Voices of Experience contains a wide range of stories written by mental health survivors. The narratives illustrate how survivors have developed self-management techniques and strategies for living which, together, offer a guide to anybody struggling with 21st century life.

About the Editors. Contributors. 1. Introduction (Thurstine Basset and Theo Stickley). Poem: Recovery - Libby Jackson. 2. The Antidote to Madness: Crystallising out the Real Self (Peter Chadwick). Poem: But What is the Cause? - Libby Jackson. 3. Surviving the System (Peter Campbell). Poem: They Come and Go - Dave St. Clair. Poem: Fixing Dinner - Dave St. Clair. 4. Measuring the Marigolds (Alison Faulkner). Poem: The Tears I Cry - Mariyam Maule. 5. Coping Strategies and Fighting Stigma (Joy Pope0> Poem: Day by Day - Libby Jackson. 6. Living with the Dragon: The Long Road to Self-Management of Bipolar II (Peter Amsel). Poem: In Exile - Mariyam Maule. 7. Coping Strategies (Ruth Dee). Poem: Puppeteer - Esta Smith. 8. What's it Like Having a Nervous Breakdown? Can You Recover? (Laura Lea). Poem: A Journey beyond Silence - Mariyam Maule. 9. The Bridge of Sighs and the Bridge of Love: a Personal Pilgrimage (Peter Gilbert). Poem: Have You Ever Felt Lonely? - Dave St. Clair. Poem: He Saved My Bacon - Dave St. Clair. 10. The Holy Spirit - Healer, Advocate, Guide and Friend (Richard Lilly). Poem: Mist of Tears - Brice Jones. 11. CAPITAL Writings (Thomas France, Timothy Bird, Richard Love, Kay Phillpot, Howard Pearce, Clare Ockwell and Jude Smith). Poem: Nicely Nicely Nought - Martin Snape. Poem: Feel Easy-Fit - Martin Snape. 12. The Value of Self-Help/Peer Support (Caroline Bell, Sarah Collis and Joan Cook). Poem: The Clear Sky - Dave St. Clair. 13. A Recovery Approach in Mental Health Services: Transformation, Tokenism or Tyranny? (Premila Trivedi). Poem: To What Could Have Been - Mariyam Maule. 14. Stand to Reason (Jonathan Naess). Poem: I Am - Libby Jackson. 15. Walking with Dinosaurs (John Stuart Clark). Poem: Negatives and Positives - Libby Jackson. 16. Conclusions, Discussion and Ways Ahead (Thurstine Basset, Joan Cook and Theo Stickley). Poem: The Heart of Humankind - Mariyam Maule. Index.

"The book has much to offer therapists who counsel those recovering and their carers, although its primary target is other mental health professionals and researchers." (Therapy Today, 1 September 2011) "They would also read of the value of the support provided by others who demonstrate empathy and compassion. I highly recommend this book and am happy to say a copy is now available in UWE's Glenside library." (University of the West of England, 1 September 2011) "Appealing to both practitioners and patients, the book features stories and poems on surviving/recovering from mental illness, coping strategies, and recovery/discovery (the latter term preferred by some)." (Booknews, 1 February 2011) "One of the unique strengths of the book is that it straddles the usual divide between "professional" and "survivor" literature. Whilst the contributors are all service users or survivors, many are also workers or academics, and the thoughtful introduction relates the contributors' ideas to current debates... I would recommend this book to all service users, survivors, mental health workers and students." (Open Mind, July/August 2011) "This book is a collection of well-structured chapters by contributors who are well known in the field of mental health. One of its strengths is the strong focus on work generated by experts by experience, supported by a variety of academics and professionals working in the field. In addition, the book acknowledges a range of different disciplines that it might appeal to, fitting in with the wider multifactorial nature of health, and the increasing move towards partnership education and practice." (Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 2011)