Recovery Personal and Lived Experience

Introduction
Publications
Research and Practice
Videos
Organisations
Links


Publications

Making Sense of Madness From The Inside by Mary O'Hagan Published on Out of Their Minds website.In this autobiographical interview, Mary O'Hagan presents her personal experiences and understanding of madness.  Mary writes: "Sanity is the container madness sits in; they are made for each other like a cup is made to hold a drink.  Sanity stops madness from spilling everywhere.  Madness stops sanity from confining us to the tyranny of the ordinary." 

 Two Accounts of Mental Distress by Mary O'Hagan This document provides two perspectives of Mary O'Hagan's experiences, her own and medical notes when in hospital.  Exerts from her journal during one of her episodes of mental distress are compared with psychiatrists and nursing notes of the same experience.  An interesting presentation of how the personal experience can be so different to the medical profession.

Excerpt from presentation given by Jay Neugeboren at “The Integrated Mind: Beyond Biochemistry” (2009) lecture organised by Windhorse Associates Jay Neugeboren shares some stories about his brother Robert living in mental health services.  Both stories emphasise the impact of relationships and wellbeing, which is so much more powerful than the use of medication.  Allowing him to discover who he is. Jay  also talks about the impact of Windhorse Project on Robert’s life.

Four Families of People with Mental Illness Talk About their Experiences by Mental Health Commission, New Zealand (2000) There are many pathways to recovery from a mental illness; this is the second in a series of four publications on recovery.   Describing the experiences of: Karen and her daughter Rose; Ruth and her son Peter; John, Hinemoana and their son Steven; and Chris and her daughter Liz, the document provides description of what helped and hindered these people’s recovery. The final part of the document provides a description of what is recovery, issues around families and recovery and resources for anti-discrimination.

 

My Perspective by Sharon Clarke Published on Out of Their Minds website. Sharon Clarke provides her perspective of madness.  Based on her personal experiences of being in hospital, her job as a Youth Worker and University degree in Psychology, she provides an interesting description of madness and distress.  Sharon writes: "Young people with mental health issues can be seen as bad, and are punished for their behaviour, rather than their behaviour seen as a reaction to the things occurring in their life and the social inequalities that exist." 

Playing Chess Against Yourself by Ben Cragg Published on Out of Their Minds website This article provides an interview with Ben Cragg, talking about his love for acting and his experiences of distress.  He describes loving to create a character around himself - "sort of like building a shell, but still allowing me creative control of what aspects of myself I express." 

A Life Less Travelled by Tim Hagan Published on Out of Their Minds website Tim describes his perspective of mental distress from his experiences of having Obsessive Compulsive Disorder for 12 years and how it has made his life for the better.  He writes: "People commonly view mental distress through skewed portrayls shown in popular media of secretive, finicky introverts sidestepping cracks denigrate a person's real experience." Click Here

Madness At Work by Gareth Edwards Published on Out of Their Minds website Gareth Edwards is founding Director of Positive Thinking, a New Zealand company that provides knowledge-based solutions for the mental health and addictions sectors.  In this interview, Gareth describes his perspective on madness.  He writes: "What is it like to be mad?  I guess that's where the complexities really begin, because language, with all its wondrous abilities...fails miserably when it comes to describing madness." 

Madness On Your Own Terms by Egan Bidois Published on Out of Their Minds website Egan Bidois works at Whakapai, a specialist maori mental health service in New Zealand.  In this interview he talks about his passions and perspectives of madness and distress.  He says: "mental health - in my opinion - is no mystical complicated thing.  It happens every day in every way to everyone".  

Dimensions by Glynn, A., Chas, Chiu, R. & D.O.S.C. (2009) Published by Animated Minds. Animation about a man experiencing Psychosis. Transcript text used in film taken direct from personal story is available below the film.

The Light Bulb Thing by Glynn, A., Hannah, Rains, P. & Parsons, A. (2009) Published by Animated Minds. Animation about a woman experiencing Mania and Lowness. Transcript text used in film taken direct from personal story is available below the film.

Becoming Invisible by Glynn, A., Nicole, Loebner, B. & White, C. (2009) Published by Animated Minds. Animation about a woman experiencing an Eating Disorder. Transcript text used in film taken direct from personal story is available below the film. 

Fish on a Hook by Glynn, A., Mike, Field, J. & White, P. (2009) Published by Animated Minds. Animation about a man experiencing Agoraphobia and Panic Attacks. Transcript text used in film taken direct from personal story is available below the film. 

