mental health support network in lincolnshire · “several months plus, hopefully.” the experts...
TRANSCRIPT
SHINE Mental Health Support Network
in Lincolnshire
connecting people with the services and support that will most effectively meet their needs
SHINE Newsletter - October 2013
World Mental Health Day 10th October 2013
Who am I?
Because I am mentally ill By Kate Hull Rodgers
Kate Hull Rodgers recently spoke at the Shine AGM. Here she explains how mental illness has touched every part of her life…
When I stop and think about it, everything I have become at the ripe old age of 52, is because I am mentally ill. And that must be a good thing – because I really like myself and my life.
It all started when I was 24. Till then I had lived a life of fun but without substance and meaning. I was a young wannabe actress and unfortunately I burnt the candle at both ends. I ended up sleeping 18 hours a day trying to recover. I was hospitalized and
diagnosed as schizophrenic. Thus began a year-and-a-half of the revolving door syndrome. In and out of hospital every few weeks. I would be discharged – prescription in hand- only to return to the relative safely of the ward a few days later. Then I was sent to the long term hospital – with a prognosis of “Several months plus, hopefully.” The experts really never thought I would get better, they thought I would always be in need of the system.
Fortunately I was able to prove those experts wrong. I discharged myself from the long term hospital, went to live with my mother and began the long and arduous journey to recovery. It was a red letter day when I took the dog for a walk by myself and I baked muffins. Little things became big victories. And slowly I began to heal.
One of the things I realized was that my mental health was the centre of my universe. Every decision and choice I made was carefully gauged with a, “would this be good for me” meter. Once I recognized how susceptible to mental illness I was, (I was hospitalized several more times), I sought to find the positives in this. I recognized that because of my illness I had learned compassion, tolerance and empathy. I was a better person. I was living a much more meaningful life and I certainly appreciated the little things.
It was then that I came to the conclusion that if mental illness was here to stay, then I had to be in charge and I wanted to discover ways to capitalize on it. So I wrote a play about being in hospital. This was in 1991 – long before people were openly talking about their mental illness. When I premiered “Cracked Up” I was a lonely voice in the wilderness. But, there was such a hunger to hear what I had to say that my show sold out everywhere I went. Suddenly I was “Kate the Great” and I was endowed with some sort of wisdom. People began to disclose to me and ask my advice. So I developed workshops that were sort of, “Recovery according to Kate.”
Then the most important thing happened, I met my husband. How? Well he came to see “Cracked Up” and wanted to know me more. Even my marriage is due to my mental illness!
For the last twenty years I have been honing my speech and seminar. I read, I listen, I observe, I discuss and then I put it together in a digestible package and I teach it.
Even the latest adventure that my husband and I have embarked upon is all about mental health. We have created “Cracked Up Tee Hee Shirts” selling tee shirts with self-created, funny destigmatizing slogans. Yes oh yes it is time to talk, but we also believe it is time to laugh.
So from where I am sitting I have a successful life. A husband and two sons whom I adore and a career
that is about helping others. And all of this is, Because I am mentally ill.
Please contact Kate at [email protected]
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Shine Ambassadors
For further information please email:
World Mental Health Day 2013
10th October
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This newsletter is produced with funding from the Mental Illness Prevention Fund secured by the Shine Network The views expressed in the Shine Newsletter are those of the individual contributors and do not necessarily represent those of the Editorial Team. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, we cannot be held responsible for alterations which occur during the publication process. No anonymous articles will be published in this newsletter; however contributors may request that their names are withheld from publication Articles are copyright of Shine and individual contributors. In principle we are happy for articles to be reprinted in other publications provided that Shine is acknowledged but we would be grateful if you could contact us first so that we can obtain the writer’s permission.
Contact Details Mike Martin, The Shine Network Involve@Lincoln, Mint Lane, Lincoln LN1 1UD
Tel: 07969 872 804 Email: [email protected] Web: www.lincsshine.co.uk
NHS Complaints Advocacy Service
In the last issue of the newsletter the above service was advertised incorrectly, the service is now being provided by POhWER, please find their contact details below:
Website: http://www.pohwer.net/in-your-area/where-you-live/lincolnshire
Telephone: 0300 456 2370
Email: [email protected]
POhWER provide a free, independent and confidential advocacy service to support people with their NHS complaint.
