Well, I made it home. Roads were virtually empty and did it in almost record time. Shame I missed the wedding but as it will be replayed for days to come I can catch up.
So what of my adventures? From a culinary perspective it has been great. Spanish tapas http://www.london-eating.co.uk/39219.htm in London; Bangladeshi Kushboo in Hertfordshire; Moroccan tapas in Canterbury; a hog roast at Brabourne Lees at another wedding yesterday; and who can resist a quick Pad Thai on my return.
It has been fun. Saw loads of old friends too. The great news is that I'm still on holiday until Tuesday. Will have to start cooking again tomorrow.
No news from the mad world. I actually try to avoid it whilst away but I did get an amazing book review on Amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/1849913951/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1 . Once you read it you will realise how good I feel about that. Don't know who wrote it but she is most welcome with her review. It seems some people want me to write a sequel!
I Heard a Voice.
Friday 29 April 2011
Wednesday 20 April 2011
Beef Dripping-How Terribly British!
Last night, as I try to do most Tuesday nights, I attended a pub quiz. Normally we have four of us in our team. Not entirely sure that any of us phenomenally bright but as a team we usually do quite well. We add different areas of knowledge which always helps; individually each of us would fail miserably. Collectively we do okay. And last night we won.
Sometimes, rather than fritter away the money, I use is towards having a nice meal. So at lunch time today I headed off to a local Chinese restaurant for a quick lunch. Wish I hadn't bothered-bland, overcooked and horrible. So how to make up for that? Stocks are low as I'm going away on Saturday but I had one item of sheer decadence-beef dripping! My Doctor will shoot me for using it, and in truth I rarely do, but what results, Heaven! Never done bacon and eggs in it before but will definitely try it again.
It is terribly British so I'm told. In Gascony they use goose fat. In Sri Lanka coconut oil. Parts of the Indian subcontinent favour mustard oil. All are great. But sometimes my gastronomic tours come home! I rarely eat fish-too many memories of being ill-but rumour has it fish and chips in beef dripping is amazing!
Anyway, away from food. What about the mad world? Well my mad world is currently deluged with amazing responses to my book. Keep getting messages saying it is so hard to put down people are struggling to get on with things they need to do. All great to hear if probably not true.
But I did something today to try to raise the profile. I sent it of to http://www.madnessandliterature.org/ for review. Here's hoping it works out!
One more day of work then holiday. London on Friday then Kent at the weekend. Can't wait!
I Heard a Voice.
Sometimes, rather than fritter away the money, I use is towards having a nice meal. So at lunch time today I headed off to a local Chinese restaurant for a quick lunch. Wish I hadn't bothered-bland, overcooked and horrible. So how to make up for that? Stocks are low as I'm going away on Saturday but I had one item of sheer decadence-beef dripping! My Doctor will shoot me for using it, and in truth I rarely do, but what results, Heaven! Never done bacon and eggs in it before but will definitely try it again.
It is terribly British so I'm told. In Gascony they use goose fat. In Sri Lanka coconut oil. Parts of the Indian subcontinent favour mustard oil. All are great. But sometimes my gastronomic tours come home! I rarely eat fish-too many memories of being ill-but rumour has it fish and chips in beef dripping is amazing!
Anyway, away from food. What about the mad world? Well my mad world is currently deluged with amazing responses to my book. Keep getting messages saying it is so hard to put down people are struggling to get on with things they need to do. All great to hear if probably not true.
But I did something today to try to raise the profile. I sent it of to http://www.madnessandliterature.org/ for review. Here's hoping it works out!
One more day of work then holiday. London on Friday then Kent at the weekend. Can't wait!
I Heard a Voice.
Thursday 14 April 2011
A Voice Heard From the Wilderness
What a day it was on Tuesday! Only just recovering now. Wanted to post before but no energy so have waited until tonight. Quietly at home with a beer and Mozart. Nothing interesting on the food front-will attend to that tomorrow.
So to the great launch. I first became ill very suddenly on 16th June 1990. Whilst I have had my illness more or less under control since September 2001 there has always been a burning desire to wrote a brutally honest account of my illness, or more specific the appalling treatment I received under the System. I actually completed "A Pillar of Impotence" in 2005. Thinking it was most unlikely ever to be publish I decided to have a party to celebrate whatever the outcome may be. That took place on 1st April 2005 in Bar Vasa, Sandgate, Kent. That was one hell of a party that is still fondly remembered.
