10 of our most popular posts
Oh my goodness, it’s 2022! The year of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, and the 10th anniversary of the beautiful Wales Coastal Path - all 870 miles of it! And, as it happens, also the year in which we celebrate 10 years of the Powys Mental Health blog!This blog, which is managed by the mental health team at Powys Association of Voluntary Organisations, was originally set up as an experiment in 2012 by myself (then a Project Officer, now a Mental Health Information Officer) and Laura Gallagher, the then Mental Health Team Lead (Laura left PAVO in 2014 to set up Arvon Ales in Llandrindod Wells). Our aim was to try and reach out to people in a more conversational and accessible way - and to encourage a two way conversation if at all possible.
Since then, whilst starting quietly, the blog has proved massively popular over the years - for people and organisations to read about services in all sectors of mental health in Powys - and in encouraging debate about all aspects of mental health. The language is as contentious as ever - as we found out in an early post in 2013 - “Am I a person or a service user?”
But on one thing perhaps we can agree - it is, in 2022, just as important:
“Jill was a pioneer in modern thinking about mental health. She not only had her own lived experience but she had ‘lived expertise’ as well. By lived expertise I mean that she learnt valuable skills from her own overcoming of the challenges she faced. It was her ability to use this expertise to the benefit of other people that makes her stand out.” DT
“I will miss her, her quiet support and the way she would invite sharing. I will miss her steadfastness and extraordinary lived experience, her gentleness and yet her solid convictions on what was right and what was needed. Her loss in respect of mental health services in Mid Powys will be keenly felt.” FL
Police Community Support Officer Aileen Stewart told us about Pegasus - a service for people who live and / or work in the Dyfed Powys Police area aimed at those whose disability or illness makes it difficult for them to communicate when calling or speaking face to face to the Police.
It’s designed to make it easier to contact Dyfed Powys Police quickly and easily on both the 101 and 999 numbers.
The attending officers are then fully aware of the caller's needs when dealing with them, making it a more positive experience and ensuring they receive the help they need as quickly as possible.
Aileen said: “There is a person that I speak to regularly that I signed up to the scheme. Due to knowing their needs I have been able to see when their mental health has begun to decline and get in touch with their mental health worker to begin the ball rolling for the person to have a psychiatric assessment.”
Prior to joining Richard described his life as very difficult: “meds, meds, and more meds”, and not much support. It was rare for him to think through his thoughts – they were automatic and he would react to them. He was experiencing difficulties with his personal life to the extent that he self-harmed a lot. But this all changed once he started the 14 month DBT course. A third of the way through the DBT programme Richard had an experience which really changed his life. Everything suddenly became clear, and he felt changes within himself. He started to discuss his thoughts. By the end of the course he felt that he was a completely different person from when he had started.
“Bad things always happened to other people - faces on the news and names in the paper - or so I thought. My life was good and right and nothing was going to change that, of that I was sure. All that changed for me on the 22 May 2004. Let me tell you about it.
My name is Owen Griffiths. I am a 43 year old serving Police officer who currently works in the training department for Dyfed Powys Police. On the 22 May 2004 I was involved in an incident whilst on duty - one which I was very lucky to leave with my life intact. I can clearly remember being quite badly injured and standing at the side of the road. I was bruised and bleeding badly and although these injuries hurt me greatly they were nothing compared to the pain that hit me in my mind.”
There is now a growing body of evidence to show the value of the arts in improving the health of people who experience mental or physical health problems. The social prescribing model allows GPs to prescribe arts activities to promote a patient’s wellbeing.
“My sister and me are in the PR (public relations) group. We tell people about Ponthafren and what everyone does. This helps to let people know that Ponthafren might be the place for them if they ever need support. Also by telling people about Ponthafren and talking about mental health helps to get rid of the stigma that seems to be attached to it. I like volunteering and it shows that even at my age there is always something you can do to help the community and have fun while you are doing it.”
Jan Roberts from Newtown (who was later awarded an MBE in the Queen’s birthday honours list for her contribution to this important piece of work) was a member of the Expert Reference Group reviewing the Mental Health Act (1983) Code of Practice in England.