A Great Advocacy Service for Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire County Council is currently in the process of engaging with members of the Lincolnshire community to gather the public's views about what a great advocacy service should look and feel like in Lincolnshire.
With the two main advocacy contracts due to expire in 2014 the opportunity has arisen to review advocacy in Lincolnshire and it is our aim to evaluate not only advocacy services but the awareness and perception of advocacy in Lincolnshire. We cannot achieve our aims without help from members of the public, which means we are interested in hearing from everyone in the community who has something to say about advocacy whether you have used advocacy services in the past or not.
Anyone can get involved and there are a number of different ways for you to share your views.
For example:
an online advocacy questionnaire can be accessed at www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/advocacysurvey (until 8th October 2013)
postal copies of the questionnaire can be requested where internet access is an issue
we would also like to come out (between now and 8th October 2013) and speak to any groups within the local community who have an interest in making advocacy services in Lincolnshire the best they can be.
Groups who would like to have discussions around advocacy between their members can send us a written report of their views
Any individuals who have anything specific regarding advocacy services that they would like to tell us about, we would be pleased to hear from you.
For more information or to book a facilitated group session please contact: - Business Support on 01522 553729 or [email protected]
Why? There is much coverage about successful people in entertainment, sport and business overcoming dyslexia. And rightly so!
But unidentified dyslexia can lead to low self-esteem, anxiety, fear of failure and stigma.
People’s life choices have in the past been influenced by failure at school: unemployment and addiction impacted upon their health and wellbeing.
What? Dyslexia Lincolnshire is a user-led social enterprise that provides affordable support for all, especially if they are on a low income.
Historically, a person needed to undergo an assessment for dyslexia to receive help in the form of expensive computer technologies and one-to-one support.
Tough economic times call for innovation!
Dyslexia Lincolnshire complements what schools and other providers do well, by providing support in the community across all groups: children, parents and grandparents, those in work and the unemployed.
Dyslexia Lincolnshire provides an online community, local support groups and free dyslexia apps called “MyStudyApps”.
When? We hold drop-in sessions on the first and last Wednesday of each month at the Trinity Centre in Louth 10.30am – 1.30pm.
For news, events and more details visit our website at www.dyslexialincolnshire.org.uk or telephone Alan on 01507 443500.
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Thursday 19th September saw the formal launch of our joint allotment project with Tess CIC. We were joined by Carol Vasey and Tina Gent who kindly posed for photos and turned the first sod of soil in one of our newly prepared plots. It was great to see the progress made since our last visit though it was also a reminder that if left untended, the grass and weeds will soon take hold. There is much work to do though it isn't difficult to imagine the site full of budding gardeners producing a mix of vegetables, fruit and herbs. It's true what they say - 'Many hands make light work' and this couldn't be more
applicable to the task which lay ahead. The more people we can muster to help and to manage their own plots, the better. With the winter months nearly upon us and the temperature already starting to fall, there will of course be a limit to what can be achieved. However, we now have the foundations in place for what promises to be a successful, productive and enjoyable project for our members and friends. I for one am looking forward to sowing my first seeds!
Burn Out, causes,
effects and recovery
Burnout can threaten your job, relationships and your health. The major cause is stress that is prolonged and excessive; it can affect your physical, emotional and psychological wellbeing.
Some of the symptoms of burnout are constant stress, disillusionment, helpless, unhappiness, detachment and complete exhaustion. When you’re burned out, problems seem insurmountable, everything looks bleak and it’s difficult to muster up the energy to care, let alone do something about your situation, learn to recognize the warning signs. The great news is you can reverse the damage by managing stress and seeking support
Burnout prevention self-care & coping strategies
1. Start the day with a relaxing ritual for 15 minutes i.e. meditating, writing in your journal, doing gentle stretches, or reading something that inspires you.
