Hearing Voices, Living Fully : Living with the Voices in My Head

Hearing voices – a symptom of schizophrenia, a religious experience, or something else entirely? Claire Bien's riveting memoir provides a fascinating personal perspective on this often-misunderstood condition. Claire's tumultuous journey will help you to understand why auditory hallucinations are not necessarily an indicator of mental illness. Hearing voices - a symptom of schizophrenia, a religious experience, or something else entirely? Claire Bien's riveting memoir provides a fascinating personal perspective on this often-misunderstood condition. Her tumultuous journey will help you to understand why auditory hallucinations are not necessarily an indicator of mental illness. When Claire Bien first began hearing voices, they were infrequent, benign and seemingly just curious about her life and the world around her. But the more attention Claire paid, the more frequently they began to speak, and the darker their intentions became ... Despite escalating paranoia, an initial diagnosis of Schizophreniform Disorder and taking medication with debilitating side effects, Claire learned to face her demons and manage her condition without the need for long-term medication. In this gripping memoir, Claire recounts with eloquence her most troubled times. She explains how she managed to regain control over her mind and her life even while intermittently hearing voices, through self-guided and professional therapy and with the support of family and friends. Challenging a purely medical understanding of hearing voices, Claire advocates for an end to the stigma of those who experience auditory verbal hallucinations, and a change of thinking from the professionals who treat the condition NEUROLOGY & CLINICAL NEUROPHYSIOLOGY. Frank and full of gentle humor, Terian Koscik's graphic memoir shares her experiences of living with anxiety, finding the courage to see a therapist, and learning more than she could have imagined. Even in childhood anxious thoughts would seep into Terian's day. Yet she never thought that getting professional help was for her, simply concluding that her problems weren't "real" problems (a lion hadn't devoured her whole family, for example). But when her anxiety finally became overwhelming, she knew it was time to see a therapist. To her surprise, Terian learned endless coping techniques through her therapy sessions. She shares how mindfulness strategies helped her observe anxious thoughts without criticizing them, and how "I" statements encouraged her to express feelings more openly in relationships. But perhaps the most important thing she learned was that there really is no "right" way to feel This easy-to-read, inspirational and supportive guide is essential reading for anyone struggling to overcome prescription drug dependency. Drawn from the author's personal knowledge of coming off benzodiazepine tranquillisers and her experience as a counsellor, this book explores everything you need to know before, during and after withdrawal, from how to recognise the symptoms to how to manage them and make firm steps towards recovery. With a focus on recovery and empowerment, it provides all the practical and emotional support needed to help you cope and regain control. This book will be a lifeline for anyone taking or withdrawing from sleeping pills, other benzodiazepine tranquillisers and antidepressants. It will also equip family and friends to offer support and provide counsellors, psychotherapists, complementary therapists and other health professionals with invaluable insight critical to providing best care. Hearing Voices, Living Fully by Claire Bien Contents Foreword Acknowledgments Preface Prologue Background and Early Years College The Graduate Searching for a Career My Father’s Death Transitions Marriage Discovering Family and Heritage Jean Anger and Shame Early Voices Pineywoods Waiting for a Yale Bed Yale-New Haven Hospital Finding a Career and Recovery A Skirmish with the Voices in Europe The Working Mother If It’s Just a Metaphor The Power of Love If You Start to Get Scared, Stop Listening Divorce Finding Community and a Measure of Faith Growing Up with Paul Arthur Tilting with the Shadows Understanding the Voices Appendix: Letter to Kathleen McTigue Notes A courageous, supportive and complete guide to overcoming prescription drug dependency, this book provides everything you need to know, from how to recognise symptoms to how to make steps towards recovery. With the author's personal experience of dependency as a backdrop, it also includes advice for family, friends and health professionals. An essential guide for overcoming dependency and withdrawal from sleeping pills, other benzodiazepine tranquilizers and antidepressants. A useful, insightful, and incredibly courageous book which delivers everything one needs to know before, during, and after ... Terian Koscik Shares Her Experiences Of Living With Anxiety, And How Going To A Therapist Taught Her One Of The Most Important Things She Could Ever Learn: There Really Is No Right Way To Feel--page 4 Of Cover. Terian Koscik. Cover Title. "...Terian Koscik shares her experiences of living with anxiety, and how going to a therapist taught her one of the most important things she could ever learn: there really is no "right" way to feel"--Cover page [4].