Don’t Pity Me: Psychosis Gave Me Mad Skills
As everyone who watched BBC Horizon’s documentary ‘Why Did I Go Mad?’ can attest, I’ve struggled with some pretty intense things: hearing voices, seeing visions, paranoia and the legacy of childhood trauma. Despite spending much of my early twenties in hospital, doped up to the eyeballs with strong medication, pity really is the last thing […]
VT. Me as an ‘inspirational mom’ diagnosed with schizophrenia
World Mental Health Awareness Week can, for many of us, provoke a range of responses (from bored, irritated to offended as people promote the idea of it being ‘good to talk’ without mentioning the massive investment and culture changed needed in our health and social care systems to ensure this isn’t simply a platitude to […]
BBC Radio 2: Talking about hearing voices with Jeremy Vine
A few weeks after the New Statesman article came out, I was approached by the Jeremy Vine show. They were hoping to speak to me as part of a feature around hearing voices. This was my third time on the show, but the first where I had to take part via phone rather than being […]
Hearing Voices: A Relational Approach
Whilst it’s being increasingly recognised that hearing voices is a relatively common human experience that is not necessarily linked to distress or illness, this fact may be little comfort to those who are struggling with distressing and overwhelming voices. Based on the non-pathologising approach of the Hearing Voices Movement, this workshop explores ways in which […]
‘Believing me is crucial’: How to talk to somebody who is hearing voices
An article by Lucy Nichol that appeared in The Metro on Sunday 20th May 2018. There’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 […]
BBC Why Factor: Why do people hear voices?
I spoke with the Why Factor, along with Rufus May, Elisabeth Svanholmer, Peter Bullimore, Angela Woods and many others, to explore some common questions about hearing voices. The show was intended for people who don’t know much about the topic, but may carry some stereotypes or ideas that aren’t so accurate. For me, the ‘why’ […]
Healthista: Living with ‘Schizophrenia’
This World Mental Health Day the folks at Healthista asked me if I’d be interviewed talking about what it’s like to live with ‘schizophrenia’. This was a strange request as one of the things I’m most vocal about is that the language of mental illness is part of what stripped me of my autonomy and […]
Radio Times: The Voices in My Head
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 Rachel 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 […]
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 […]
Online training – new 8 week courses (October)
Whenever I advertise training courses, I often hear from people in other parts of the country / world expressing their frustration that this approach to hearing voices isn’t available in their local area. Online training has always struck me as a really neat solution to this issue … but until recently I’ve always been stumped […]
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