2. Adopt healthier eating, exercising, and sleeping habits - when you eat right, do some form of regular physical activity, and get plenty of rest, you have the energy and resilience to deal with life’s hassles and demands.
3. Set boundaries - don’t overextend yourself. Learn how to say “no” to requests on your time. This may be difficult, but remind yourself that saying “no” allows you to say “yes” to the things that you truly want to do.
4. Take a daily break from technology - set a time each day when you completely disconnect, put away your laptop, switch off your mobile, and stop checking emails!
5. Creativity – try something new, start a fun project, or resume a favourite hobby that has nothing to do with work!
6. Learn to manage stress - when you’re on the path to burnout, you might feel helpless but you have a lot more control over stress than you may think. For a free initial session to discuss how you can manage your stress levels contact me.
There are no hard and fast rules to recovery and unfortunately I do not have a magic wand. I do know the more you engage with your journey to being less stressed the more effective your coping mechanisms will be. As you build your resilience to stress and the more likely you are to make healthier choices that lead to you being able to cope more effectively and be a more fulfilled individual.
Charlotte Newsam MBACP Registered Counsellor
This and other blogs can be found on Charlotte’s website at www.journey2becounselling.doomby.com
including:
What is an eating disorder?
Counselling; why I am passionate about it!
Anxiety; what it is and how to minimise its effects.
Barriers; comfort zone verses risk’
Being well in Lincoln Andrew Harrison fought for years to preserve the activities housed at the former Work Skills Centre in Mint Lane Lincoln. Over the last two years, since it was vacated by the NHS, it has become established as a multi-
use well-being centre, with the support and assistance of Lincolnshire County Council and Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
It is home to a number of activities, the largest being the mental health peer group drop in, Renew, which was Andrew’s passion and it continues thanks to the dedication and commitment of its members. There are a number of associated activities including Recovery Road, a physical health and medication group, a walking group, a creative writing group and an addictions group.
Spring Kitchen have been running a cooking group as well. This has also included Busydays who provide a daytime activities programme for people with learning disabilities two days a week.
There are now three counselling services based at Involve@lincoln:- Lincolnshire Counselling, CounselMe and Action For Blind People. Upbeat, Hearing Voices and Bipolar UK all meet there regularly too. Shine has its administration office there and there are regular uses from Revival (leisure and learning for health and well being), Epilepsy Support Group, Social Science Centre, Lincoln Mental Health Forum and others.
The Centre is now known as Involve@Lincoln and is managed for the benefit of the organisations using it by Community Assets Plus, (CA+) a registered charity who lease the property from Lincolnshire County Council. The rooms are let by the session and all the centre users contribute to the costs, with repeat bookings attracting room rate discounts. Rooms vary in size from small consultation rooms, through shared hot desks and offices to the main social space and can be used for activities, meetings, training, events, socials etc. There is also a small enclosed garden and other facilities. Its central location means it is very accessible, but there is limited on site parking.
At present the building is in use at about 50% of its seven day week capacity, so there are still opportunities for more users to get involved. Recently secured funding from Bromhead Medical Charity will ensure hire charges can be maintained at a modest level until at least 2017.
Enquiries about use of Involve@Lincoln should be made to Community
Assets Plus [email protected].
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“I love art, it
helps me relax and
the people here
are lovely.”
“I don’t want to be
stuck in an art class,
I want to be outdoors
doing things.”
More Help for more
people, nearer to where
they live, for less
money, with better
outcomes.
Sound plausible? Most people are entirely cynical about the “more for less” mantra that we’re encouraged to adopt to see us through these financially stringent times.
But is it really possible to get more help to more people for less money? Can people’s experience of the help and support they receive really improve? And can we really believe that all this can lead to better mental health and quality of life?
You know what? It might just be possible!
Lincolnshire’s expanding Managed Care Network for Mental Health is building the evidence to suggest that we can do so much more if we invest wisely in the things that people really value, and that we can achieve amazing things if we create the conditions where people can put their ideas into action.