I then spent the next 6 years having my silence kept by wave after wave of rejection. There were false dawns but nothing ever panned out. That was until I switched to plan B, Chipmunkapublishing. This is a social enterprise which specialises in helping people like me tell their stories. As you may have seen earlier in the blog that it came out at the end of January.
But the real launch was on Tuesday 12th April. And on that day I finally arrived, 6 years and 11 days after the finish party.
If you know me, you will know that I relish public speaking. In fact it is extremely hard to shut me up, especially when I talk about mental health. But Tuesday was very different. I rarely speak with notes and pretty much had all I was going to say etched in my mind.
Then my manager spoke so eloquently of the book that she read over one weekend. After that, for the first time in years I was lost for words. They tell me what I did say was both moving and eloquent. In reality I forgot most of it. But I did get through.
Nearly 70 people came and I was utterly overwhelmed not only by the numbers but the extraordinary generosity of people's comments. I retired to the pub after utterly shattered! Hence having only recovered today.
All the books I had are now sold or promised. Amazon only has one left so if you are interested go to the link below:
http://chipmunkapublishing.co.uk/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=1801
There is also an amazing review on that site:
http://chipmunkapublishing.co.uk/shop/index.php?main_page=product_reviews_info&products_id=1517&reviews_id=1005 .
And so back to reality. But at least it is the weekend tomorrow. More soon.
I Heard a Voice.
So to the great launch. I first became ill very suddenly on 16th June 1990. Whilst I have had my illness more or less under control since September 2001 there has always been a burning desire to wrote a brutally honest account of my illness, or more specific the appalling treatment I received under the System. I actually completed "A Pillar of Impotence" in 2005. Thinking it was most unlikely ever to be publish I decided to have a party to celebrate whatever the outcome may be. That took place on 1st April 2005 in Bar Vasa, Sandgate, Kent. That was one hell of a party that is still fondly remembered.
I then spent the next 6 years having my silence kept by wave after wave of rejection. There were false dawns but nothing ever panned out. That was until I switched to plan B, Chipmunkapublishing. This is a social enterprise which specialises in helping people like me tell their stories. As you may have seen earlier in the blog that it came out at the end of January.
But the real launch was on Tuesday 12th April. And on that day I finally arrived, 6 years and 11 days after the finish party.
If you know me, you will know that I relish public speaking. In fact it is extremely hard to shut me up, especially when I talk about mental health. But Tuesday was very different. I rarely speak with notes and pretty much had all I was going to say etched in my mind.
Then my manager spoke so eloquently of the book that she read over one weekend. After that, for the first time in years I was lost for words. They tell me what I did say was both moving and eloquent. In reality I forgot most of it. But I did get through.
Nearly 70 people came and I was utterly overwhelmed not only by the numbers but the extraordinary generosity of people's comments. I retired to the pub after utterly shattered! Hence having only recovered today.
All the books I had are now sold or promised. Amazon only has one left so if you are interested go to the link below:
http://chipmunkapublishing.co.uk/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=1801
There is also an amazing review on that site:
http://chipmunkapublishing.co.uk/shop/index.php?main_page=product_reviews_info&products_id=1517&reviews_id=1005 .
And so back to reality. But at least it is the weekend tomorrow. More soon.
I Heard a Voice.
Tuesday 12 April 2011
My Voice is Heard.
Today is a very big day for me. The book I conceived so many years ago and completed in 2005 will be offically launch at the University of Hertfordshire today. My voice will finally be heard! It has been a very long time in coming.
More here soon on the launch.
I Heard a Voice
More here soon on the launch.
I Heard a Voice
Thursday 7 April 2011
A Medication Explosion!
It has been a long day. Spent much of it catching up on my notes-I've been miles behind for weeks-and sorting out the final touches for book launch on Tuesday. Lots of people hoping to come-I fear I will run out of books. Also went to very interesting talk on Palestine. I had planned to go to an evening event as well, but feeling somewhat tired so I decided to go home at the normal time. Big mistake-it took me nearly an hour to drive 6 miles through inexplicable gridlock.
But home I am now, refreshed by some fine Thai BBQ ribs which have been marinading in my fridge since last night, and nice cold beer-time for a post.
