Issue 3 (October 2005)
The Eccentric
Times is supported by Bucks Mind (a Mental Health charity), although
the
views expressed within are not necessarily their own.
GET OUT!
…And live
by
Adam Makeham
One of the saddest things for people living with mental illness
is that, at times, it can be so isolating and lonely; I know this from
personal experience. There was a period where I was living in another
part of the country where I felt very low. The reason for this was I
felt like I was on my own, I had no friends and nobody to turn to.
I felt so lonely and depressed; I didn’t know anybody and
would just walk about the streets every day because I had nowhere else
to go. I would wander out at about 9 am and would only come home when
the shops started closing.
But since then I have moved and my life has improved a great
deal. The reason for this is because I managed to find day centres and
schemes specifically designed for mental health service users.
Through these places I have made a lot of friends. I have also
now made friends outside of the mental health system, but it is still
nice to have people who have experienced what I have been through and
can understand and support me in the day-to-day issues I face now.
Attending day centres and workshops has enabled me to be a part
of my own little community. Within this community I can feel more safe
and secure, with people who will not judge me because of my problems.
Getting out there and going to these places has helped me
tremendously. If I had just stayed at home I would have just got bored
and depressed like I was before. By going to these places I actually
get to go out and meet people.
Another thing that’s good about these places is that they
bring a
bit of structure to my week, giving me somewhere to go and things to
do. That being said though, I also appreciate the flexibility with
which these services operate. I’m not under pressure to get
in at
any specific time like I would be if I were working.
Looking back now, it wasn’t so much where I was living that
was the problem, but not knowing who to ask to point me in the right
direction of services that were suitable for me.
So if you’re a mental health sufferer who feels lonely and
isolated, try and ask your psychiatric nurse or any other mental health
professional about what services there are in your local area.
If you’re the kind of person who gets nervous about trying
out
new places, then try and ease yourself in gradually. Maybe do an hour
or two a week, get to know the people and then see where you go from
there.
Me & My Paranoia
by
Paul Nelson
My paranoia used to be a lot worse than it is now, or maybe
it’s just that I’ve just learned to manage it
better. Take
the following two examples; from the past and another from the present.
I
was walking down an alleyway when I heard a man call out
“you w****r, ha ha ha”. Obviously it was directed
at me; it
felt like a punch hitting me at full force. It was too much,
I’d
had far too much of this kind of abuse over the years. People staring
at me wherever I went and making barbed comments. So I leaned over the
fence and bellowed “say that to my face you ****”.
He
looked confused and shocked. After he explained that he was saying it
to his friend as a joke, I did feel foolish, and a little scared. What
if I’d punched someone’s lights out over such a
misunderstanding?
A month ago a herd of schoolgirls were walking down my street and
one of them said something ending with “you fat ugly
b*****d.” My instant reaction was to think to myself
“If I
walk away from this it remains her problem, not mine.” This I
did, feeling smug and safe.
Paranoia is scary. It feels sometimes like people read my mind,
I’m always on guard against hostility, whether it be verbal,
physical or psychic.
Today, waiting for a friend in the bus station, a hippy type guy
was looking at me, as was a schoolgirl and a middle-aged lady. I
practised relaxation throughout my body, thought of the martial art
moves I might use on the chap. I ignored the teenager and smiled at the
middle-aged woman. Yes, smiled! I have found that to be excellent
therapy. It winds up aggressors and placates the innocent.
Choosing to focus on something else is also helpful, as it helps
me choose the mood I want to be experiencing. I am aware of the
paranoia, but choose to experience life differently than as a victim.
After making plans for surviving physical aggression, I just let go and
flow with the relaxation. It’s the best strategy I can come
up
with for handling paranoia. Having practised Wing Chun kung fu five
years ago I felt confident for the first time in my life and the
knowledge gained still helps me today.
Of course I still experience paranoia, often severely, and I
sympathise with other sufferers, I just refuse to let it rule my life
nowadays.
Moving On
(or Just Walking Around In Circles?)
by
Tony Rickman
A phrase I tend to hear a bit too often these days is “moving
on”. Professionals in the mental health system are keen that
they’re seen to be moving us on to the next stage,
progressing to
something that they deem to be better.
Personally I’m all in favour of self-development, and helping
people to move onwards and upwards, but serious questions need to be
asked first. To start with: what is this next step? More importantly,
what is the final step? It is, of course, full-time employment. Of
course most of us would love to go back to full-time work,
it’s
something that I’m aiming for myself (update –
since
writing this article several months ago I have now achieved this aim),
but for some this is not a realistic prospect.
