Living with Voices: 50 Stories of Recovery

by Marius Romme (Editor), Sandra Escher (Editor), Jacqui Dillon (Editor)

This book is a groundbreaking development in modern mental health because it recognises the importance of the first hand experience and argues that hearing voices is not a sign of madness but a reaction to serious problems in life. Must-read book for all concerned with mental health issues.

Genres: Psychology, Mental Health, Nonfiction, Mental Illness

352 pages, Paperback

First published April 16, 2013

Reviews

[Siddhartha]

This book should be read by mental health professionals as well as people suffering from hearing voices. It gives important insight into how the voices we hear have reasons in our past. It also gives us examples of people who have got out of their voice hearing experiences by making an effort to relate them to their past experiences and talking with the voices. An excellent book.

[Highfellow · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who has heard critical and undermining voices for the last ten years or so, I would say that this is the best book I have found on how to live with this problem and find your way towards recovery. Reading this was the first thing I remember that gave me a sense that this was a problem that could be worked with in various ways rather than just something you had to endure and try to block out with medication (which never worked for me). Highly recommended reading for anyone who either hears voices or wants to support people who do.

[حماس · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hearing voices is not a singe of madness.
The story of Jacqui Dillon was an example of survival.
Social problems which began with Jacqui since she was a child,made her hear voices in an early age.The main voice was a mother voice that's kind and warm.That explains the situation Jacqui was in.Indeed her father and mother used to bring Jacqui up to be a bitch who just brings money.
The rest of the story describe how she was along years and her journey to recover,I must say that she has a strong stamina .After recovering Jacqui started helping other people who have her same mental health problem.
I just read that story which was very influential.

[Geneviève · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book! It made me realize that, during medical training, we are almost never exposed to testimonials from people who have taken the time to write down and reflect on their experience. We only read «cases» described from a strictly medical point of view, which is clearly a shortcoming, because it lacks the human aspect of the experience. I found it very touching and inspiring to see the journey of these people. I wish there was a French version that I could share with the people I work with. I've read a lot recently on these issues and it really makes me see differently these kinds of difficulties that people face. I still find it challenging to see how I can manage to really embody this approach in my practice, but I'm determined to get better!

[Initially NO · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contains a huge diversity of stories about hearing voices. If you wish to just skip to this section and read those stories about lived-experience and recovery, you can.
The introduction however, while interesting, could do with some rephrasing and editing. The same quotes are used not once but sometimes several times. I think this repetition is unnecessary and somewhat annoying as the quotes are often a paragraph in length.
Do read this book, as it will open your mind to the world of others and give hope to those who hear voices that are stressful and enable those damned by the psychiatric system to realise that they can recover.

[Amanda Roa · Rating 4 out of 5]

An eye-opening read on people who hear voices and how they cope with their everyday lives. The first part of the book is written in textbook style. The last half is the part that interested me -- narratives from 50 people who hear voices, their histories, their symptoms, and how they found support in recovery groups for voice-hearers. I was not aware that a great majority of voice-hearers experienced trauma of some sort in their histories. I was also not aware that the social stigma voice-hearers experience in society in many cases prevents them from seeking help. With supportive therapy, many of the narrators were able to stop heavy medication and function well in their lives.

[Jaimini Mehta · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book to read especially as I am just starting my career in early intervention. The ideas, concepts and guidance this book gives at the beginning around how we might understand and explore hearing voices is really helpful. The stories themselves are also really useful insights into people’s journeys and will be useful to share with clients.

Fir my clients who are still apprehensive or uncertain about joining a group or local networks I can use this book to bring them network to them in hopefully a gentler way and in a more tolerable way .

[Olivia Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

fascinating read, great to learn from the people experiencing voice hearing.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A helpful alternate framework to modern psychiatry that emphasizes an emotional, hopeful, recovery based approach rather than "no cure," medication based management approach.