Main description:

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

Contents:

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