian origin which began in Sydney in April, 1957. It was originally known as Recovery. It began when a number of ex-psychiatric patients came together after attending A.A. meetings. Although they found these meetings helpful, they realised their problems were more specific and decided to form their own group. When these people in need began to get together to share their experience, understanding and knowledge, it put them on the road to recovery. It was a journey of learning and of sharing, of growing and of friendship, which started with a vision – a vision to inspire themselves, inspire others and as time went on – a vision of mental health for all.

Quentin Bryce And Sally Edwards Cutting the GROW 50 Years Cake

The original group was known as Recovery because its main focus was recovery from mental illness. Right from the outset the early members resolved to develop their own personal resources to help them understand what mental health is, how it is impaired and lost, how it can be regained and most importantly, how to keep it.

From the very beginning the animating principle or spirit of the groups was caring friendship and mutual help. It was their goal to find solutions by using their own personal resources and to pool these resources to help themselves and one another to rebuild their lives. They also resolved to preserve their experience and record whatever they found to be successful or helpful for their recovery and this has culminated in a continually growing body of shared wisdom known today as GROW’s Twelve Step Program. This Program teaches one how to change negative thinking and behaviour, how to think by reason rather than by feelings and imagination and how to develop whole relationships

This experience of finding mental health together (one of GROW’s wisdom’s is mental health can’t be taught – it has to be learned together) produced an elaborate Twelfth Step Program of personal growth, a carefully structured Group Method, a vigorous Caring and Sharing Community and eventually a Legal and Organisational Structure.

As Recovery became better known it started to attract people who whilst not identifying with a mental illness, nevertheless, were struggling with serious life problems and who recognized in themselves a need for personal growth and connection with others facing similar issues. Recovery therefore changed its name to GROW in 1975 to reflect this need for prevention and personal growth. Consequently, approximately 30 – 40% of the current participants is made up of people attending for what could be called preventative or quality of life reasons. So from Recovery’s humble beginnings in 1957 GROW has become an international mental health movement meeting the needs of thousands of people each week, with groups dotted across Australian suburbs and towns and overseas.