A Shaft of Light (Electronic book text)

DescriptionOne woman's battle to conquer phobia upon phobia. Born in 1944 and brought up on a council estate was sent to a mental institution in the 1960's to correct fainting attacks. The experiences left her so traumatised she turned in on herself. Starving and seemingly without hope clung to her faith and was not abandoned by God. Shafts of light would filter through to direct her course to achieve more than she dared to hope. About the AuthorThis is not a story of a miracle cure but a frank account of how I have tried to conquer or live with the manifold fears and phobias which engulfed my life. School phobia turned to agoraphobia and later OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) until every waking hour was governed by fear and phobia. I was in my 40's when I began to sit on chairs on a regular basis having spent many years Sitting on the floor isolated and rocking in long spasms. I still have problems and life will always be a challenge however; I have made much Progress without medication but by prayer, perseverance and kind helping hands. This book tells of my experiences in a mental hospital in the country in the 1960's and the vast difference of treatment and approach in modern times in a local psychiatric hospital after the refreshing wind of change blew through the corridors of time and shame. I emerged from being written off as unemployable to doing voluntary work with animals Then dispensing and reception work at a vet practice before eventually securing a part Time job for an optician. This book is a tribute to all who have helped me by word or deed, no matter how small a part they have played in my life, mentioned in this book or not and I dedicate this book to all of them.