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APPEARANCES
Check here for any signings or media pieces coming up and for information about S.Westwood's public speaking.. Also S.Westwood is available to speak at conferences / training days etc. If you are interested in S.Westwood's inspiring talks on mental health from a Service Users perspective please get in contact by email info@swestwood.com for further information and to check availability.  S.Westwood has an article published in 'Mental Health Practice' magazine out NOW! All my life I have had a passion for the written word, and all my life I have been attracted to darkness. I often wonder why I became so depressed but not so surprised that I chose to write about it. So what happened to the child that wrote the book 'Harry the Hedgehog' in my spare time to become the writer of 'Suicide Junkie' and now, my latest work 'A Moment Gone' ? My nan says it was my black bedroom with the vampire movie posters and bats hanging from the ceiling, but personally I believe it came before that. I think I am chemically or genetically more prone to suffer mentally and the disorders this turned in to in later life were always going to happen; I was sensitive and fragile and bullying and failed relationships moulded my psyche. The fact that it took the form of borderline personality disorder and body dysmorphic disorder (a mental disorder that makes you believe that you are hideously ugly) is personal to me. But I always wrote, mainly about monsters, most commonly vampires and then, with my own mental state debilitating, I started to write about mental health problems. I wrote three fiction novels before having my autobiography 'Suicide Junkie' published and it was sometimes the idea of finishing those books that kept me alive. The doors that opened once I was published could never have been predicted. I found myself, a person that once couldn't even leave the house, a spokesperson for mental health on live TV, on the radio, in magazines and in newspapers spreading awareness of body dysmorphic disorder. I also found people wanted to hear my story. I did a talk at the local book shop and people came from all over to listen to my experience and have done quite a lot of public speaking since then, usually about self harm and suicide, a subject I know too well. But my life is so different now. I haven't cut myself for about a year and haven't attempted suicide since my son was born despite feeling, at one time in my life, that I was addicted to suicide attempts clocking up 7 serious attempts. Having a caring wife and a little boy to look after are the best medication but I am also on antidepressants and antipsychotics. I found the meds to be a miracle cure for the distorted self image problem (BDD) but my borderline personality is still there. I have the suicidal thoughts but I have not acted upon them and actually seek help when I am in a bad state. I sometimes take extra doses of my antidepressants as a form of self harm and I am aware how fragile my mental state is but really, considering how I used to be, I am doing very well. I truly believe that you never know what changes life has to offer. I often think I write better when I am depressed and that, at least, is something good that can come of being so unhappy. Writing is cathartic even if it is fiction. My new book 'A Moment Gone' is a collection of short prose, mostly fictional, fables, dark tales and even the odd bit of poetry. It was written during my worst moments, metaphors for my mental health problems, failed relationships and ideas I had that I wanted to put in to words. Writing is a way of gaining clarity of your thoughts and making sense of things, making a permanent statement without suicide. The stories have double meanings and probably explain more about my mental state at the time of writing than even I realise. I make very little money from the books but having them out there is a great achievement. I intend to write more in the future pulling from my experiences. I just hope they entertain and help others to understand the disorders and perhaps even themselves. 'Suicide Junkie' and 'A Moment Gone' by S.Westwood are published by Chipmunkapublishing. S.Westwood works alongside Visiting Lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire Baya Salmon Hawk to provide mental health training on one day courses... this is something that is growing and please check here for further details. Baya and Stephen's specialities are self harm, suicide, personality disorders and image concern. Both have a lot of experience working on training all manner of professionals. They have worked for MIND and viewpoint, Baya has a therapy background and Stephen has presented on a number of suicide prevention conferences as well as training days and has a lot of media experience also. If you are interested in booking training of this sort please email info@swestwood.com and/or look at Baya's website...Baya Salmon Hawk mental health training info |  |
