Publisher's Synopsis
Description
"The Huddle" is a fascinating account of a woman's struggle to cope with hearing voices. What is it like to hear voices? Where do they come from? What, exactly, are they? Is there a way of getting rid of them? What do they say?
Janet gives a lucid and raw account of her life with "The Huddle." From the confusion of her teenage years, through marriage, babies, exorcism and rape. She is brutally honest and bravely attempts not to be euphemistic when writing down what the voices say, and are saying to her as she writes.
To say the writing of this book was a struggle is indeed an understatement! You will read about how the voices repeatedly ordered her to destroy her work, how she struggled against the fear of hallucinatory worms squirming up through the typewriter keys. There were beetles, nights of rotting and decay, incredible darkness and yet also glimmers of love and light and hope.
The horrendous counselling and exorcism by The Reverend is contrasted with the professional counselling received from a Consultant Psychiatrist and serves to make "The Huddle" a truly unique account.
About the Author
The author, now in her fifties, has suffered with mental health problems for most of her adult life after starting to hear voices at the age of fourteen. After two short spells in a psychiatric hospital she underwent five years of intensive psychotherapy following a disastrous attempt at exorcism by a Baptist minister.
Following this she went on to graduate with 1st class honours from Cardiff University, and also won a prize for her high exam marks.
She lives in South Wales, and has been married for over thirty years. She has two grown up children, two grandchildren and an elderly cat. No longer able to work, she devotes her time to her many hobbies and to writing.
