Voices of Experience: Narratives of Mental Health Survivors

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