Recovery International begins meetings in Crystal Lake

A 70-year-old mental health association has opened new group meetings in Crystal Lake under its new name.

Recovery International, formerly known as Recovery Inc., will hold open meetings at 7 p.m. every Tuesday at the National Association for the Mentally Ill of McHenry County offices, 330 Commercial Drive, Suite 900A, Crystal Lake.

Recovery Inc. was founded in 1937 by 30 ex-patients who regained their health after receiving treatments -- including shock treatments -- at the Psychiatric Institute of the University of Illinois.

Dr. Abraham Low, a psychiatrist at the Institute, became the group's medical director. Three years latter the group expanded its work to include the outpatient department.

Dr. Low's cognitive and behavioral self-help methods were explained in his 1950 book, "Mental Health Through Will Training." When Low died in 1954, his patients kept the association running using the book as the basis of their recovery method.

Today there are about 600 standing weekly meetings held throughout the United States, Canada, Ireland and several other countries.

In May, members changed the name of the group to Recovery International to reflect its global composition.

The change also was intended to correct the misapprehension that it was a for-profit operation.

Like all Recovery International meetings, the Crystal Lake meeting is open to the public. There is no charge, although a free-will offering is taken.

For more information call (815) 338-5609, or visit the Web site www.recovery-inc.org.