Chimes of time

This book represents an ambitious project, one that unites various fields in a multidisciplinary venture drawing on a diverse range of academics and clinicians from medicine, psychology and the educational sciences. This unique collaboration has assembled an international doyen of medical, educational and health specialists and features a selection of outstanding scholarly contributions.The volume presents a plethora of essays and reviews by clinicians and academics, including highly personal contributions, some emotive and some self-confessional. Other contributors disclose details of their own personal pain and suffering in relation to critical life events, including illnesses, but also share their own resources and strengths, drawing on reflections and insights derived from literature, arts and psychology as well as medicine. Subsequently, these ideas lead to the creation of models for encouraging personal development: coping despite adversity and eventually finding meaning towards recovery both physically and psychologically. This process, or voyage, of recovery frequently required the support of trusted families and friends, teachers, and fellow physicians and psychologists, enabling them to pursue interesting and outstanding careers "despite" these challenges and apparent disadvantages.The authors are all very reflective, providing valuable advice for young practitioners and "afflicted" alike. The revelations of these distinguished contributors highlight the powerful role of psycho-history and biography in understanding who researchers have been influenced by, and what and why.Few scientific books address the wide spectrum of challenges required to resolve such developmental issues. This psychological battleground allows us to share and capitalise on the wealth and diversity of personal encounters with what often appear to be insurmountable obstacles, but which are wounds healed through patience and continued practice. This collection of essays is an attempt to bridge theoretical and research concepts and findings with clinical practice, adopting an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural perspective. It reveals factors which are implicated in the effectiveness of health promotion and therapeutic interventions for health professionals, as well as identifying reliable diagnostic and health programs and providing material for teaching and learning programmes. Accordingly, this book will be relevant and useful for practitioners and researchers, but also for laymen and social policy makers. The intended readership thus represents a very broad and diverse audience to include those interested in health psychology, sociology, anthropology, public health and mental health sciences. Chimes of Time - Table of Contents:Introduction: When, why and how healers can profit from their own vulnerability?by Bruce KirkcaldyThe Wounded Healer in Literatureby Arnold WeinsteinBefore and After Psychosis: Is there anything positive to be gained from the experience?by Peter K. ChadwickSteps Towards Better Collaboration Between Stakeholders to Promote Mental Health and to Alleviate Disablement due to Mental Illnessby Robert MillerA Contemporary Shamanistic Initiatory Crisisby David LukoffSchizophrenia - Prodromal Signs and Symptoms - A Personal Perspectiveby Frederick J. FreseCreativity: a healthy side of madnessby Gordon Claridge & Neus Barrantes-Vidal"Intoxicating happiness" - the blazing trail of maniaby Bruce KirkcaldyCancer: An illness, nothing more, nothing lessby Nisha DograRecreating self: A personal journeyby Thandi HaruperiOn the meaning of self-knowledge, creativity and personal resources in a case of coping with a cancerby Aleksandra TokarzScars of the Wounded Healerby Emile A. AllenIdentification and Separation - Career Choice Following Parental Death in Adolescenceby Amanda K. EkdawiWorkaholismby Adrian FurnhamLost in Shadows?by Michael W. EysenckEmpathy, Woundedness, Burn Out, and How to Love Being a Therapistby Peter R. Breggin