Local hearing voices activist Hywel Davies received a standing ovation for his outstanding contribution to the international hearing voices movement during the international hearing voices congress held recently in Cardiff.
The Cardiff congress was attended by approximately 280 delegates from twenty nine countries, with large delegations from Europe, Australia with smaller delegations from Uganda, Argentina, Rumania, America and other countries.
The hearing voices approach offers a more humane and sensitive approach to the understanding of mental health, its causes and recovery prospects.
There is now substantial evidence supporting this emancipatory approach which during the congress was reinforced by stories of voice hearers their journeys and recoveries.The Hearing Voices movement was founded in 1987 by Professor Dr. Marius Romme and Patsy Hage a voice hearer from Holland.
One of the outcomes from the Congress is a plan to restart a voice hearing group in Pembrokeshire. For more information please contact Hywel Davies [email protected] or John Stacey [email protected] or visit the Cymru Hearing Voices Network web site at www.hearingvoicescymru.org or the hearing voices web site at www.intervoiceonline.org
Background information
Voice hearing is often a term equated with “schizophrenia” but that assumption is mistaken.
Triggered by bereavement, physical illness, divorce, unemployment and/or some other traumatic event,voice hearing is experienced by approximately 15% of the population in their lifetime. 1% of the population are labelled by psychiatry as “schizophrenic”. 53% of people labelled by psychiatry as “schizophrenic” are voice hearers.
Inspired by the courageous leadership of Patsy Hage, Professor Dr. Marius Romme, Dr. Sandra Escher, Eleanor Longden, Ron Coleman, Paul Baker and other emancipators of the past 25 years,there are now 27 hearing voices networks in 27 countries of the world.
Voices are real. There are 13 + hearing voices groups in Wales. There are 180+ hearing voices groups in England. Groups at best enable voice hearers to talk about their voices and possibly their visions in mutual peace, quiet and respect without being locked up in a psychiatric ward or given psychiatric medication.
If you hear a voice or voices inaudible to others, you need not feel frightened or alone.