"Having experienced mental health issues for a long time, it was a journey within my recovery that I will never forget. I was very honoured to have been chosen to sit on the group. The way that it came about was - I started volunteering at Ponthafren Association, with the PR group, took an information stall along to a PAVO event, from there gave talks to Dyfed Powys Police and other front line services and PAVO put my name forward for the Expert Reference Group.
I remember the first time I came down to the group, my stomach churning and brain spinning and the voices and extra people were worse than they had been for a while. When we all introduced ourselves and I explained the issues I deal with, voices etc, straight away I felt accepted for who I am - lock stock and barrel - and this meant so much to me it’s unexplainable in words really. Passing on my lived experience gives me a purpose and an outlet for the HELL I live in sometimes.”
The Grand Opening of the new Wellness and Recovery Learning Centre at the mental health Felindre Ward in Bronllys Hospital took place. The Centre’s design was shaped by patients, volunteers, ward staff and other agencies to provide a peaceful and relaxing place where books and online information, supporting learning about mental health, wellbeing and recovery, could be accessed by patients on the ward.
The ward patients had created an amazing “recovery tree” with colourful leaves and inspiring words:
Eight years ago the Mental Health & Wellbeing Forum (as it is now known) was called the National Service User & Carer Forum. We looked at the mechanisms which had been put in place by Welsh Government at the time for people to feed in their views about the mental health services they had been using.
The voice of lived experience continues to play an absolutely essential role in the planning and delivery of future mental health services at both national and local levels in Wales. To find out what is happening today you can read more on the website of Practice Solutions which provides support to the Mental Health & Wellbeing Forum through a co-production model.
When Laura Gallagher was in the team she wrote an excellent series for the blog under the heading “Unconventional Wisdom”, where she challenged the mainstream views underpinning mental illness diagnosis. She frequently asked: “Should mental health services be shaped by the question - what happened to you, rather than what’s wrong with you?” We still ask this question today.
This post looks at the organic / physical causes which could produce symptoms of psychosis in someone and asks: Can psychotic symptoms be misdiagnosed as "mental illness" when they are actually caused by organic/physical conditions?
- To listen to people and hear about their life experiences.
- To encourage discussion (“it’s not about what’s wrong with us, but about what happened to us,” being a key theme for many of us).
- For all of us to feed in our views to the mental health service providers - whether in the statutory (NHS) or voluntary sector.
So, here we are, 10 of our most popular posts, in reverse date order:
1. Remembering Jill Dibling - December 2019
“Jill was a pioneer in modern thinking about mental health. She not only had her own lived experience but she had ‘lived expertise’ as well. By lived expertise I mean that she learnt valuable skills from her own overcoming of the challenges she faced. It was her ability to use this expertise to the benefit of other people that makes her stand out.” DT
“I will miss her, her quiet support and the way she would invite sharing. I will miss her steadfastness and extraordinary lived experience, her gentleness and yet her solid convictions on what was right and what was needed. Her loss in respect of mental health services in Mid Powys will be keenly felt.” FL
2. Pegasus - changing the way we talk to Dyfed Powys Police - July 2017
Police Community Support Officer Aileen Stewart told us about Pegasus - a service for people who live and / or work in the Dyfed Powys Police area aimed at those whose disability or illness makes it difficult for them to communicate when calling or speaking face to face to the Police.
It’s designed to make it easier to contact Dyfed Powys Police quickly and easily on both the 101 and 999 numbers.
The attending officers are then fully aware of the caller's needs when dealing with them, making it a more positive experience and ensuring they receive the help they need as quickly as possible.
Aileen said: “There is a person that I speak to regularly that I signed up to the scheme. Due to knowing their needs I have been able to see when their mental health has begun to decline and get in touch with their mental health worker to begin the ball rolling for the person to have a psychiatric assessment.”
3. To DBT or not to DBT? That was the question - January 2017
Prior to joining Richard described his life as very difficult: “meds, meds, and more meds”, and not much support. It was rare for him to think through his thoughts – they were automatic and he would react to them. He was experiencing difficulties with his personal life to the extent that he self-harmed a lot. But this all changed once he started the 14 month DBT course. A third of the way through the DBT programme Richard had an experience which really changed his life. Everything suddenly became clear, and he felt changes within himself. He started to discuss his thoughts. By the end of the course he felt that he was a completely different person from when he had started.
