Spring Articles

'The Car’ presentation from the Road 2 Recovery Event
reported by Sheila Priest

An Article from the Spring edition of Inner Mind. The Autumn edition will be printed from the 28th October.

Simon Jennings (Expert by Experience) & Linda Cannon (Clinical Service Manager) led us on an imaginary journey by car. On stage, chairs were set out to resemble a car, with an audience member acting as ‘driver’. Then Linda and Simon gave us an account of his illness with the aid of the imaginary car. Linda told us that when Simon was 21, he was doing very well. He had a good job, owned a car, had a girlfriend and everything in the garden was rosy.

Then he became ill and was admitted to a psychiatric hospital where he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Simon was very frightened and didn’t sleep for a week. He was transferred to a psychiatric ward where he was given a lot of medication. Linda said that this is when Simon felt like he was blindfolded, his hands tied and that he was bundled into the boot of a car. He literally felt that he had no say in anything that happened to him and that he could not see where he was going.

Simon lost his job, and he was not well enough to look for work. His girlfriend left him. He had hit rock bottom. His psychiatrist saw him and said to him ‘People don’t get better from bipolar. It is best if you do not work but claim benefits’. He followed this advice, and life continued to be very bleak.
Then he saw another psychiatrist who said, ‘You can get better, Simon. We will help you with support as well as medication’. Simon sat up and listened to this. ‘I can get better’ he thought over and over again. He realised how negative he had become and resolved to be positive. Linda said that this is where there was a change in Simon. He responded to support and medication. He also felt that he had been taken out of the boot of the car, his hands had been untied and his blindfold removed. He felt as though he was then in the back seat of the car.


Linda carried on with Simon’s story. He got better and felt as though he had been put in the seat next to the driver. He could see where he was going and could tell the driver where he wanted to go. Simon began to feel happy again. He enjoyed living again with the help of his psychiatrist and hospital staff. Then the day dawned when he was discharged from hospital. Linda told how he felt that he had been put back into the driving seat and could go where he wanted and was responsible for his actions.


Everything was wonderful and Simon was well again. He got a job and could cope once more. He had gained a lot of valuable experience. Do what Simon did
...do not give up.