Gathering Personal Stories -

New Resources

We are delighted to add two new items on gathering personal stories of recovery:

1. 'Gathering and Publishing Personal Stories' by Julie Leibrich
(Extracts from 'A Gift of Stories: discovering how to deal with mental illness')

At the time that Julie developed and edited 'A Gift of Stories', she was Commissioner, Mental Health Commission, Wellington, New Zealand.

She has very kindly given us permission to make available her own Introduction and Reflections from her book. It was the inspiration for many of the collections of recovery stories that have appeared since, including the collection, 'Beyond the Storms, Reflections on Personal Recovery in Devon'.

'A Gift of Stories' is available for purchase online.

Glenn Roberts has provided a Preface, in which he writes:

"Julie Leibrich set the standard and pointed the way for many of us when, in 1999, she led publication of, 'A Gift of Stories: discovering how to deal with mental illness.' There have been personal accounts of mental illness and the struggle for recovery before but this was new and special in representing a collaborative endeavour between the people offering their stories and the compilers and publishers, with the overall intent that the book would be a source of hope and guidance to others - and it was.

More than 10 years later it remains the model and sets the standard for others to follow not only because of its attractive format and engaging contents but also because of the guiding values and respect it embodies for all its contributors and those who offer their stories as a gift to others."

2. 'Exploring Personal Narratives -
     Choosing to Share Stories of Personal Recovery From Mental Illness'

This leaflet from Recovery Devon invites you to submit your own story of recovery and offers guidance on how to do so. 

'Many people struggle to overcome mental health difficulties. One in four of us will experience some form of mental illness at some point in our lives.

Recovery is possible. When we can choose a more meaningful life, even when we still have occasional or ongoing difficulties, we feel more in control.
This gives us strength and gives hope to others.

Often small details, and people who take special care, make a big difference.
We want to help people wishing to tell their own stories.'

Mental Health Recovery Heroes

Past and Present

by Sophie Davies, Elizabeth Wakely, Sarah Morgan
and Jerome Carson

Geoff Shepherd, in the Foreword, says of this book:
"It deserves to reach the widest possible audience: mental health professionals - both qualified and in training - managers, commissioners, policy makers, service users and carers."

It is a rich panorama of the diverse experience involved in personal recovery and an evocation of how our difficulties become part of us. They are also part of what makes us who and what we are, which leads to what we have and have to contribute to others too.

We are happy to be able to give you a 'taster' of the book:
Chapter 7, 'Dolly Sen'.

The book is available for purchase online.

We will publish a full review shortly.

Glenn Roberts at IMHREC, 2009

Steps towards the development of
recovery oriented practice, practitioners and services

Dr. Glenn Roberts gave the Key Note Address below at the Irish Mental Health & Recovery Education Consortium Conference, Red Cow Moran Hotel, Dublin, on 26th March 2009.

Glenn gave a resumé of how the Recovery Movement has developed and how it is being implemented today.

We are delighted to be able to make this video available on our website again.

How can medication be used

in support of Recovery?

The views and experiences of people taking medication,
carers and workers

Download the full report here.

Recovery Devon is proud to publish this report by Elina Baker, Louise Bovingdon, Tina Campbell, Jason Fee, Elaine Hewis, Danny Lewis, Lesley Mahoney & Glenn Roberts. It is the result of a partnership between people in recovery, mental health workers and carers.

Read more: How can medication be used in support of Recovery