Deptford's Bounty
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Creating opportunities for participation and recovery COSMOWritten by users of Lewisham mental health services Issue 12 Winter 2011-2012 Deptford’s bounty Five steps to wellbeing in Deptford and New Cross Inside Ladywell Unit A SAFE HAVEN Page 3 Feature MEDICATION DEBATE Pages 4 & 5 My story LOOKING TIME “In the IN THE EYE depth of winter Page 6 I finally learned that there was in Book review me an invincible A GRAPHIC summer.” EXPLORATION Albert Camus Page 7 Cosmo 12 Winter 2011-2012 2 Five steps to wellbeing in Deptford and New Cross Deptford’s bounty Neil Bellers has researched the Cross, SE14 6LD. Wednesdays The Library at Deptford Deptford and New Cross areas 10am, meet Barnes Wallis Lounge: (left) 9 Giffin Street, and suggests some ways to get Centre, 74 Wild Goose SE8, 020 8314 6399. involved. Photographs by Jaiteg. Drive, New Cross, New Cross community SE14 5LL. www.wfh. library service: 283 New 1 Connect naturalengland.org. Cross Road, SE14 6AS. 999 Club: (right) 21 Deptford Broadway, uk/walkfinder/london/ Goldsmiths College: SE8 4PA, 020 8691 7734, www.999club. lewisham-healthy-walks. University of London, New org/site/deptford. For vulnerable people. Moonshot Centre: (bottom Cross, SE14 6NW, www.gold. Albany Theatre: Douglas Way, SE8 right) Fordham Park, Angus ac.uk/pace. Professional and 4AG, 020 8692 4446, www. Street, New Cross, SE14 6LU, Community Education short courses. thealbany.org.uk. Cafe, 020 8694 9727, www. Midi Music Company: 77 Watson’s events and performances. moonshot.org.uk. Arts, Street, Deptford, SE8 4AU, 020 8694 Deptford Hearing Voices: dance and fitness. 6093, www.themidimusiccompany. www.dhvs.freeuk.com. Thames path: go to www. co.uk. Courses and career development Deptford Reach: thames-path.org.uk. for emerging artists. Speedwell Street, SE8 Wavelengths: Giffin Pepys Resource Centre: Deptford Strand, 4AT, 020 8692 6548, www. Street, Deptford, SE8 SE8 3BA, 020 8694 8999, ecocom.org. deptfordreach.org.uk. Helping 4RJ, 020 8694 9400, www. uk. Free IT training and recycling. people rebuild lives. fusion-lifestyle.com/centres/ Steven Lawrence Centre: (left) 39 Lewisham Refugee and Migrants Wavelengths_Leisure_Centre. Brookmill Road, Deptford, SE8 Network: 1st Floor, Parker House, 144 4HU, stephenlawrence.org. Evelyn Street Deptford, SE8 5DD, 020 3 Take Notice uk/the-centre-2/the-centre. 8694 0323, www.lrn.org.uk. Art studios and exhibitions: Programmes for all ages Lighthouse Social Club: Telegraph Lewisham Arthouse, (left) including multi-media, Hill Community Centre, New Cross, 140 Lewisham Way, SE14, creative arts, art therapy. SE14 5TY and Salvation Army Church, 020 8244 3168, www. Deptford High Street, SE8 3PQ. Go to lewishamarthouse.org.uk. 5 Give www.lighthousesocialclub.org.uk. Creekside, Deptford, SE8, 170 Community Project: 170 www.southlondonartmap.com: New Cross Road, SE14 5AA, 020 2 Be Active APT Studios, www.aptstudios. 7732 9716. Counselling and advice Lewisham Healthy Walks: org; Cor Blimey Arts, 020 charity with volunteering opportunities, Saturdays 10am, meet 8692 2783, www.coregallery. 190 Community Centre: 190 Evelyn Waldron Health Centre, co.uk; Creekside Artists, Street, Deptford, SE8 5DB, 020 8691 Amersham Vale, New creeksideartists.co.uk. 7180. Advice on housing, benefits and Parks and gardens: debt with volunteer opportunities. Broadway Fields and Deptford and New Cross Time Bank: Cosmo Brookmill Park, Brookmill Pepys Resource Centre, Deptford Road, SE8; Deptford Park, Strand, SE8 3BA, 020 8692 7777. The Cosmo team is Evelyn Street, SE8; Ferranti Green Shoots: Besson Street Christian Papantoniou, David Harris, Park and Sue Godfrey Nature Community Garden, New Donna Walker, Jaiteg, Park, Bronze Street, SE8; Cross Gate, SE14 5AS, Joseph Johnny, Laurent, Fordham Park, Pagnell 020 7639 7605, www. Neil Bellers, Pamela Moncrieffe Street, SE14; Margaret greenshoots.me. The co-editors are McMillan Park, Watson’s Volunteers welcome. Kirsty Humby and Peter Robinson Street SE8; Pepys Park and MC4All: Milton Court assisted by Anne O’Sullivan Sayes Court Park, Grove Timebank, New Cross, Email [email protected] Street, SE8; Telegraph Hill 07534 198 125. Address Compass Centre Park, Pepys Road, SE14. Transition New Cross: 32-34 Watson Street Volunteers sharing sustainable Deptford SE8 4AU 4 Keep Learning skills. transitionnewcross.org. Phone 020 8694 6519 Creekside Discovery Centre: 14 For more information on the five steps Printed by Catford Print Creekside, SE8 4SA, 020 8692 9922, to wellbeing go to www.slam.nhs.uk/ Front page photograph by Jaiteg www.creeksidecentre.org.uk. wellbeing-garden.aspx Cosmo 12 Winter 2011-2012 3 Ladywell Unit A safe haven Cosmo reporter Pamela Moncrieffe spoke to Jane (not her real name) who recently spent some time at the Ladywell Unit. Here Jane shares some