Routledge Experiencing Psychosis: Personal and Professional Perspectives (The International Society for Psychological and Social Approaches to Psychosis Book Series)

Extensive scientific research has been conducted into understanding and learning more about psychotic experiences. However, in existing research the voice of subjective experience is rarely taken into consideration. In this book, first-person accounts are brought centre-stage and examined alongside current research to suggest how personal experience can contribute to professional understanding, and therefore the treatment, of psychosis. Experiencing Psychosis brings together a range of contributors who have either experienced psychosis on a personal level or conducted research into the topic. Chapters are presented in pairs providing information from both personal and research perspectives on specific aspects of psychosis including: hearing voices, delusional beliefs, and trauma as well as cultural, existential and spiritual issues. Experts from the field recognise that first and foremost psychosis is a human experience and that those who suffer from psychotic episodes must have some involvement in any genuine attempts to make sense of the experience. This book will be essential reading for all mental health professionals involved with psychosis. The accessible style and compelling personal histories will also attract service users and their families. Review "This is one of the most exciting, novel and important books I have read in a long time. It is ground-breaking and unique through the way it combines first-person accounts of, and reflections on psychosis with professional accounts, theory and research." - Anne Cooke, Department of Applied Psychology, Canterbury Christ Church University, UK "Congratulations to Jim Geekie and all the contributors to this very important and powerful document about understanding and treating people with serious mental illness. This book reminds us that we must recognize the personhood of every patient and try to understand the personal meaning of experiences such as hallucinations and delusions." - Dr Paul Fink, Past President, American Psychiatric Association "Experiencing Psychosis is a real eye opener when it comes to understanding psychosis from the personal perspectives of those who experience it. The book combines personal narratives, professional accounts, theory and research in a clear and coherent way. It takes the reader on a journey through the extraordinary human experience of what the medical model calls psychosis, and helps us to appreciate that in order to understand the symptoms of mental illness, it is not enough to just describe them but it is crucial to consider the personal, social, cultural and spiritual contexts in which the psychotic experiences take place." - Maria Tiina Lindholm-Ventola, Private Practice, Winter 2011 "This was an enlightening and inspiring read. I finished the book thinking that not enough emphasis is placed on the lived experience within our understanding of psychosis. This would be a useful introduction text for those wanting to develop an understanding of the psychotic experience regardless of professional modality. The perspectives of this would be of particular relevance to mental health professionals in training as well as those who have lost sight of the individual's voice in their practice." - Ciaran O'Driscoll, Journal of Mental Health (Vol. 22, No. 3) "Experiencing Psychosis challenges... attitudes by citing a wealth of overlooked by compelling evidence. It allows patients who have experienced psychosis to speak for themselves, educating us about the subjective realities of their symptoms and their beliefs about the causes of these, and spelling out what has been helpful in their recovery and what has not been. These patients constitute roughly half the book's authors; the other half are professionals who write companion research chapters." - Richard Waugaman, Psychoanalytic Quarterly (2013) About the Author Jim Geekie is a Clinical Psychologist working in the Early Psychosis Service at St Lu