Description

By Matthew David Hill

ISBN: 978-1-84991-233-4
Published: 2010
Pages: 122
Key Themes: autobiography, depression, oppression, schizophrenia

Description

‘Lewton’s Affinity With The Pearly Gates.’ is an autobiographical account of the first hand mental health experiences of its Author, Matthew Hill, who is played in fiction by the Book’s main character Lewton Krill. The story is based upon several key themes, the main being the diagnosis and misdiagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia, and the potential diagnosis of depression. Other themes include fighting against the oppression in mental health suffering, sufferer’s experiences in fighting for a dream, fighting to keep alive and safe and also sufferers, in this case Lewton, trying to find out what comfort there is in love existing. The book follows Lewton through university, relationship breakdowns, battles with drugs and medication, losing jobs, Lewton’s experiences of losing and fighting to keep friends, family and loved ones, and finally it gives insight into how Lewton deals with his own mental health and the mental health of others in his role as counsellor, detailed in the second part of the book.

About the Author

“Its pressure that carries the burden of promise.” Matthew Hill was born in Kampala, Uganda, in 1984. As an orphaned child his life began with a grasp of misfortune losing his biological parents. He knew his life would hold challenges for him many would struggle to comprehend. Adopted by English parents he was fortunate that he would never go without love and would always have a home to go to. He spent his formative years in Uganda, until he moved to England at age 11. He began his path to success in academics and sport at this young age. He represented Staffordshire county as their school championship’s winner, and played semi professional youth football. He was a hard working academic and in 2002 to 2005 he attended Keele university where he gained an upper second class honours degree in LLB Law and Criminology. With a promising legal career before him his world was set up for success. However, his life took a turn for the worst as a loving relationship began to collapse and its final severance from his heart completely shattered his world.

He became depressed and his world caved in. In 2006, at age 22, he was admitted into a mental health hospital, the first of two occasions, where after a series of events he was diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenic. Four years later, in 2010, after suffering from a rollercoaster of oppression and mistreatment, he was informed this was a misdiagnosis. Unfortunately for Matthew, the misdiagnosis not only intensified the pressure on his shoulders, he also endured medicines which were wrongly prescribed, and received treatment which did not get to the root causes of his feelings of intense loss. His medical health in 2010 and at the time of writing ‘Lewton’s Affiliation with the pearly gates’ feel he had suffered a form depression. Now his psychiatrist, reserves a current diagnosis as it visible to him that Matthew experienced an intense melancholic tragedy which passed and Matthew is now in full health. Matthew Hill is now about to commence a Masters qualification in Counselling Psychology, to practice as a Counsellor in future.

Book Extract

Lewton and Annette are poles apart, mainly because, if it is to be believed, I think Lewton could be Bipolar and she suffers from a disease of the mind called self righteousness. I could look at Lewton puzzling over something when we were together and he would let the silence breathe and now in his work allows for the same silence to breathe life into a moment. However, when Annette was around he seemed consumed by her sheer presence or the magnitude of her feelings or thoughts and always seemed restless in his forthrightness. The conversation we had on the distinct differences and intertwined similarities of philosophy and law was poignant because we could share such problematic equations with each other and not be fazed, however when Lewton put such arguments forward to Annette he would say to me she would simply say he was trying to make himself sound brighter than her. Upon impact of her criticism he would shut down. Slowly but surely all elements of his life shut down, his sport went out of the window, his friends became email friends, his family became secondary and his career came last to any of Annette’s whims and criticisms. In fact for him, though mighty and strong in use of his shield and sword in the battle to gain a career up until university and in successfully gaining an higher upper seconds in law, it was his downfall, as all the energy that made him so forceful and effective was drained out of him and he gave up his shield when he left Annette and fell on his own sword. We all graduated after a torrid and difficult final year. I managed the same degree classification as Lewton and Isabella and we share a joke that even after all our arguments no-one stood out as the fine leader.