Voices of Experience

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 21st 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

About the Editors vii Contributors viii 1. Introduction 1 Thurstine Basset and Theo Stickley Poem: Recovery – Libby Jackson 12 2. The Antidote to Madness: Crystallising out the Real Self 13 Peter Chadwick Poem: But What is the Cause? – Libby Jackson 20 3. Surviving the System 21 Peter Campbell Poem: They Come and Go – Dave St. Clair 31 Poem: Fixing Dinner – Dave St. Clair 32 4. Measuring the Marigolds 33 Alison Faulkner Poem: The Tears I Cry – Mariyam Maule 45 5. Coping Strategies and Fighting Stigma 46 Joy Pope Poem: Day by Day – Libby Jackson 57 6. Living with the Dragon: The Long Road to Self-Management of Bipolar II 58 Peter Amsel Poem: In Exile – Mariyam Maule 75 7. Coping Strategies 76 Ruth Dee Poem: Puppeteer – Esta Smith 84 8. What’s it Like Having a Nervous Breakdown? Can You Recover? 85 Laura Lea Poem: A Journey beyond Silence – Mariyam Maule 94 9. The Bridge of Sighs and the Bridge of Love: a Personal Pilgrimage 95 Peter Gilbert Poem: Have You Ever Felt Lonely? – Dave St. Clair 114 Poem: He Saved My Bacon – Dave St. Clair 115 10. The Holy Spirit – Healer, Advocate, Guide and Friend 116 Richard Lilly Poem: Mist of Tears – Brice Jones 120 11. CAPITAL Writings 121 Thomas France, Timothy Bird, Richard Love, Kay Phillpot, Howard Pearce, Clare Ockwell and Jude Smith Poem: Nicely Nicely Nought – Martin Snape 141 Poem: Feel Easy-Fit – Martin Snape 141 12. The Value of Self-Help/Peer Support 142 Caroline Bell, Sarah Collis and Joan Cook Poem: The Clear Sky – Dave St. Clair 151 13. A Recovery Approach in Mental Health Services: Transformation, Tokenism or Tyranny? 152 Premila Trivedi Poem: To What Could Have Been – Mariyam Maule 164 14. Stand to Reason 165 Jonathan Naess Poem: I Am – Libby Jackson 173 15. Walking with Dinosaurs 174 John Stuart Clark Poem: Negatives and Positives – Libby Jackson 182 16. Conclusions, Discussion and Ways Ahead 183 Thurstine Basset, Joan Cook and Theo Stickley Poem: The Heart of Humankind – Mariyam Maule 192 Index 193