Meaning making and psychosis

A missing aspect of Dr Jordan's interesting interview in the March Psychologist, 'Helping others gives people so much meaning in their life', which features his awakening to the prevalence of post-traumatic growth after psychosis, was the role of meaning making. 

South London and Maudsley's 'Need for Care' research stream, led by Dr Emmanuelle Peters, has convincingly demonstrated the impact of how anomalous experiencing is conceptualised on outcomes. Grof and Grof's 1992 The Stormy Search for the Self: Understanding and Living with Spiritual Emergency offers one potentially positive way of making sense of such experiences, enhanced by social endorsement of a like-minded group. 

This was the impetus behind the foundation in 2005 of the UK Spiritual Crisis Network. This non-profit company limited by guarantee, has been offering email support and peer groups to those undergoing crisis with two messages: keep safe; ground yourself in the present and access medical help in case of risk, at the same time as holding out the hope that many who have undertaken the same journey have found it to be ultimately transformative, including many of our volunteers. See our website.

Isabel Clarke
Consultant Clinical Psychologist with the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Ft Trust