Members of a patient group run by Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) have shared a series of poems exploring their experience of living with a mental health condition.
Since 2004, the Hearing Voices Group at EPUT has brought together patients and service users who have experience of hearing, seeing or sensing things that other people don’t.
The group fosters a supportive community where people can talk about their experiences and struggles. Supported by Occupational Therapists, participants are encouraged to practice mindfulness, reflection and self-expression, often through creative means like poetry.
To mark Occupational Therapy Week, which takes place from Monday 7 to Sunday 13 November 2022, two of the group’s members, Chris and Tom, have published a collection of poems offering a poignant insight into what it is like to live with a mental health condition.
The recordings were created with the help of Lillie, a volunteer sound technician, and feature Chris and Tom reading poems they have created as part of the group.
You can listen to a selection of Chris and Tom’s poems below, or via this link.
Diana Luckie, Head Occupational Therapist for Adult Inpatient Services and Sharon Green, Head Occupational Therapist for Adult Community Mental Health Services, said:
“The Hearing Voices Group has made a difference to hundreds of lives. It empowers people to connect with others and share their experiences with people who will understand.
“The group is shaped by its participants and their interests. It gives members the opportunity to learn, to lead, and to build a community together. Our occupational therapists are here to guide them and facilitate this.
“One of the aims of the group is to help participants explore coping strategies and skills they might find useful in their recovery. Poetry can help us process our own experiences and articulate complex feelings. It gives us a voice.”