Jim Geekie

John Read

This book argues that the experience of 'madness' is an integral part of what it is to be human, and that greater focus on subjective experiences can contribute to professional understandings and ways of helping those troubled by these experiences.

Contesting the Meaning of Schizophrenia

Making Sense of Madness

Patte Randal

Debra Lampshire

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.

Personal and Professional Perspectives

Experiencing Psychosis

La obra que el lector tiene en sus manos analiza esa experiencia que solemos denominar locura, esquizofrenia o psicosis, la cual se halla presente en todas las sociedades y, hasta donde alcanza nuestro conocimiento, en todas las épocas, ya que la tendencia de la mente a desviarse de lo que una sociedad determinada considera "normal" y aceptable, junto con la propensión del resto de los miembros de dicha sociedad a sancionar estas desviaciones, es uno de los aspectos centrales de la naturaleza humana. Sin subestimar la importancia de las manifestaciones del fenómeno -las alucinaciones, las ideas delirantes y los trastornos cognoscitivos-, Jim Geekie y John Read abordan en esta obra las experiencias subjetivas, una cuestión fundamental y tradicionalmente relegada por los estudios, ya que consideran que los individuos que experimentan la locura están capacitados para realizar comentarios únicos sobre dicha experiencia y pueden ofrecer una contribución importante a nuestra comprensión de la misma. El sentido de la locura es una lectura esencial para los profesionales de la salud mental, así como para los pacientes y para sus familiares.

Jim Geekie

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