A Day in the Life - Hearing Voices Seminars.

In the year of our lord 2000 I was diagnosed with BiPolar Disorder and Schizophrenia.  I had lost my mind and my life.  I was faced with a very uncertain future.  After 27 years of Navy life, I found I was prepared to deal with this new adventure.  Self Determination, Self Disciplined and utterly Selfish (and selflessness)

After 5 hospitalisations I found myself in a position to Pay It Forward and was urged to join a panel of panelists working on Hearing Voices, Stigma and Discrimination and Compassion Fatigue in the Work Place.  That was in 2007.  The NGO was called Like Minds Like Mine (LMLM), a national initiative dealing with  all facets of Mental Health issues.  After 4 years  I took the reins of LMLM for Manawatu, Whanganui, Tararua, Horowhenua and Wellington as Coordinator.  Unfortunately the Ministry of Health cut the budget drastically and our group was left high and dry (2011).  At the time our parent unit - Journeys to Wellbeing, a NGO dealing with all facets of Mental Unwellness and covering the same areas above were approached.  I approached our leader about continuing with the LMLM programme under a new name of Pono (Truth)

We were at a loss as to why we got cut but one door closes and another one opens.  Previously we had catered to core assets of University (Massey) Tech Training (UCOL) MASH (Intellectual and Physically carewotkers,) Probation staff, and WINZ staff. Originally most workshops were budgeted as free to clients, but with no funding we had to charge (to cover training presenters and course material).  In 2012 I went back to full time work, ironically with MASH.  I lost track of the workshops until last year when I was headhunted to do Hearing Voices again, which I accepted.  The team leader is a former Psych Nurse and runs a Ear Clinic.

Today I did another 3 workshops.  We left Palmy at 5am with my Team Leader - Ruth Cooley and my co-presenter Jodi to travel to Wellington.  Our first of three seminars (0830) was with 2nd Year Massey University nursing students.  We finished at 1600 hours.  We all told our stories about our journey with Mental Health issues, and included a simulation where each student had a MP3 player each with headphones and voices that are disturbing, where they are required to undertake a series of tests to understand how Voice Hearers deal with their lives.

Each group numbered around 14 so we had plenty to do.  At the end of the seminar was a Q&A session where some real good feedback derived.

I love my Job

(OOOOHHHHH was surprised by the numbers that bowed their head in prayer)