Stepping back into a full–time job for a vulnerable person
can feel a bit like stepping into the Lion’s Den. For most of
us
there is no magic cure for our mental illness, just appropriate ways to
cope with our problems and live day to day as best we can, and
therefore it is vital that we don’t step back into jobs that
are
going to aggravate our conditions.
Every job has its own individual stresses and strains, and there
are some people in the mental health system who are too emotionally
traumatised to be able to cope with this properly. And also
it’s
all such a lottery on who you’re going to be working with,
there
is almost no way of knowing if these people are going to make your
condition worse.
And if you get ill again after six months in your job
then there’s a mountain of paperwork you have to go through
to
get back on the benefits you were on before, and that’s the
last
thing you need if you’re in that state.
It seems now that mental health professionals only really see day
centres as a temporary step in the individual’s
“rehabilitation”. I strongly disagree with that.
These
centres act as their own little communities and help service users have
meaningful interaction with other people who understand their problems
in a way that the outside world never can. “Social
therapy”
I call it, because sometimes it can go some way to making up for the
inadequacies in the individual’s treatment.
I think many professionals see the next step from day centres is
getting a voluntary job to prepare you for an eventual return to
full-time work.
Again I think getting voluntary work is a great idea
for some, but it doesn’t work for everyone. Some of the more
vulnerable service users will need constant supervision or they will
get panicky, not every place is willing to provide that level of
support.
And voluntary work should not be a replacement for day centres,
merely a supplement to them. Sadly there are some people in the mental
health system “for the long haul”, and the role of
the
professionals responsible for them should be to ensure that they
achieve or stay in a relatively good state of mind by going to places
like day centres to help enrich their quality of life.
There is a reason why the phrase “moving on” keeps
coming out of the mouths of mental health professionals, that reason is
statistics. These workers, under pressure by the government to show
that they’re performing, are discharging patients and trying
to
send them back into full-time work just so that they can meet targets.
I personally think that it’s a great tragedy when statistics
become more important than the people you’re supposed to be
helping.
There’s a well-known saying “You can lead a horse
to
water, but you can’t make him drink”. Well
it’s no
good pushing that same horse into the water and watching him drown, let
him drink at his own pace.
Tranquillised Tim
It’s funny how times change. When I was a lad the psychiatric
hospitals weren’t letting people out but nowadays
they’re
not even letting them in!
What I love most about the mental health system is some of
the
unexpected romances that blossom. I think it’s because
we’re less shallow than most people because with us
it’s
not about looks, it’s the split personality that counts.
What
I love about psychiatric medication is that I can blame my
weight-gain on my tablets and not the fifteen cakes I ate earlier that
day!
Why is it when Mediums hear voices they get paid loads of money,
whereas all I get for my voices is a repeat prescription from my
doctor?! Still there are some advantages; at least I’ll
always
have someone to talk to.
Another thing that annoys me about living on benefits is that
they keep sending me dozens of forms to fill out. I guess
it’s
their way of double-checking I’m still eligible for what
I’m receiving. Well I’m wise to their little
schemes,
that’s why when a form asks for my name I put “King
Percival IV”, which is my way of proving to them that
I’m
still crazy.
Special
Note
While we don’t want to be seen to be endorsing any
politician or political party, we wish to gratefully acknowledge Dr
Liam Fox’s comments regarding mental health in his
speech
at this year’s Conservative Party Conference. It is always
encouraging to see prominent political figures championing our cause
and wish to thank him for doing so.
About
The Eccentric Times
The Eccentric Times is a quarterly magazine written by the
members of Wings Support Centre, a social support centre in Aylesbury
for people with mental health problems.
The following people helped make this magazine possible:
Paul Nelson
Co-Editor
Tony Rickman
Co-Editor
Danya Day
Chief Tea Lady
Adam Makeham Senior Elvis Consultant
We would also like to thank Bucks Mind (especially Carolyn Smyth) for
their invaluable help with printing and distribution.
Comments
& Complaints
If you wish to contact us you can do at the following address:
The Eccentric Times
Bucks Mind (Wings)
4 Temple Street
Aylesbury
HP20 2RQ
E-mail:
[email protected]
We
may even include your letter in our next issue, but please
note that letters may be edited for the sake of space and clarity.
Please can you also mention where you saw the magazine.
Mailing
List
If you wish to be added to our postal or internet mailing list then
please contact us one of the above addresses.
