Voices of Experience : Narratives of Mental Health Survivors

Voices of Experience contains a wide range of stories written by mental health survivors. The narratives illustrate how survivors have developed self-management techniques and strategies for living which, together, offer a guide to anybody struggling with 21 st century life.: Explores a wide variety of mental distress experiences, underpinned by many different explanations and beliefs; Narrative has been central to the recovery approach and this book presents stories of recovery as well as an appraisal of the concept; Challenges simplistic explanations of recovery and offers a critical angle t. Read more... The antidote to madness : crystallising out the real self / Peter Chadwick -- Poem : but what is the cause? / Libby Jackson -- Surviving the system / Peter Campbell -- Poem : they come and go / Dave St. Clair -- Poem : fixing dinner / Dave St. Clair -- Measuring the marigolds / Alison Faulkner -- Poem : the tears I cry / Mariyam Maule -- Coping strategies and fighting stigma / Joy Pope -- Poem : day by day / Libby Jackson -- Living with the dragon : the long road to self-management of bi-polar II / Peter Amsel -- Poem : in exile / Mariyam Maule -- Coping strategies / Ruth Dee -- Poem : puppeteer / Esta Smith -- What's it like having a nervous breakdown? : can you recover? / Laura Lea -- Poem : a journey beyond silence / Mariyam Maule -- The bridge of sighs and the bridge of love : a personal pilgrimage / Peter Gilbert -- Poem : have you ever felt lonely? / Dave St. Clair -- Poem : he saved my bacon / Dave St. Clair -- The holy spirit : healer, advocate, guide, and friend / Richard Lilly -- Poem : mist of tears / Brice Jones -- Capital writings / Thomas France ... [et al.] -- Poems : nicely nicely nought / Martin Snape -- Feel easy-fit / Martin Snape -- The value of self-help/peer support / Sarah Collis, Caroline Bell, and Joan Cook -- Poem : the clear sky / Dave St. Clair -- A recovery approach in mental health services : transformation, tokenism or tyranny? / Premila Trivedi -- Poem : to what could have been / Mariyam Maule --. Stand to reason / Jonathan Naess -- Poem : I am / Libby Jackson -- Walking with dinosaurs / John Stuart Clark -- Poem : negatives and positives / Libby Jackson -- Poem : the heart of humankind / Mariyam Maule Voices of Experience: narratives of mental health survivors......Page 5 Contents......Page 7 About the Editors......Page 9 Contributors......Page 10 1: Introduction......Page 13 2: The Antidote to Madness: Crystallising out the Real Self......Page 25 3: Surviving the System......Page 33 4: Measuring the Marigolds......Page 45 5: Coping Strategies and Fighting Stigma......Page 58 6: Living with the Dragon: The Long Road to Self-Management of Bipolar II......Page 70 7: Coping Strategies......Page 88 8: What’s it Like Having a Nervous Breakdown? Can You Recover?......Page 97 9: The Bridge of Sighs and the Bridge of Love: a Personal Pilgrimage......Page 107 10: The Holy Spirit – Healer, Advocate, Guide and Friend......Page 128 11: CAPITAL Writings......Page 133 12: The Value of Self-Help/Peer Support......Page 154 13: A Recovery Approach in Mental Health Services: Transformation, Tokenism or Tyranny?......Page 164 14: Stand to Reason......Page 177 15: Walking with Dinosaurs......Page 186 16: Conclusions, Discussion and Ways Ahead......Page 195 Index......Page 205

Voices of Experience contains a wide range of stories written by mental health survivors. The narratives illustrate how survivors have developed self-management techniques and strategies for living which, together, offer a guide to anybody struggling with 21 st century life.

• Explores a wide variety of mental distress experiences, underpinned by many different explanations and beliefs
• Narrative has been central to the recovery approach and this book presents stories of recovery as well as an appraisal of the concept
• Challenges simplistic explanations of recovery and offers a critical angle to our understanding of what it means to experience mental health problems
• Offers guidance for mental health workers and professionals within the context of current mental health policies in the UK