Before work began on developing the Network in July 2011 there were five voluntary organisations in Lincolnshire providing six projects in three parts of the county. With the third wave of the County Council’s Mental Illness Prevention Fund investments now being prepared, there will be…
67 groups and organisations, providing 72 projects, at 83 sites, reaching about 3000 people
What and where? There will be at least thirty different types of activity provided by Network members that people can try. Not everything is available everywhere, but the Network is starting to reach parts of the county where people have felt for a long time that there is little for them.
There will never be any complacency about the reach of the Network… we are always trying to improve the number, location and variety of projects so that people can have as much choice as possible and so find the right thing for them. Two comments sum it up…
Of course there is still much to do; getting permanent funding, really integrating support for older people,
and expanding the network more widely in the east of the county are just three of the priorities.
But for now let’s welcome new members to the Managed Care Network.
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Wave 3 Managed Care Network projects
Pathway to Wellness Coaching and support for people who have had or are currently experiencing mental health issues. This could mean you have low confidence, feel socially excluded, are experiencing anxiety and depression or have health and weight loss issues.
This project is for 12 months to engage with anyone who is 18-64 years old and during this time you will be able to access:
Weekly one-to-one confidential support sessions
Monthly interactive and fun workshops
Expand your confidence and social circle by attending organised regular activities
If you or anyone you know wish to gain more information about this great project please arrange to have an informal chat.
Contact Debbie Stacey on 01427 677277
Feel Good Mums Personalised one-to-one home support during their perinatal period for mothers who are experiencing mental disorders, which impact on their ability to manage their parenting role. Support involves addressing social exclusion; signposting and support to access relevant help; support to build their capacity as parents.
Contact Pat Dalby on 01780 752983 or [email protected]
Cultural Solutions Lincolnshire-based Cultural Solutions UK is about to begin research into the creation of a Lincolnshire Mental Health Arts Festival to be launched in October 2014.
It is proposed the Festival becomes one of the county's most diverse cultural events, covering everything from music, film and visual art to theatre, dance, and literature.
David Lambert plans to meet and talk with potential partners and stakeholders over the next few months about all aspects of the Festival.
Contact David Lambert on 078809 08539 or [email protected]
Skegness Kingfisher Self-help and Friendship Group The group is open to anyone with physical/mental health problems. It meets on Tuesdays from 10.00-12.30 at Algitha Road Methodist Church, Skegness. The group offers members regular activities; board games, crafts, trips out, so there is always something to look forward to, and a reason to go out.
Contact Pat Massie at [email protected]
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Learning Minds Learning Minds will seek to provide an educational package for people recovering from mental illness in the Market Rasen, Mablethorpe and Gainsborough areas. The package will seek to build self-confidence and resilience, and provide an insight into a student’s diagnosed illness. Students will receive formal recognition for their participation.
Contact Ray Mason on 01427 677377 or [email protected]
New Life Community Church Spilsby The Drop-In style of this weekly club offers a safe haven for those with social, emotional or mental health needs. The Club provides an informal and safe environment where people can find support, friendship and encouragement. Through a range of social and craft activities we encourage people to focus their minds in a constructive and beneficial way that brings relief, fun and a sense of wellbeing thereby positively helping towards good mental health.
Contact: Sally Osmond on 01790754092 / 07950566745 or
If you would like to know about the Mental Illness Prevention Fund and the projects it supports please contact Sophie Deeks on 01529 222 223/[email protected]
The Managed Care Network can be described as a co-ordinated, managed and integrated network of groups and organisations providing preventative support and services to people who have experience of mental health issues.
We have close operational and developmental links with each other to help people prevent, manage and recover from mental illness in order to enjoy the best quality of life they possibly can. Map of MIFP projects
Still Staying Well The Shine programme of personalised prevention of mental illness is still available to applicants. At the time of writing it has had sixty enquiries since it was launched a year ago. Forty of those have been allocated some form of assistance specifically tailored to their needs to improve their chances of recovery or prevent worsening of their mental health.
