Living with Voices
50 Stories of Recovery
Sandra Escher editor Marius Romme editor Jacqui Dillon editor
Format:Paperback
Publisher:PCCS Books
Published:11th Sep '09
Should be back in stock very soon
This groundbreaking book presents a new perspective on hearing voices, emphasizing personal experiences as valid reactions to life's challenges rather than indicators of illness, making it essential for those interested in mental health.
Living with Voices offers a fresh perspective on the experience of hearing voices, moving away from traditional illness models. Through a comprehensive analysis of 50 personal narratives, the book highlights the significance of understanding and accepting these experiences rather than viewing them solely as symptoms of mental illness. This innovative approach encourages readers to recognize the complexity of hearing voices and the ways in which individuals can find meaning in their experiences.
The author argues that hearing voices is often a response to challenging life circumstances rather than an indication of madness. By centering the experiences of those who hear voices, the book emphasizes the importance of personal narratives in the field of mental health. This focus on lived experiences provides a more compassionate and nuanced understanding of the challenges faced by voice hearers, fostering an environment of acceptance and support.
Living with Voices is an essential read for anyone interested in mental health, including professionals, caregivers, and individuals who hear voices themselves. It challenges conventional views and advocates for a more empathetic approach to understanding mental health issues. By validating the experiences of voice hearers and presenting a framework for making sense of these experiences, the book contributes significantly to the ongoing conversation about mental health and well-being.
Marius Romme and Sandra Escher have revolutionised our understanding of voice hearing, and their work has led to a radical new way of helping people who have had this type of experience. In this timely, accessible and important book, they bring together the lessons they have learnt over more than two decades, and provide an opportunity for 50 voice hearers from across the world to tell us their stories. This is essential reading for mental health workers of all professions, which challenges conventional thinking, empowers mental health service users, and looks forward to a more humane approach to psychiatric care. Richard Bentall, Professor of Clinical Psychology, Bangor University, Wales ...rejects the traditional understanding of hearing voices as a symptom of major mental illness whose content is meaningless, and instead proposes that it is a response to trauma that has meaning and can be accepted and worked with to achieve recovery ... 'Living with Voices' is an important book for all those interested in the hearing voices approach. It puts lived experience to the forefront, and demonstrates that it is possible to live with voices and win back control of one's life. Peter Campbell, Mental health system survivor and a founder member of Survivors Speak Out and Survivors' Poetry.
ISBN: 9781906254223
Dimensions: 234mm x 155mm x 20mm
Weight: 544g
346 pages