Description

By Peter Plant

ISBN: 978-1-84991-797-1
Published: 2012
Pages: 70
Key Themes: Mental Health, Alcoholism, Psychiatry, Depression, Self-Harm

Description

Hammerite spider charts the struggles of a young construction worker trying
to get to grips with mental illness. This struggle develops at several levels, his ability to cope with the type of lifestyle considered the norm for building workers hard work followed by copious amounts of alcohol. But there is something about Joey that can not hack this lifestyle, somethings not right and alcohol becomes a prop for something more sinister.

Eventually hospitalised, Joey gradually realises that his struggles have become ever more complex. Traumatised, but moved by what he sees around him, ignored and abused by the people hed sought help from he develops a hard-nosed level of nihilism towards psychiatry that would mould his character for years to come.

A tale of self-harm, alcohol abuse, major depression and the appalling fate of our suicidal young that Chipmunkapublishing is trying so hard to put an end to.

About the Author

Born in Aston, Birmingham in 1951, Pete left school at 15 with no qualifications and a head, according to his mother, like a porridge pot . He drifted into the building game firstly as a hod carrier then, after a long period of illness, trained at a local skill centre and became a carpenter. Pete first experienced difficulties in his late teens in the form of anxiety and panic which led to alcohol abuse and eventually severe depression. Hospitalised twice in his twenties he somehow managed to avoid being re-admitted until much later in life where he was diagnosed with manic depressive illness. Unlike far too many Pete survived, sometimes by the skin of his teeth and with the support of a wonderful family and loyal friends. Pete feels strongly that the plight of the young mental health sufferer could be greatly eased if a system of admission to acute wards was founded that would alleviate the intense shock to the system of already fragile minds.

Pete now teaches construction at an upper school near Leicester. Sadly, at 60, he has become largely apathetic and somewhat switched off when meeting mental health personnel. This is partly due to him still harbouring bitterness at his earlier treatment by professionals, partly because he is heard it all before and partly because he is deaf in one ear. He does fully acknowledge though that there are many mental health carers and professionals who take great pride in their work and genuinely care.