Depra.si

Open mind

The Depra journey.

Two years ago I wrote a 'Get a Life' column about being a Slovenian service user. I mentioned then that I was planning to write a book about my experiences of depression. Well, I've done it. The book was published in February 2007 in Slovenia and it was then translated into English and published in September 2007 by the Chipmunka Publishing house. It is called Depra which is a common Slovenian expression for depression.

There has been a very positive response to Depra in Slovenia. It has been described as 'a book about courage'. Since it appeared I have received several thank you letters and have found myself changing over the night from a person who needs help into a person who gives help and this feels wonderful. Depra hashelped me to realize my dream of being a writer.

Depra was written in a very difficult period of my life, in the long months of transformation while I was asking myself a lot of questions. I found the answers in my own soul, in my own faith, in God's love and I feel I became a self-therapist writing Depra. Maybe that is why people have told me that my book helped them to resolve some of their problems and gave them strength and hope.

I have found that writing and talking are two very effective ways to express pain, fear, anger and other feelings which stop us moving towards a happy and creative life. I have developed a way of writing which has helped me to release feelings, that have been buried deep in my consciousness. We need to get to know ourselves if we want to change and improve our lives and we must accept ourselves as we are and love ourselves. After we learn all that, we have a chance of recovering from depression .

I launched Depra in England by holding a creative writing workshop, because members of the Suresearch writers group invited me to Birmingham. After the workshop I talked to an audience of thirty service users about how and why I had written Depra. It was another first for me and good to spend time with people who understood what I was talking about. Details about Depra can be found at www.chipmunkapublishing.com . I hope you enjoy the journey, I wrote it for you. I also welcome you at www.depra.si. where you can learn something more about me and what is happening with service users in Slovenia.
Renata Ažman





	About me Japajade Depra Mailbox Press CEIMH Birmingham Open Mind	Open mind The Depra journey. Two years ago I wrote a 'Get a Life' column about being a Slovenian service user. I mentioned then that I was planning to write a book about my experiences of depression. Well, I've done it. The book was published in February 2007 in Slovenia and it was then translated into English and published in September 2007 by the Chipmunka Publishing house. It is called Depra which is a common Slovenian expression for depression. There has been a very positive response to Depra in Slovenia. It has been described as 'a book about courage'. Since it appeared I have received several thank you letters and have found myself changing over the night from a person who needs help into a person who gives help and this feels wonderful. Depra hashelped me to realize my dream of being a writer. Depra was written in a very difficult period of my life, in the long months of transformation while I was asking myself a lot of questions. I found the answers in my own soul, in my own faith, in God's love and I feel I became a self-therapist writing Depra. Maybe that is why people have told me that my book helped them to resolve some of their problems and gave them strength and hope. I have found that writing and talking are two very effective ways to express pain, fear, anger and other feelings which stop us moving towards a happy and creative life. I have developed a way of writing which has helped me to release feelings, that have been buried deep in my consciousness. We need to get to know ourselves if we want to change and improve our lives and we must accept ourselves as we are and love ourselves. After we learn all that, we have a chance of recovering from depression . I launched Depra in England by holding a creative writing workshop, because members of the Suresearch writers group invited me to Birmingham. After the workshop I talked to an audience of thirty service users about how and why I had written Depra. It was another first for me and good to spend time with people who understood what I was talking about. Details about Depra can be found at www.chipmunkapublishing.com . I hope you enjoy the journey, I wrote it for you. I also welcome you at www.depra.si. where you can learn something more about me and what is happening with service users in Slovenia. Renata Ažman