Saturday 21 December 2013

Its ok not to feel ok, even at Christmas!

Not everyone is full of the joy of the season, Christmas can a lonely time.

Lets look out for each other - It is OK not to feel OK!!! If you or anyone you know may be struggling at this time please reach out Listen to or talk to someone. It will really help!!

If you don't have anyone to reach out to 1 Life Tel1800 247 100 and the Samaritans 1850 60 90 90 are there to listen 24/7.

Wishing you all a safe Christmas.




Thursday 19 December 2013

Christmas Meet Ups 2013 – Gateway Members


Monday 23th December 2013
Thursday 26h December 2013
Member: Ciaran
Member: Joe
Time:  2.00pm
Where:  Moda  Rathmines
Member: Geraldine
Member: Rose
Time: 2.00pm
Where: Moda  Rathmines
Monday 30th December 2013
Thursday 2rd January 2013
Monday  6th January
Member:Michael
Member: Oliver
Time: 2.00pm
Where: Copan  Rathmines
Member: Tom
Member: Mary
Time: 2.00pm
Where: Moda   Rathmines
Gateway back open :-)

Wednesday 11 December 2013

Meaning of Madness; Critical and Creative Perspectives – 13th and 14th of November 2013 in University College Cork


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A Two-Day Conference organised by the Catherine McAuley School of Nursing and Midwifery & the School of Applied Social Studies University College Cork, in association with the Critical Voices Network Ireland.

Mental Health Press Release   -   Mental Health Conference Prog
The conference offered opportunities to consider:
  • Meanings of madness
  • Broadened understandings of expressions of madness
  • Creative approaches to engaging with and responding to madness
This conference, now in its fifth year, is unique and was free for all participants and it involved people from diverse backgrounds (self-experience, survivors, professionals, academics, carers) presenting, discussing and debating critical and creative perspectives on and beyond the dominant bio-medical approach. The 2010 conference saw the launch of the Critical Voices Network Ireland (CVNI), a network of people interested in considering and developing responses to human distress, which are creative, enabling, respectful and firmly grounded in human rights. The conference will include an open forum to discuss the on-going work of the CVNI.

Keynote Speakers :
Liz Brosnan has just completed her PhD through a Government of Ireland scholarship at the University of Limerick. Her research explored User Involvement in Irish Mental Health Services. Liz has both personal and professional experience of dealing with "madness".
Gail Hornstein, Professor of Psychology, Mount Holyoke College, Massachusetts, USA. Her research and writings – grounded in an understanding of the mind, based on lived experience – challenge fundamental assumptions about ‘mental illness’ and treatment.
Irene van de Giessen, Expert by Experience employed at the Admiraal de Ruyter Hospital, Vlissingen, the Netherlands and Owner of the Convalescent Talent Agency.
John Read, Professor of Clinical Psychology, University of Liverpool, UK. He has written extensively in the area of trauma and psychosis.
Doug Ross, artist, founding member of Renew. Personal experience of sustained recovery from addiction and psycho-spiritual distress.
Teresa Tuohy, Health Research Board funded PhD Candidate at Trinity College Dublin. Her research title is ‘Mothers’ Voices: A study of mothering with women experiencing mental health problems’. Teresa has many years’ experience working in mental health practice, education and recovery.

Listen to the Keynote Speakers here.

RTE Hearing Voices Documentary

Jacqui Dillon hears voices. In her head. Lots of them.Voices that sound as real as you or me. Voices that wake her up. Voices that tell her to go to sleep. Voices that disagree with her, and voices that encourage her. And the voices have been there for as long as she can remember.So

Twenty years ago Jaqqui's experience of her voices drove her to psychiatric services.... and that's where the story really begins because it was when she was told that the voices weren't real, and that she was lying about her past that she really began to get mad. And that's when Jacqui realised she had to learn to live with her voices and understand why they were there.

This is a story about hearing voices and about learning to live with them. A story about how your past shapes your future until you start to understand it .

Jacqui Dillon is the national Chair of the Hearing Voices Network in England. She is Honorary Lecturer in Clinical Psychology at the University of East London.


Narrated and produced by Leeanne O'Donnell
Production Supervision by Liam O'Brien


Listen here.

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