4. Terrible things happen to other people - June 2016
“Bad things always happened to other people - faces on the news and names in the paper - or so I thought. My life was good and right and nothing was going to change that, of that I was sure. All that changed for me on the 22 May 2004. Let me tell you about it.
My name is Owen Griffiths. I am a 43 year old serving Police officer who currently works in the training department for Dyfed Powys Police. On the 22 May 2004 I was involved in an incident whilst on duty - one which I was very lucky to leave with my life intact. I can clearly remember being quite badly injured and standing at the side of the road. I was bruised and bleeding badly and although these injuries hurt me greatly they were nothing compared to the pain that hit me in my mind.”
5. The Art of Health in Wales - May 2016
There is now a growing body of evidence to show the value of the arts in improving the health of people who experience mental or physical health problems. The social prescribing model allows GPs to prescribe arts activities to promote a patient’s wellbeing.
6. Light up the community - May 2015
“My sister and me are in the PR (public relations) group. We tell people about Ponthafren and what everyone does. This helps to let people know that Ponthafren might be the place for them if they ever need support. Also by telling people about Ponthafren and talking about mental health helps to get rid of the stigma that seems to be attached to it. I like volunteering and it shows that even at my age there is always something you can do to help the community and have fun while you are doing it.”
Jan Roberts from Newtown (who was later awarded an MBE in the Queen’s birthday honours list for her contribution to this important piece of work) was a member of the Expert Reference Group reviewing the Mental Health Act (1983) Code of Practice in England.
"Having experienced mental health issues for a long time, it was a journey within my recovery that I will never forget. I was very honoured to have been chosen to sit on the group. The way that it came about was - I started volunteering at Ponthafren Association, with the PR group, took an information stall along to a PAVO event, from there gave talks to Dyfed Powys Police and other front line services and PAVO put my name forward for the Expert Reference Group.
I remember the first time I came down to the group, my stomach churning and brain spinning and the voices and extra people were worse than they had been for a while. When we all introduced ourselves and I explained the issues I deal with, voices etc, straight away I felt accepted for who I am - lock stock and barrel - and this meant so much to me it’s unexplainable in words really. Passing on my lived experience gives me a purpose and an outlet for the HELL I live in sometimes.”
8. Bronllys Grand Opening - Wellness & Recovery Learning Centre - July 2014
The Grand Opening of the new Wellness and Recovery Learning Centre at the mental health Felindre Ward in Bronllys Hospital took place. The Centre’s design was shaped by patients, volunteers, ward staff and other agencies to provide a peaceful and relaxing place where books and online information, supporting learning about mental health, wellbeing and recovery, could be accessed by patients on the ward.
The ward patients had created an amazing “recovery tree” with colourful leaves and inspiring words:
- Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.
- The only difference between a good day and a bad day is your attitude.
- Keep a green tree in your heart and perhaps a song bird will come.
- Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.
- Make your optimism come true.
9. National Mental Health Partnership Board update - December 2013
Eight years ago the Mental Health & Wellbeing Forum (as it is now known) was called the National Service User & Carer Forum. We looked at the mechanisms which had been put in place by Welsh Government at the time for people to feed in their views about the mental health services they had been using.
The voice of lived experience continues to play an absolutely essential role in the planning and delivery of future mental health services at both national and local levels in Wales. To find out what is happening today you can read more on the website of Practice Solutions which provides support to the Mental Health & Wellbeing Forum through a co-production model.
10. Unconventional Wisdom - Organic Reasons for Psychosis - September 2013
When Laura Gallagher was in the team she wrote an excellent series for the blog under the heading “Unconventional Wisdom”, where she challenged the mainstream views underpinning mental illness diagnosis. She frequently asked: “Should mental health services be shaped by the question - what happened to you, rather than what’s wrong with you?” We still ask this question today.
This post looks at the organic / physical causes which could produce symptoms of psychosis in someone and asks: Can psychotic symptoms be misdiagnosed as "mental illness" when they are actually caused by organic/physical conditions?
What is your favourite post on the Powys Mental Health blog? We would love to hear from you. Let us know in the comments box below, or email us at mentalhealth@pavo.org.uk
We wish you well for 2022.
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