Carpets have been the most common request, particularly where people are having to move into social housing. Next comes gym membership. People recognising the therapeutic value of regular physical exercise, both for their physical and mental health. Household items that improve home life are often sought. These can be obtained in some cases through the Lincolnshire Community Assistance Scheme (LCAS 01522 782248 or 0300 7900152) but if they are unable to help, the Staying Well programme can step in, in suitable cases.
Some more unusual requests have included funding for training or equipment for vocational and therapeutic activities, childcare to provide respite, help with transport and getting out. This is a programme that might help anyone at risk of mental ill health. The sums of money available are quite small, but the criteria for eligibility are broad. People who want to benefit must be working age adults resident or receiving services in Lincolnshire.
Anyone can refer to the programme and people can refer themselves if there is no-one suitable. If they find this daunting they can be referred to the Advocacy service provided by Voiceability. (01522 706580 [email protected] ). The application process is simple and can be done over the phone or by email through referrers. Decisions to provide assistance are taken by the Shine Steering Group and usually take less than a week. The fastest time yet was to get support in place within three hours!
Wave 1 MIPF Interim funding is now committed, but Wave 3 resources should become available in October, so there is continued availability. However the programme is becoming increasingly popular with applications coming in at a rate of three a week, more resources will be needed eventually.
We would like to receive more applications from the South of the County, particularly South Holland, but also South Kesteven, Boston and North Kesteven. If you think this programme might be useful for you, or if you know of anyone that could benefit, please contact the programme manager, Charles Cooke 07969875464 [email protected].
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Send your good news stories and
contributions for the next newsletter or
the website to: [email protected]
SHINE, a leading member of the Managed Care Network funded by
the Mental Illness Prevention Fund, has jointly been chosen as one of the finalists in the prestigious annual Health Service Journal Awards under the Mental Health Innovation category. The fund has been established by Lincolnshire County Council and is managed by Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
“We don’t tell people what we think they should do,
instead we ask people what they think will help.”
Paul Jackman of LPFT said, “One of the main messages for the HSJ awards judging panel is that we are helping to create an environment in which a whole host of innovations can flourish. So, not only is the way we organise ourselves new and different, this in turn leads to lots of innovative ideas and actions.”
Paul Jackman, Mike Martin, Stacey Gillott, Charles Cooke, Andrew Wells, Richard Collins
Chris Allen, Marion Christopher, Sophie Deeks, Linda O’Hara
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Fit and Well in Grantham
Shine are promoting activity in the Grantham area to try and enrol providers of physical activity in
programmes of awareness and training in mental health so that they can become easier places for people to access.
Sports clubs, leisure centres, gyms, dance classes, martial arts clubs, ramblers and community venues are all being contacted to see how they can be helped to become more positive about mental health. Several sports have already expressed great enthusiasm for the idea, including golf, squash, table tennis and netball, and many of these are already working with Sue Harris at Grantham Meres leisure centre and attended a sports taster day she recently organised for people with learning disability.
Any sports or activity organisation in the Grantham area that would like to be part of this programme can contact Shine or [email protected] for more details. The plan is to provide some mental health awareness training days and encourage the participant organisations to work out with each other what barriers exist and how they can be overcome. Organisations engaged will then be made known as being positive about mental health and people encouraged to try them out in a taster/introduction programme early next year.
Peer Groups are Excellent
Many people value their involvement in groups that comprise people who have experience of problems similar to their own. These “Peers” can often help with advice, practical skills for coping, information and simple companionship. Peer groups offer local opportunities for peer support to flourish and exist in many forms around the county. Previous editions of the newsletter have provided insight into some of these groups and now Shine is running a small pilot to see if the excellent work of these groups can be shared across the network, to improve the services they provide and to make them all more robust and sustainable.
Charles Cooke of Lincolnshire CDA, an experienced small group adviser, has started to compile organisational audits on some of the groups looking at their strengths and weaknesses, their finances and facilities with the intention that this information can then be shred across all participating groups for mutual benefit. Around ten groups are planned to be involved. Five are already enrolled, but any peer group which would like to participate can contact Charles now to arrange a diagnostic appointment. There is no cost to involvement and there is attached to the project a fund of financial assistance for any action that will improve group sustainability. Shine would particularly like to look at new groups or ones which are not currently engaged with Shine or Managed Care Network activity.
