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‘Believing me is crucial’: How to talk to somebody who is hearing voices

20 May 2018, in The Metro

An article by Lucy Nichol that appeared in The Metro on Sunday 20th May 2018.

HeadphonesThere’s definitely a lack of understanding around the idea of psychosis. In fact, the word itself carries certain connotations that many find unhelpful and often distressing.

But we don’t have to use that word if it doesn’t seem to fit with the experience that friends or loved ones are going through. And we don’t have to feel frightened if somebody we know is hearing voices.

Hearing voices can be terrifying for people. But it isn’t always so. And if the person experiencing the voice, vision, belief or feeling isn’t terrified, then why on earth should anyone else be scared? Continue reading “‘Believing me is crucial’: How to talk to somebody who is hearing voices”

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Self Harm Workshops – Leicester 12 Feb 2018

About the workshop

Self Harm Training FlyerMonday 12 February 2018, 10.00am – 4.30pm
@ Courtyard Room, LCB Depot*, 31 Rutland Street, Leicester, LE1 1RE

Continue reading “Self Harm Workshops – Leicester 12 Feb 2018”

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Developing Support for Young People who Hear Voices in the North East

Ted wearing headphonesWhilst hearing voices is a relatively common experience in childhood adolescence, affecting around 1 in 5 11-13 year olds, 8% of older teens and 23% of CAMHS clients aged 12-16, it remains an experience that can be difficult to speak about.

For many this experience is either transient or doesn’t cause a problem. It may provide comfort during a time of stress. For others, though, the voices can be overwhelming and be a signal of issues that need additional support. Continue reading “Developing Support for Young People who Hear Voices in the North East”

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Working with Self Harm: A Fresh Approach (December – Kent)

About the workshop

Self Harm Training FlyerThursday 21 December, 9.30 – 4.30pm
@ Augustine House, CCCU Library, Rhodaus Town, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 2YA.

Whilst there is a growing awareness of the prevalence of self-harm, it remains a challenging area for many who are trying to support those who use it as a survival strategy and/or means of expressing difficult feelings.

This workshop will provide a space for anyone who is involved in supporting people who self-harm to develop a greater understanding of the experience, their own reactions and ways of talking with someone about their self-harm without fearing making matters worse. Continue reading “Working with Self Harm: A Fresh Approach (December – Kent)”

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BBC Horizon: Why Did I Go Mad?

BBC and Various News Sources

This week I was one of three contributors with personal experience of things that often get called ‘psychosis’ (hearing voices, seeing visions and paranoia) on the BBC Documentary ‘Why Did I Go Mad?’. The title, suggested by one of Jacqui Dillon’s voices, was deliberately provocative in order to challenge what we mean by madness and – ultimately – show that there is a great deal of sense and context in those experiences often dismissed as ‘mad’. The challenge is that we don’t always get to hear those stories.

Rai and The Not YetsWhilst the documentary provided a whistlestop tour around a range of ideas and approaches, it was great to show that it can be OK to talk to voices (via the inherently relational ‘Talking with Voices’ approach or the hi-tec Avatar Therapy). More than this, it showed that a range of life experiences can be bound up with our experience of voices, visions, distressing beliefs or psychosis. This may not sound groundbreaking to many who read my blog, yet for a mainstream BBC programme – it was.

In the coming weeks I’ll write more about the process of filming it and my reflections on the varying reactions I have witnessed. For now, I’ll simply share the documentary itself (which can be viewed on iPlayer this month) and a range of reviews so you can judge for yourself.

PhoenixAlso – i’m running a 1 day event with the amazing Jacqui Dillon in July entitled: Making Sense of Madness – An emancipatory approach. If you want to find out more, see: www.madness-london.eventbrite.co.uk.

Why Did I Go Mad? BBC Horizon

You can watch this programme on iPlayer during May 2017: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08pltgy

Media Appearances

The following are some of the TV, radio and magazine appearances Jacqui and I engaged in around the documentary.

BBC Breakfast

Jacqui and I headed up to Media City to appear on BBC Breakfast. An interesting experience, it was good to think about people hearing a fresh approach to hearing voices whilst eating their cornflakes. The main message – voices can have meaning, and people can find many ways of living with them.

Radio 5Live

Jacqui and I woke up early on Tuesday 2 May and spoke with 5Live hosts Rachel Burden and Nicky Campbell about hearing voices.

Radio BBC London

Luke Mendham (episode producer) and I spoke about the documentary, psychosis and hearing voices on BBC London’s Drivetime.

