Jerome Carson

The recovery group: A service user and professional perspective

In this paper we describe the contemporary importance of the recovery approach in mental health services. Recovery is one of the main service drivers. Thus far, much of the focus has been on individuals and their unique recovery journeys. Groupwork, may have a key role to play in the continued development of the recovery approach. We present the Recovery Group, an innovative approach to involving service users in recovery. A colour piece illustrates a single groupwork session. If clinicians and policy makers are to truly place service users centre stage in the recovery process, more innovative methods of engagement are needed.

Recovery heroes ‐ a profile of Gordon McManus

The influential Sainsbury Centre report, Making Recovery a Reality (Shepherd et al, 2008), talks about clinical and social aspects of recovery. The issue of psychological recovery is not discussed at length, although other workers have put forward a psychological model of recovery (Andresen et al, 2003). While there are numerous definitions of recovery, the one developed by Gordon, the focus of this profile, is unlikely to be matched for its parsimony. Gordon describes recovery as ‘coping with your illness and trying to have a meaningful life’ (McManus, 2008). In this paper, he outlines his background. He is then interviewed by Sarah Morgan about his life, illness and recovery. Finally, Jerome gives an appreciation of his contribution to our developing understanding of recovery.

Recovery heroes ‐ a profile of Dolly Sen

The development of the recovery approach must mean a fundamental change in how mental health services see service users, for as the Social Perspectives Network paper rhetorically asks, ‘Whose Recovery is it?’, it is, of course, the service users (Social Perspectives Network, 2007). The recent influential Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health report, suggests that professionals need to move from a position of ‘being on top, to being on tap’ (Shepherd et al, 2008). Service users need to take a more central role in the whole recovery debate. One of the ways that this aim can be realised is by looking at ‘recovery heroes’. These are individuals whose journey of recovery can inspire both other service users and professionals alike.

Historical recovery heroes – Charles Darwin

Purpose – The paper reviews Darwins health problems and suggests they may have been a “creative malady”.Design/methodology/approach – The authors look at Darwins upbringing, his career and achievements, evidence for mental illness and his status as a historical recovery hero.Findings – In addition to the published literature, Darwin himself acknowledged that his health problems enabled him to dedicate his life to his scientific research.Originality/value – The authors combine their perspectives as a historian and psychologist to interpret the literature on Darwins illness.

Jana Rozenhalova in conversation with Jerome Carson

Purpose n n n n nThe purpose of this paper is to provide a profile of Jana Rozenhalova. n n n n nDesign/methodology/approach n n n n nJana provides a short summary of her life and is then interviewed by Jerome. n n n n nFindings n n n n nJana tells us about her long struggles with eating disorders and provides us with the metaphor that it is like being a broken cup glued back together again. You have to be very careful it does not break again. n n n n nResearch limitations/implications n n n n nJana’s story is one, yet it offers us unique insights. She comments at one point, “[…] if it was not for the eating disorders […] I would not be me”. n n n n nPractical implications n n n n nJana notes that while she could see many reasons behind her eating disorders, they did not really matter. What mattered was that she could overcome them. n n n n nSocial implications n n n n nWhile Jana first thought hope was an empty word, she now realises in retrospect that she was more hopeful than anyone she knew. As Patricia Deegan (1996) puts it, “Hope is not just a nice sounding euphemism. Hope and biological life are inextricably intertwined” (p. 93). n n n n nOriginality/value n n n n nJana concludes her account saying she would like to be able to look back at her life and feel that she had lived up to her potential. Most of us would also be happy with that outcome.

Remarkable lives: Peter Bullimore in conversation with Jerome Carson

Purpose – This paper seeks to offer a profile of Peter Bullimore, one of the most dynamic lived experience speakers and trainers in the mental health world.Design/methodology/approach – A profile of Peter is built up through an in‐depth interview by psychologist Jerome Carson. Areas covered include: his experience of hearing voices; his work in Australia and New Zealand; stigma; recovery; inspiring individuals in mental health; his personal illness and medication; the media; and changes and challenges.Findings – Peter tells us that hearing voices are signs of a problem not an illness, and are often linked to trauma. He feels British work on recovery is in advance of that in Australia and New Zealand. He sees a day when it will no longer be necessary to use the term schizophrenia. Instead of recovery people should be thinking of discovery.Originality/value – For too long the only voices that have been heard in the mental health field have been the professional voices. Peters is one of many new inspiration...