of her experiences of life on the ward. Pamela: What made you know that you had to be admitted into hospital? Jane: The symptoms of my illness became so bad, that I could not function in a normal way. I was shutting down mentally to cope with the symptoms. Pamela: Under what circumstances were you admitted? Jane: I contacted my care coordinator by phone who would not acknowledge how ill I was. So I went to Lewisham Hospital Accident and Emergency with my partner, and I was admitted. Pamela: After admittance how were you treated? Jane: I survived hospitalisation by spending most Which way Jane: While in hospital I helped to chair a ward of my time in the hospital garden or going out off is best? meeting with volunteers, patients and staff. the hospital grounds. You can go out freely if you Signposts I also helped my ward to win the hospital are an informal patient, but if you are under a in Ladywell trophy for World Mental Health day. We all had to mental health section it must be agreed in writing Fields. ride, run and complete various other exercises in by a member of the multi-disciplinary team. Photo: Jaiteg the hospital gym involving weights and stretching Pamela: So you did not spend much of your stay on machines at five minutes intervals. We won by the ward. Why was that? over 200 points. Jane: The time I spent on the ward some of the One of the patients trusted me enough to ask staff were kind, thoughtful, genuine and me to buy her some clothes for her. This was a understanding. Others could do with some very good experience. The best part of being in additional training on bedside manner, and hospital is making good friends. They help you respecting people with mental health problems, get through. and not patronising them. Pamela: Do you have a final message for people who The women only ward is a lot quieter, calmer might be in a similar position? and more peaceful compared to the mixed ward. Jane: In my opinion going into hospital can Pamela: What else did you get involved in while you improve the recovery process, and enable you to were there? get well much more quickly. Local history Focus on between the first floor windows. The Deptford Town Hall first is Sir Francis Drake. He was the first English mariner to circumnavigate In 1965 Lewisham absorbed the 1,564 the world and was knighted by Queen acres of the Borough of Deptford. We Elizabeth I in 1581 in Deptford. should be thankful that Deptford Town The other statues are of Robert Blake, Hall, a splendid Edwardian building in Lord Nelson and the fourth represents New Cross Road, has survived. the appearance of a typical admiral in the The Town Hall was intended to be year of the Town Hall’s opening, 1905. emblematic of the spirit of the Borough. A visitor can see the entrance hall It speaks proudly of the maritime past, and its gallery with four pink marble an orgy of tridents, shells, dolphins, columns, beyond which the grand cables, anchors and other nautical staircase rises. The building is now used emblems rioting all over the facade. by the hydra-like Goldsmiths College. Statues of four admirals are featured Deptford Town Hall. Photo: Jaiteg David Harris Cosmo 12 Winter 2011-2012 4 Ask a professional Feature Being in the moment The great medication debate In his regular column, Matthew Richardson, Medication is often a controversial subject a psychologist with Northover Community within mental health. Here are some Mental Health Team, focuses our attention personal perspectives, thoughts and on mindfulness. experiences on this important area. Have you ever walked to the end of tatistics say that there the road and then realised that you are more mental health don’t remember the journey or patients than ever watched a television programme then before. At the same time noticed you hadn’t taken anything in? the amount of medication S We spend a lot of our time on has increased. Is it that we “auto-pilot” often with our minds as humans are developing elsewhere as we go about our complexes that need new business rather than being mindfully medications or do the aware of what we are doing. psychiatrists create new This can lead to us reacting in automatic and disorders so that new often unhelpful ways as we are often doing things medications can be without thinking. Being more mindful means prescribed? paying attention purposefully and being aware of The decision to take medication or the present moment. not is made in meetings between the service user, carers and support staff. Practice makes perfect This may be an episodic meeting or This may sound simpler than it is, as it is natural the result of a chronic case. for our minds to wander and it is unrealistic to We can consent to what is offered, expect to be mindful all the time. suggest other medications or refuse However, simple exercises can help bring one’s to take medication.