The three types of recovery

Hello there! I hope this first letter of 2025 finds you well. <3

Have you ever wondered if your recovery process is going “normally”? Have you been comparing yourself to others and noticing subtle – or not-so-subtle – differences between yourself and them? If yes, I hope this letter brings you clarity and perspective!

Let’s start with the premise that each recovery process is unique in its own way. No two people share the exact same dynamic. Experiences can, and often are, very similar, but the order in which they happen, the intensity, or the circumstances may differ. But despite what this process looks like, recovery and peace of mind are available to everyone.

With that said, let’s talk about some of the most common recovery patterns. These are just observations I’ve made over the past three years working with people. Don’t take them as the ultimate truth – these are simply reflections. My intention here is to help anyone on this path normalize their recovery, no matter how it unfolds. So, let’s begin.

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Slow start

The name is pretty self-explanatory. For many people, the journey might take time to reveal its fruits. Usually, they begin with an initial understanding of how insomnia works and start changing the way they relate to sleep and wakefulness. However, these changes don’t immediately translate to improvements in sleep itself – and that’s normal.

In my experience, a person can spend weeks or months diligently exploring and applying the principles of recovery without seeing significant changes in sleep. Then, one day, something clicks, and things take a new turn.

During the slow start, it’s very tempting to throw in the towel and conclude that we are somehow “different” because we don’t see the results we expect.

This might sound surprising, but recovery isn’t defined by how quickly sleep starts to improve. In fact, quick sleep results aren’t an indicator of a long-lasting, robust recovery (more on this a bit later). It’s about making fundamental changes in how we think about wakefulness and sleep and how we respond to them.

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Quick start

Now, let’s talk about the type of recovery often perceived as the most desirable – the one where things almost immediately get better. The moment we start learning about insomnia and the principles of recovery, things begin to change dramatically.

I always cheer with someone experiencing this type of start, but at the same time, I remain realistic about the next chapters of their journey.

The fact that things begin quickly and easily doesn’t mean there won’t be speedbumps – they will likely still show up later on.

In the grand scheme of things, a quick start isn’t “better” than a slow start. Having a quick start doesn’t mean we’ve built a solid foundation for a lasting recovery yet. Quite often, a quick start makes the first speedbumps feel even more frustrating. It’s that feeling of, “I just had it, and now it’s gone…” But it’s not really gone – it’s just that we haven’t yet gone through the journey that allows us to view any outcome of the night as safe.

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Chaotic start

This is more of a miscellaneous category, where we can’t see a clear pattern. The start doesn’t feel steady, and things change from night to night. Often, a person says something like: “I just can’t make sense of my nights anymore. Sleep is all over the place. One moment, it feels like something is moving, and the next moment, I’m back where I was.”

This random, chaotic start is also a normal pattern of recovery. In fact, this is exactly what my own start felt like. My nights were random, and it was a very confusing place to be.

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Recovery patterns can mix and match throughout the journey, too. In fact, that’s the most common scenario. For example:

👉 Someone with a quick start may shift into a slow pattern, then move into a chaotic one, and then back to a quick pattern again.

👉 “Slow starters” might suddenly experience a quick pattern and start seeing lots of change.

👉 “Chaotic starters” may eventually settle into a quick or slow pattern.

The combinations can vary, but despite them, recovery continues to unfold.

I want to say this one more time – it doesn’t matter which pattern of recovery a person experiences. In all cases, recovery is possible. Instead of trying to change the pattern or manage it in some way, let’s take comfort in knowing that whatever it is, it’s all okay and allowed. And we’re just going to take this one day at a time.

I hope this letter brought you some value. 💛

Warm wishes,

Alina

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