14 Comments
User's avatar
Kimberly Warner's avatar

Huzzah beautiful. May this treasure take flight and travel far and wide. I also applaud your brave marketing skills and believing in yourself as much as we do. You are a trailblazer, an inspiration, a force. ❤️

Expand full comment
Eleanor Anstruther's avatar

❤️💃🏻 right back at you xx

Expand full comment
Harriet Grae's avatar

Hi Eleanor, I'm new to your Substack. Congratulations on your new book! I'm sure that launching it into the world must feel wonderful. I enjoyed your interview with Kimberley Warner recently. It's clear that you take a compassionate and trauma-informed view of mental health issues - thank you.

I am a mental health peer worker, supporting others with serious diagnoses on their recovery journeys. So I appreciate the efforts of everyone working in this space to improve community understanding and reduce stigma.

I'm a bit confused about the comment you made at the end of your book launch speech, however, where you suggest that different diagnoses should be treated the same way. Without further conversation, I'm not exactly sure what you mean here, but thought it is worth saying that an important aspect of mental health support and recovery is NOT treating people according to their diagnoses, but rather, by their personal symptoms and needs in the moment.

Living well with mental health conditions is possible when people receive community-based psychosocial support -- including peer support. Here in Australia, a person is sectioned only as a very last resort, when they are at significant risk of causing serious harm to themselves or someone else. Their diagnosis is irrelevant. (Just as treatment of physical illnesses is tailored -- no two people with 'cancer' are treated 'the same'.) Would love to hear more about your experience and where your are coming from. Warmly, Harriet

Expand full comment
Eleanor Anstruther's avatar

Hi Harriet, thanks for your comment on this. I’m not actually for diagnoses at all, let alone the treatment according to. The point I was driving at was equality, rather than specific treatment types. Meanwhile, welcome to my work, I’m glad to have you on board. I’d be interested to hear your response to the novel so do let me know your thoughts if you read it.

Expand full comment
Harriet Grae's avatar

Yes, responding to all people as equals is the basis of peer support. Equal doesn't mean 'the same', though, because each person is different, with different needs, symptoms and preferences. Person-centred care is easy in theory, but there are still layers and layers of assumptions and misconceptions that clinicians and the broader community make about mental health symptoms, where they come from, and how much control people have over them. And when people don't understand, they often have a strong impulse to (mis)judge... Yes, I'd love to read your book sometime. Thanks for writing it.

Expand full comment
Eleanor Anstruther's avatar

Thank you for pointing out this important distinction, and for the work you do in the field. All my best, Eleanor

Expand full comment
Julie Gabrielli's avatar

Big congratulations to you! Your work on the publishing and promotion side is as inspiring as your stories.

Expand full comment
Eleanor Anstruther's avatar

😊

Expand full comment
Stephanie's avatar

Eleanor, I read In Judgement of Others at the weekend and really enjoyed it. Thank you.

Expand full comment
Eleanor Anstruther's avatar

So pleased! Thanks for letting me know.

Expand full comment
Mr. Troy Ford's avatar

Hear, hear! Well said, Eleanor!

Expand full comment
Allie's avatar

Racing through the fabulous Fallout, In Judgment of Others ordered yesterday from our town's indie (charity-run) bookshop, and what a great interview @The Empress. This age, if we're lucky enough to make it so far, is the best age.

Expand full comment
Eleanor Anstruther's avatar

Thanks, Allie 📚

Expand full comment
Linde's avatar

Interesting; Looking forward to your March calendar Q&A series with Sarah Fay; <3⚡

Expand full comment