Stepping out of the Shadows

I've realised that lately I've been missing adding books to this blog - they've been going in the monthly ezine (contact me on missionadmin@maxnet.co.nz to opt into this ezine) but not always here. So I'm making amends.

Stepping out of the shadows: Insight into self-stigma and madness, Edited by Dr Debbie Peterson and Sarah Gordon.
Contributors: Dr Debbie Peterson, Mary O'Hagan, Sarah Gordon, Dr Lynne Pere, Anne Helm, Vito Nonumalo, Dr Dean Manley, Ivan Yeo, Sarah O'Connor, Dennis Duerr, Niki Smith, Ruth Jackson and Alex Barnes.

This is a book of articles, essays and personal accounts about the effects of the self-stigma associated with mental illness. It is a moving collection of personal viewpoints and insights interspersed with research findings and linkages on the topic of self-stigma and madness. Of particular note is the Discrimination Intervention Model as presented by Dr Debbie Peterson and Alex Barnes for the first time on a world stage.

Sometimes it is difficult to read - not in being too wordy or academic, but in the way that some of the stories reflect very personal instances of tremendous physical, mental, psychological and spiritual anguish associated with self-stigma and madness. The articles written by Dr Lynne Pere, Vito Nonumalo and Ivan Yeo, offer for the first time material from tangata whaiora/ people with lived experience who are not from the dominant culture in this country. There is also highlighted focus on cultural realities, constructs and perspectives on this kaupapa of the indigenous people of Aotearoa, Pacific/ Samoan and Chinese/ Malaysian people in an in-depth way.

Published by CASE Consulting Ltd 2009. Available direct from Mental Health Organisation NZ (doesn’t appear to be available in general NZ bookshops).