Radio BBC Solent

Surrounding Press – Reactions & Reviews

BBC Radio 4 Thought for The Day: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p051xd21

New Statesman: www.newstatesman.com/culture/tv-radio/2017/05/what-causes-psychosis-horizon-why-did-i-go-mad-tries-help-us-understand

The Times: www.thetimes.co.uk/article/horizon-why-did-i-go-mad-peter-kays-car-share-2372wzc0d

Radio Times: http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2017-05-02/whats-it-like-to-battle-with-a-dozen-people-talking-inside-your-head

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Making Sense of Madness: An emancipatory approach

7 July 2017, 10 am – 4.30pm, registration from 9.30am

Hackney House, 25-27 Curtain Road, Hackney, London, EC2A 3LT

https://madness-london.eventbrite.co.uk

This unique, one day event, featuring Jacqui Dillon and Rai Waddingham (recently featured on BBC Horizon: Why Did I Go Mad?), explores experiences often dismissed as symptoms of serious mental illness: voices, visions, paranoia, unusual beliefs and altered states, and reframes them as understandable human responses to adversity.

Drawing from personal and professional experiences of madness, healing and recovery, combined with emerging innovative research findings, Jacqui and Rai present an emancipatory approach to understanding and working with distressing experiences that prioritises respect, personal meaning, self-determination and liberation.

Download: Making Sense of Madness Flyer

It includes:

  • Understanding ‘mad’ experiences
  • Exploring factors that can contribute to and shape distress
  • Alternatives to diagnosis – moving beyond the illness model
  • Respectful ways of helping people in distress
  • Strategies to survive and thrive

This day is suitable for:

  • Anyone interested in understanding more about madness, creativity and the complex spectrum of human experience
  • Those involved in supporting another human beinga – whether this is as a friend, ally, family member, colleague, mental health professional, teacher, therapist, social worker, voluntary sector worker, manager or spiritual advisor
  • All those with lived experience of madness and distress

Fees:

  • Unwaged: £10
  • Low Waged Self-Funding: £50
  • Voluntary Sector & Self Funding: £90
  • Statutory & Commercial: £125

Please get in touch if you’re in a difficult financial position – we may be able to help.

Register:

https://madness-london.eventbrite.co.uk

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Radio Times: The Voices in My Head

25 April 2017, in Radio Times

What’s it like to battle with a dozen people talking inside your head? Rachel Waddingham tells her remarkable story.

By Moya Sarner, published in Radio Times

Radio Times ArticleRachel Waddingham sits cross-legged on the sofa and, with the enthusiasm of a children’s TV presenter, talks about travelling the world, the Masters degree she’s doing in psychology and her part-time job in the NHS working with people in crisis.

She doesn’t strike you as someone who has been labelled schizophrenic.

Aged 39 and married to Joel, Rachel says: “My life feels mostly awesome. I get stunned by it sometimes, all the little mosaic pieces. I still struggle a lot, and I’ve got a lot to understand about the things I go through. It’s not like I’m super-wise – but maybe, one day, I will be.” Continue reading “Radio Times: The Voices in My Head”

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Research: Young People who Hear Voices & Open Dialogue

In recent years I have taken a step into research – consulting on other people’s studies (e.g. Hearing the Voice at Durham University), taking part in research committees (e.g. Open Dialogue, Intervoice) and undertaking my own research.

You can find my Researchgate profile here: www.researchgate.net/profile/Rachel_Waddingham

I am currently recruiting participants for two studies:

  • Exploring and engaging with the perspectives of people who have substantial criticisms of Open Dialogue
  • Exploring experiences of disclosure and non-disclosure amongst young adolescents who hear voices

If you know of anyone who may be interested in taking part, please share the following information with them. Continue reading “Research: Young People who Hear Voices & Open Dialogue”

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They Heard Voices: Screening and discussion

An independent documentary by Jonathan Balazs looking at the Hearing Voices movement & the schizophrenia label

Film imageOn Thursday 27th April from 6.30pm at Kennedy Lecture Theatre (UCL Institute of Child Health), I’ll be joining a panel to discuss a screening of  ‘They Heard Voices’ … a documentary I contributed to.

This screening is hosted by Mind in Camden, and the following information is taken from their site. If you want to find out more, check out their eventbrite page.

An “illness” with no “cure”, the label schizophrenia has persisted for over a century. This film offers multiple perspectives. Is schizophrenia hard science? Or an arbitrary, catch-all term with no real meaning? The film presents a series of wide-ranging interviews with voice hearers, medical historians, anthropologists and psychiatrists from Britain and America, presenting different people’s views side-by-side. The result is a tapestry of contrasting colours.

Continue reading “They Heard Voices: Screening and discussion”

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‘Open Dialogue in the NHS’ Seminars in March

Over the past three years there has been significant development of the Open Dialogue approach from Western Lapland in the NHS and in public mental health services internationally. Open Dialogue UK has been working for the past four years to further this development, and 10 NHS trusts are now represented on one of their two training programmes (largely teams from Early Intervention in Psychosis and Crisis/Home Treatment services).

Over the course of 6 days in March 2017, I’ll be travelling alongside a variety of NHS professionals and Nick Putman (founder of Open Dialogue UK) across the UK to introduce the work we’re doing to develop the Open Dialogue approach. All of these practitioners are participating in one of the Open Dialogue UK training programmes. The following professions will be represented at this event, either in person, or via video footage: psychiatry, psychology, psychotherapy, nursing, social work and peer support. Continue reading “‘Open Dialogue in the NHS’ Seminars in March”

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