International Health Humanities Network Membership

I am a mental health journalist, librarian and musician. I had a diagnosis of 'manic depression' aged 21 and was in and out of psych hospitals most of my 20s, sometimes sectioned. I am now completely recovered for over 25 years, and have been medication free for that time too.  I have a postgrad diploma in library and information studies, three children and three jobs. 

I have a profound interest and passion around the field of mental distress, informed by my experiences as a young woman in acute wards and out. I believe passionately that today's model for 'treatment' (medical model)  is misguided, misinformed and not evidence based, and actually causes more harm than good.

I work with service users and ex service users producing a quarterly  magazine Equilibrium available at www.equilibriummag.blogspot.com or www.haringey.gov.uk/equilibrium.

My wish is to see major changes in how the emotionally distressed are helped to recover, and that we can break away from the chronicity model and discover recovery.