I'm speaking about #in2gr8mentalhealth at the Brighton BPS conference on staff wellbeing on June 8th. I'm directing members to comment in forum/ or our in anonymous survey on the member's poll page to add your messages.
Those of us who have brought lived experience, we just bring it to inform what we are doing, we're doing good stuff and we want to support colleagues burning out in systems that are toxic because we know mental health pain like others do. We are many and different in in2gr8mentalhealth.
Lived experience in mental health practice does not necessarily mean you are suffering constantly at work or bumbling along trying to cope 😄 It means you've enriched knowledge, compassion and meaning in your working world, you can hold the hope.
We are not all in recovery at the moment like me! Although some of us are, whether it's from burnout, from factors other than work, or from vicarious trauma. Many things, many pathways to healing from it.
Where burnout is concerned, we change systems. Where vicarious trauma is concerned, we increase space to make sense of the trauma load that has been cared for over time. Where brought lived experience is concerned in general, we destigmatise!!!!!
Much to do people, much to do. It'll only requires full systems thinking, some calling out of unfit-for-practice services and policies. I expect we can manage that given some good elbow grease 😉💪
Dr Natalie Kemp