Guest post - by Dr Caroline Hough

Greetings

I am delighted to have been invited to guest blog on this site.  Many thanks to Matthew McKenzie for the introduction help and support and to Louise and  Alyssa  for their support and encouragement.  Being so proactive in promoting recovery and the role model they offer is a real inspiration. This is my first blog – so it is all new to me as I move out of my comfort zone. I hope you enjoy this and find something here helpful. 

My intention in this first blog to share something about myself and my story: to set the scene for more detail in the future.   Most importantly I am a mother and grandmother. I won’t write a longer list but want to mention what I hope is relevant for this blog.   

I am a medical doctor with wide experience including being a former GP.  This makes me a healthcare professional: an expert by training.  I have also suffered with a mental health problem for over 10 years. I have been in hospital 4 times, have taken a variety of medications and have been treated by doctors, psychologists and others both individually and in groups so I consider that I am also an expert by experience.   

Many people have given time and put effort into helping me and trying to make me better and I know every one of them had the best intention just as I did when I practiced as a doctor.  My intention was always to help and make someone better and I still believe that is the reason most people go into healthcare. 

Looking back now with the benefit of my experience I can see that what I though was helpful may not have been.  I was seeing things as a doctor - from the view I was trained to have -and not from the perspective of the patient.   What I now understand is that the doctor may know about the medical condition but the only person who really knows the patient - the expert in the patient - is the patient.  Everyone has the same intention - to improve the situation for the patient and probably the most effective the way to do that is to work together.  

I am thankful and feel blessed that I have now recovered.  What I feel helped me in my recover y was understanding and accepting where I was and then taking appropriate responsibility for myself.  I care deeply about mental health and those suffering but   I am passionate about promoting wellness.

Using my own experience I have developed a program: Aspiring 2 Wellness which is a unique blend of mindfulness and coaching.  Having a role in the Mental Health Foundation Trust near where I live for the last 4 years has significantly contributed to my recovery.  I  have been  involved  both as  a “service user”  and as a  service user representative  both on the “ground” working with my peers  and as an elected  governor  of the Foundation Trust representing  the Trust members.   I have aspired to communicate the views of those I was representing and to facilitate an understanding of different perspectives with the hope that those delivering services will start to appreciate the importance of a recovery orientated approach and that life will get better for each of us. 

In this blog I aspire to share some experiences and stories both my own and those I have seen and heard from others.  The views are my own and are shared with good intention.   Thank you for reading this I hope we will come together in another blog soon and until them I wish you peace and joy.