An Alien in the Playground by Glynn, A., Joshua, Morgan, M., Parsons, A. (2009) Published by Animated Minds. Animation about a boy experiencing Aspergers Syndrome. Transcript text used in film taken direct from personal story is available below the film. 

My Blood is My Tears by Glynn, A., Nicole, Abigail, Lois, Athansopoulou, K., & Parsons, A. (2009) Published by Animated Minds. Animation about young women experiencing Self Harm. Transcript text used in film taken direct from personal story is available below the film. 

Recovery Booklet Ten remarkable stories written by people who explain what Recovery means for them. Each story provides valuable evidence from which we can better understand the support needs of people with mental illness in their journeys through life. It is important to embrace such evidence in our learning, alongside more traditional research. Indeed, this method of collaborative learning epitomizes the very spirit of Recovery and allows people with mental illness the very best chances of living life to their full potential. The Recovery Booklet Project was commissioned by: Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and The Centre for Mental Health Recovery at the University of Hertfordshire. Published by the University of Hertfordshire, 2007. Download pdf here

Working Towards Recovery The second Recovery Booklet about people’s experiences through mental ill health and into employment, occupation or other personally meaningful activities.  Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and The Centre for Mental Health Recovery at the University of Hertfordshire. Published by the University of Hertfordshire, 2008. 

Recovery Stories: Cornish Journeys of Hope In our society, most people would expect this to mean that you are able to fit back into your life exactly where you left it and go back to full time work. Within the context of mental health, although this sometimes happens, it is not always the case. Recovery is much broader; it is about being in control and able to lead your life in a way that you find comfortable so that you keep as healthy as possible. It can be very difficult and sometimes a lonely journey discovering what is right for you, but these stories are a testament to the courage and persistence of people who have found themselves on this path and reveal amazing diversity in the ways in which recovery has become a way of life for each and every one of them.

Oryx Cohen's Recovery Story Oryx Cohen's Recovery Story from the SCI Oral History project, National Empowerment Center, USA 

Will Hall's Recovery Story Will Hall's Recovery Story from the SCI Oral History project, National Empowerment Center, USA

Voices of Hope and Recovery: Our Stories, Our Lives These stories – honest, gut-wrenching and triumphant – are told by people who, through darkness, have found wellness and healing, meaning and purpose. They teach us about finding love in a world that is often harsh and cruel. With courage and insight, they reveal how to reclaim mental health in a culture that often misunderstands the healing process. Our stories demonstrate the power of the human spirit to prevail. individuals share their informative, inspiring recovery stories on CD.  

Knowing You, Knowing You DVD Eleanor Longden, Working To Recovery, 2011 In this moving account, Eleanor Longden tells her own story of recovery and discovery: her journey through the psychiatric system; from being told she would have more chance of recovering if she had cancer; to becoming an award winning psychologist working in mental health. In the DVD Eleanor talks candidly about her experience of abuse, self-harm and voice hearing.  This DVD is challenging, inspirational and full of hope for people who have these types of experiences, their families, friends and workers. 

A Bad Career Move DVD, Ron Coleman, Working To Recovery, 2011 Ron Coleman tells his life story from his early years to the present day. Ron takes the viewer on a journey full of highs and lows and ending with great hope for the future. This DVD is for professionals, Carers and service users as it leaves those who see it inspired and believing that recovery is not something that should happen for the lucky few but something that is there for all to grasp. A bad career move is a happy, sad, funny, poignant story that will make people laugh, cry, be angry but most importantly it will instill hope. 

 Editors: Hannah Cordle, Jane Fradgley, Jerome Carson, Frank Holloway, and Paul Richards, Quay Books 2011-05-30, 200pp, ISBN 1-85642-420-0 £19.99 (paperback) The stories in this book tell tales of recovery and hope for people living with mental illness. The contributors are role models for those suffering mental distress who demonstrate through their narratives that recovery and hope are possible. 

 Living with Voices: 50 stories of recovery   Marius Romme, Sandra Escher, Jacqui Dillon, Dirk Corstens, Mervyn Morris, PCCS Books, 2009, ISBN 978 1 906254 22 3 At the heart of this book are the stories of fifty people who have recovered from the distress of hearing voices. They have overcome the disabling social and psychiatric attitudes towards voice hearing and have also fought with themselves to accept and make sense of the voices. They have changed their relationship with their voices in order to reclaim their lives. 


Research and Practice

What Part Of The Picture by Liz Brosnan (2003) Published by Western Alliance for Mental Health, Galway This report provides the findings of research undertaken in Ireland to examine: ‘what does partnership mean to users of mental health services.  The work describes perspectives from service users and carers.

 


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