My understanding of how the world can change and improve, is that it can – for individuals, groups of people, and the community in general. I know this now, because I have been able to use the awful experiences I have had, along with the great experiences that I have also been able to enjoy, and understand how to look at mental health issues much more positively.
As a living book, I can tell you a number of stories about how my experiences have been able to support and help others. I can explain how, working for charities and the NHS, I could bring a level of genuine understanding and also more formal and generalizable supportive techniques and tools.
People benefit from exposure to lived experiences; mental health related journeys are given hope, are made possible, and been perceived as more successful, as they have embraced and synergised, the value of others’ own experiences with their own plans and actions.
Keywords: Lived experience; Support; Hope;