Prompt Based on an idea created by Renew, the peer support drop-in Lincoln, Prompt is a pilot project of telehealth messaging. Timely and helpful messages will be generated for an individual to help them with self-management of their mental health. For example a daily message reminder to take medication; a suggestion weekly that a support group could be
visited; a monthly reminder to check in with Mindscope. People will be able to choose their messages and the frequency and timing of their delivery. Investigations are taking place to see what form the messages might take but they are expected to be by text and email as a minimum. A small group of people willing to trial the service will be sought in the coming months.
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New Recovery College Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is developing a recovery college in Lincoln to provide a range of courses and resources for service users, families, friends, carers and NHS staff.
The college aims to support people to take more control over their own lives by encouraging them to become experts in their own self-care. It will also educate family members, friends, carers and other NHS staff to better understand mental health conditions and how best to support people in their recovery journey.
The development of the recovery college will bring together people with professional experience of mental health and people with lived experience of mental health to design innovative courses that can contribute towards wellbeing.
Initially the college will be located as part of the Day Ward at the Peter Hodgkinson Centre in Lincoln, but it is expected that the college will eventually have a countywide presence.
The existing Day Ward currently accommodates some group therapy sessions, although the numbers of people using these have declined as the popularity of activities provided by alternative providers, such as those available through the Managed Care Network and SHINE have increased. Furthermore, individuals are accessing other services by utilising their personal budgets.
The Trust will continue to provide a Day Ward service whilst the recovery college is developed to ensure it meets the needs of people whom are acutely unwell.
Mary Quint
General Manager - Adult Services,
13 September 2013
On Friday 13th September Shine received an
email from a patient attending the Day Ward
in Lincoln telling us that staff were informing
them of the imminent closure of the Day Ward
facility, although they did not know when, it
was said to be soon! Morale amongst staff
and patients on the Day Ward was reported as
being very low, lack of information being
shared is causing a considerable level of fear
and distress particularly for other service
users - those expecting to make the transition
from ward to day ward; those who have been
cajoled or compelled to attend, as the
alternative for more than one person was to be
admitted “Upstairs”.
Shine contacted LPFT who issued the above
statement for inclusion into the newsletter.
Shine hopes that passing this information on
will allay service user fears.
The NHS Confederation’s Mental
Health Network state:
In mental health, ‘recovery’ means the process through which people find ways of living meaningful lives with or without ongoing symptoms of their condition.
Users of mental health services have identified three key principles:
the continuing presence of hope that it is possible to pursue one’s personal goals and ambitions
the need to maintain a sense of control over one’s life and one’s symptoms
the importance of having opportunities to build a life ‘beyond illness’
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Recovery Colleges can transform mental health services, say the Centre
for Mental Health and NHS
Confederation Mental Health Network.
Recovery Colleges can revolutionise mental health services and help people to fulfil their potential, according to the first in a series of briefing papers produced jointly by Centre for Mental Health and the NHS Confederation Mental Health Network.
Recovery is a process through which people find ways of living meaningful lives with or without the ongoing symptoms of their condition. Helping someone recover is not just about managing symptoms, it includes helping people find a job, getting them somewhere safe to live and developing supportive relationships with family:
Hope ensuring the possibility that it is possible to pursue people's personal goals and ambitions;
Control helping people to maintain a sense of control over their lives;
Opportunity supporting people to build their lives beyond mental illness;
The principles of recovery are now central to mental health services in England as well as the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Recovery represents the next big transformational change for mental health services in this country - on a par with the closure of asylums and the move to care in the community.
Recovery Colleges deliver comprehensive, peer-led education and training programmes within mental health services. They should be run like any other college, providing education as a route to Recovery, not as a form of therapy. Courses are co-devised and co-delivered by people with lived experience of mental illness and by mental health professionals. Their services should be offered to service users, professionals and families alike, with people choosing the courses they would like to attend from a prospectus.
