Authors: Ellie Hodges, Shaun Hodges
Year: 2017
Event: 2017 TheMHS Conference
Subject: Lived Experience, Recovery,Clinical Issues,Service Systems, Delivery, Implementation
Type of resource: Conference Presentations and Papers
Abstract: During their relationship Shaun and Ellie have had to manage significant mental health issues that took years to stabilise and get to the point where they felt like they had a handle on them. Ellie's struggle with anorexia and complex-PTSD led to numerous hospitalisations and separations that took a toll on the relationship and, surprisingly, strengthened it.
Throughout their presentation Shaun and Ellie will each speak about their experiences during the toughest times, sharing what was difficult and the things that they did to get through from their own unique perspective. They will talk together about the decisions and moments that stand out as critical recovery and healing points before sharing the unknown ways that their tough times add to the life they share together now.
Through sharing their story Shaun and Ellie offer hope and guidance for other people in relationships, or those professionally supporting people with mental health issues and/or partners, with recovery and healing.
Learning Objectives
Learning Objective 1: People will gain insight into how recovery and healing happens in relationships and guidance for how they can approach it themselves, with their partners or with the people that they support professionally.
Learning Objective 2: Mental health issues do not occur in isolation or only for individuals. Many people who experience mental health issues are in relationships which are impacted by the struggles and benefit from a partnership approach. Frequently however, partners have their own experiences that are either dismissed or addressed separately and even rarer is a chance to hear from two people who have been strengthened by their shared, yet separate, experience of recovery and healing.
References
Hodges, S. (2015). A Partner's Perspective on Recovery. Blog post on elliehodges.com - elliehodges.com/partners-perspective-recovery-guest-post-shaun-hodges (accessed February 2017).
Hodges, E. (2015). Five Keys to My Recovery from Anoreixa. Blog post on elliehodges.com - elliehodges.com/5-keys-recovery-anorexia (accessed February 2017).
Alexander, J. (2016). Using Writing as a Therapy for Eating Disorders: The Diary Healer. London: Routledge. - some of Ellie's writings are excerpted in this book
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