Historical recovery heroes - Isaac Newton

Purpose – Isaac Newton has been described as the father of modern science. What is less well known is that he had mental health problems. Here, the authors aim to review the literature on his problems and life to see if he was a mental health recovery hero. Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviewed all the published papers on Newton’s mental health problems, as well as many of the biographies written on him. Findings – Scholars of Newton have focussed most of their attention on Newton’s breakdown of 1693. This has been attributed to mercurialism or paranoid psychosis. The more likely explanation is depression or bipolar disorder. Personality factors are also critical in understanding Newton; he had a troubled upbringing and problems in relating to others. The latter enabled him to focus exclusively on his research and experiments and may have contributed to his greatness. Originality/value – The authors have brought to bear their insights as a professional historian and as a clinical psychologist, giving this paper a unique perspective from previous uni-disciplinary reviews.

Recovery heroes ‐ a profile of Peter Chadwick

In the first paper in this short series (Sen et al, 2009), we talked about the importance of having ‘recovery heroes’. There is a grave danger to the whole recovery movement if it is colonised by mental health professionals and not owned by service users themselves (OHagan, 2008). This danger can be seen in attempts to conduct randomised controlled trials of ‘recovery interventions’, designed by professionals, who want to bring recovery practice into evidence‐based medicine. If it means anything, recovery is fundamentally an individual process. The recent Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health report (Shepherd et al, 2008), quotes Bill Anthony:‘Recovery … is a deeply personal, unique process of changing ones attitudes … involves the development of new meaning and purpose in ones life …’ (Anthony, 1993)Patricia Deegan also emphasises the person‐centred focus of recovery, ‘… recovery is an attitude, a stance, a way of approaching the days challenges …’ (Deegan, 1996, p96). The most important evidence, to ou...

Recovery heroes from the past: Charles Dickens: “It was the best of times it was the worst of times,” (Dickens, 2003).

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a profile of the novelist Charles Dickens. Design/methodology/approach Several biographies and articles about the life of Charles Dickens were examined, to see if there was evidence that he experienced mental health problems. Findings While Dickens has been acclaimed for his ability to authentically portray the living conditions of the poor in nineteenth century Britain, there is comparatively little historical record of the fact that he may have experienced bipolar disorder. This paper suggests that he displayed many of the characteristic symptoms of bipolar. Research limitations/implications The story of Dickens own childhood is an amazing example of personal resilience. It no doubt enhanced the quality of his writing, but it may also have “sown the seeds” of a later mental illness. Practical implications So much attention has been focussed on the colourful characters from Dickens novels, but little on the problems of the man himself. Originality/value G...

Remarkable lives: Suzanne Rogerson in conversation with Jerome Carson

Purpose n n n n nThe purpose of this paper is to provide a profile of Suzanne Rogerson. n n n n nDesign/methodology/approach n n n n nSuzanne provides a short summary of her life and is then interviewed by Jerome. n n n n nFindings n n n n nSuzanne tells us about the suicide of her father and how for years she was unable to discuss this, before discovering she was probably suffering from complicated grief. n n n n nResearch limitations/implications n n n n nSingle case studies are just that. One person’s story. However they offer us insights into suffering that cannot be glimpsed from large research studies. n n n n nPractical implications n n n n nThe stigma attached to suicide means that people often avoid talking about it. The surviving relative is thus left to carry this enormous burden on their own. n n n n nSocial implications n n n n nSuzanne draws attention to the documentary made by Professor Green, about his attempts to understand what made his own father take his life. Programmes like this can help demystify the issues surrounding suicide. n n n n nOriginality/value n n n n nPeople sometimes dismissively talk about psychology students choosing the subject as they want to understand themselves and their own pathology. For Suzanne this was a liberating process.