There are currently four Recovery Colleges in England, with several more due to open soon. As well as offering education alongside treatment for individuals they also change the relationship between services and those who use them; they identify new peer workers to join the workforce; and they can replace some existing services.
A recent survey of people who participated in courses at the South West London Recovery College showed a significant reduction in use of community mental health services and a rise in the number who became mainstream students, gained employment or became a volunteer. Accompanying the briefing on recovery colleges is a second paper which looks at the progress NHS mental health services are making towards implementing recovery principles into their services.
Sean Duggan said: “Recovery Colleges enable people to become experts in their own self-care and develop the skills they need for living and working. They provide opportunities for peer support, for choice and control, and for supporting people to achieve their hopes and ambitions. With a Recovery College, mental health services can take a big step on the road towards making Recovery a reality for many more people.”
Mental Health Network director Steve Shrubb said: "Recovery represents the next big transformational change of the nation's mental health services. Recovery Colleges are an important part of a quiet revolution taking place now in mental health.
"This is a major cultural and organisational challenge. At the start of the last century, we used to keep people with mental illness behind doors and out of the way. Now we know the best way to support them is to help them recover to lead more fulfilling lives and realise their potential.
"As leaders of NHS mental health
organisations we want to lead and support this new approach to helping people make
meaningful recoveries from mental illness."
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NOT IN MY PERFECT MIND BY TERRY CONNORS
PUBLISHED BY HUCK BOOKS 2013 PRICE : paperback £6.63 or Download at amazon.co.uk
This is a short, excellent book, and would be of interest to anyone affected by Schizophrenia. It is not a text book, but a very moving story about a normal family whose lives are suddenly shattered when Ben, their young son of 18 years, is diagnosed with Paranoid Schizophrenia.
The author ,Terry, the father of Ben, takes us through the various ups and downs of Ben’s traumatic life from the time that he was diagnosed with the illness and how it affected not only Ben, but had repercussions on the family as well. Terry and his wife Yvonne had to learn to come to terms with the strange behaviour of their son, and the whole stigma of mental illness. They learnt very quickly how to cope and they both learnt as much as they could about the illness. But this still did nothing to prepare them for the constant disappointments and setbacks. Time and time again their hopes would be dashed. Ben would often disappear from hospital without warning, sometimes being absent for four days. Often he was overcome by
fears which were totally irrational, and they became fixtures in his mind, such as the fear that the NHS dogs were on his trail.
The book is particularly informative on the various medications that were prescribed for Ben. He had to spend a long time trying out different medications, none of which seemed to bring about the necessary improvement, and of course this added to his and the family’s worries. Eventually he was prescribed Clozapine, which is one of the best treatments for Schizophrenia when other medications do not work. But it is not a straightforward medicine, and in the early stages of treatment, patients have to be monitored and have endless blood tests. Like all medications it also has some side effects. The most debilitating of these is loss of motivation, and sometimes weight problems.
Throughout all their trials Terry and Yvonne have never despaired of Ben’s eventual recovery nor ceased to love him. Perhaps the strongest message contained in “Not In My Perfect Mind” is that paranoid schizophrenics are not dangerous criminals but normal people with an illness, as painful as any physical illness, although not recognised as such by an ill-informed and prejudiced public.
I would recommend this book to carers especially, as I have learnt so much from it.
Mary Napier
Joanne Clark – I have three book titles regarding people with mental health difficulties which I would like to put forward for the next Newsletter out for World Mental Health Day on the 10th October which might be interesting to those with mental health difficulties and their carers. Hope these are OK?!!!
1. Journeys of Recovery Stories of hope and recovery from long-term mental health problems. Scottish Recovery Network, Europa Building, 450, Argyle Street, Glasgow, G2 8LG Tel No: 0141 240 7790 Email: [email protected] Web: www.scottishrecovery.net
2. To Walk On Eggshells Suzu Johnston ISBN: 0954807203
3. The Naked Bird Watcher Jean Johnston ISBN: 0754807211