Today the BBC decided to make it known that prescriptions for SSRIs in the UK are up 43% since 2007. Perhaps what we would expect in a recession. Suicide rates locally have rocketed in that same time period but remain low compared to other parts of the country. But I ask the question, how on earth does prozac help with people's financial problems? It doesn't!
I've been on anti depressants since July 1991. Now that is a long time. I have been through virtually anything that was on the market in the 1990s. None have had any impact on my mood. Only risperidone affected any change in me. But my old tricyclic anti depressant does serve a purpose for me; I can't sleep without it.
Judging by evidence I have collected over the years many people will be disappointed in the failure of such drugs. They don't always solve the problem but if they help take them.
The story is on the following link:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12986314
More soon.
I Heard a Voice.
But home I am now, refreshed by some fine Thai BBQ ribs which have been marinading in my fridge since last night, and nice cold beer-time for a post.
Today the BBC decided to make it known that prescriptions for SSRIs in the UK are up 43% since 2007. Perhaps what we would expect in a recession. Suicide rates locally have rocketed in that same time period but remain low compared to other parts of the country. But I ask the question, how on earth does prozac help with people's financial problems? It doesn't!
I've been on anti depressants since July 1991. Now that is a long time. I have been through virtually anything that was on the market in the 1990s. None have had any impact on my mood. Only risperidone affected any change in me. But my old tricyclic anti depressant does serve a purpose for me; I can't sleep without it.
Judging by evidence I have collected over the years many people will be disappointed in the failure of such drugs. They don't always solve the problem but if they help take them.
The story is on the following link:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12986314
More soon.
I Heard a Voice.
Sunday 3 April 2011
A Busy Week
I return after something of an absence-I'm back! Much has gone on since I last came on here and most of it has been good. The last week in particular has been quite intense.
On Wednesday I had the great privilege of delivering a lecture to the Islamic University-Gaza on mental health recovery. No I didn't travel there-I'm told it is very hard to get a visa-but rather worked on videolink for the first time. A truly memorable experience despite the translation breaks an interruption by 3 of the most senior people in MH in Gaza. Went really well and came away buzzing.
Thursday took me to a conference at Hatfield House. Never been there before-most beautiful. It was an interesting day but we spent much of it trying to reinvent the mental health/employment wheel and realising that there is way too much duplication going on. The odd thing is that no one dared raise the question of where are the job for service users to go to? Perhaps people were too scared to ask. Had two lovely ladies from DWP there talking about benefits-I asked a searching but not too scary question of them.
But the point remains, who is going to employ all these people deemed "fit for work"? You never know with our cuts in funding, maybe I will join them soon!
Completing my marathon week I travelled to Birmingham on Friday to speak a conference on wellbeing for staff in the HEI sector. Went very well, just wasn't too impressed with the 5.45 am get up!
So after all that it has been a weekend. Friend visiting, lots of cooking and a couple of trips to the pub. Went to watch some American Football this afternoon but the home team were so bad I gave up at half time!
Back home now doing the washing and slow roasting some belly pork-Sundays were made for the latter!
I Heard a Voice.
On Wednesday I had the great privilege of delivering a lecture to the Islamic University-Gaza on mental health recovery. No I didn't travel there-I'm told it is very hard to get a visa-but rather worked on videolink for the first time. A truly memorable experience despite the translation breaks an interruption by 3 of the most senior people in MH in Gaza. Went really well and came away buzzing.
Thursday took me to a conference at Hatfield House. Never been there before-most beautiful. It was an interesting day but we spent much of it trying to reinvent the mental health/employment wheel and realising that there is way too much duplication going on. The odd thing is that no one dared raise the question of where are the job for service users to go to? Perhaps people were too scared to ask. Had two lovely ladies from DWP there talking about benefits-I asked a searching but not too scary question of them.
But the point remains, who is going to employ all these people deemed "fit for work"? You never know with our cuts in funding, maybe I will join them soon!
Completing my marathon week I travelled to Birmingham on Friday to speak a conference on wellbeing for staff in the HEI sector. Went very well, just wasn't too impressed with the 5.45 am get up!
So after all that it has been a weekend. Friend visiting, lots of cooking and a couple of trips to the pub. Went to watch some American Football this afternoon but the home team were so bad I gave up at half time!
Back home now doing the washing and slow roasting some belly pork-Sundays were made for the latter!
I Heard a Voice.
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