01 KEITH SHIRES summary

DVCPro Tape 01 of 09, VHS Tape 01 of 02                         01:00:38 - 01:30:24
 
Birth and childhood
Born premature on 3rd June 1944 in Cromford in Northern Derbyshire where mother was evacuated during the war. Soldier father got compassionate leave and stayed with family for rest of war, first in Derbyshire and then in Harpingdon. Father demobbed 1946 and family moved back to Hackney in London, close to grandmother and aunts. Was happy at primary school  but failed eleven plus and had to move to much tougher school in Dalston, where spent much time avoiding violence and bullying and learnt very little. At thirteen, family moved to Harrow, and Keith did much better in more stable atmosphere of new school.  Left school at  seventeen.   
 
Early  experience of mental distress and Shenley
At age seventeen, couldn't cope with loss of security of school, first job and death of grandmother and "cracked up". Admitted to Shenley Hospital with diagnosis of schizophrenia. Describes how he was frightened by plans to give him insulin coma treatment and ran from hospital. On return to Shenley, was transferred to male adolescent Unit under the care of Dr David Cooper.  Talks about atmosphere on Cooper Unit and “friendly, open and equal” Saturday morning meetings between patients and Dr Cooper.      
 
Life after discharge from Shenley
After first discharge from Shenley, worked in office but had problems because of dyslexia.   Did voluntary work for a few years.  Describes how he wrote a play but had it rejected by Unity Theatre in Camden and then had breakdown.   Was admitted by police to secure ward at Shenley.   Felt persecuted and talks about the prejudice that exists against people with mental health problems.
 
Adolescence and first breakdown
Talks about holidays he spent as a boy in Cornwall and how family tried to move there but were not able to.   At age thirteen moved to Edgware where he was much happier at new school.    Talks about first breakdown, being admitted to Shenley and writing poetry while in hospital.  Talks about how the highly  developed occupational therapy facilities and structured environment helped to develop people's skills.   Again talks at length of prejudice against people with mental health problems, and those who are rejected by society, and how British Justice system just sees them as a problem which has to be contained.    
 
Uncle and father
Uncle strong socialist and a pacifist and had a very good collection of books and was a great influence on Keith and his parents. Father also a socialist and won scholarship to Regent's Street Polytechnic but couldn't take it up because he had St Vitus Dance. Describes father going into sign-writing business, joining army for seven years and then going back into sign-writing.  Talks at length about lost opportunities, the competitive nature of society and the divisiveness of the eleven plus examination.   Sees himself as second generation who had problems with lack of fulfilment.
 
 
DVCPro Tape 02 of 09, VHS Tape 01 of 02                         02:00:24 - 02:28:53    
 
Books and reading
Was much influenced by the books Uncle used to bring to house, and also by books he bought for himself.   Was advised, because of dyslexia, to keep a diary but couldn't because of problems with concentration. Talks at length about the problems he currently has in concentration, which he thinks are due to medication.   Details medication (largactil, artane, stelazine) and talks about how drugs don't address social problems.   Now writes poetry to help him intellectualize, but feels medication destroys intellectual processes. Feels he is profound thinker because of influence of his Uncle and parents, and his own life experiences.
 
Being bullied at school
Talks about how he was bullied at school because he was perceived as showing off when he answered questions in class.  Now feels bullies were alienated from society and maybe couldn't relate in any other way.  Describes bullying and how it became less as he became more mature, integrated himself more into school community and did more sports etc.  Bullying made him feel worthless, detached from community and unacceptable.  Feels he may have made things worse for himself by being political at school.         
 
Home environment
Lived opposite Victoria Park, in a top floor tenement which consisted of two bedrooms and a kitchen.  For leisure, used to go to park across road and library in Hackney.   Talks about later going to the proms and the value of music in overcoming the negative effects of medication.  Also as child used to go to football at West Ham, usually visiting Uncle who lived there at same time. Liked atmosphere at football and sense of feeling part of something.  Reflects that was a good time to be young, new thinking and not so hypercompetitive.
 
Friends and community
Had friends in East End but after failing eleven plus, cut himself off from other boys at his school, and tried to associate with boys from grammar school but didn't really work because of intellectual snobbery. Local community spirit very open in fifties but changed as crime rate increased. Talks about loss of community now.  Family moved to Queensbury because it was quiet and they would have a garden.   Initially predominantly white area but later Asians and other groups moved in and new society developed.  Talks about some of the problems due to racial prejudice, and the increasingly competitive nature of society.
 
Ambitions as a child
Wanted to get married and have family. Would have liked to go into advertising or work in an office.  Enjoyed working in shop because of social contact, but pay  bad and no prospects.   Didn't feel he had the discipline to study to be a manager. Parents probably wanted him to give them grandchildren.  He himself would have liked a sibling. Doesn't blame parents or society for his problems - thinks he was just unlucky.
 
Grandmothers
Describes his two grandmothers and his maternal aunt. Maternal grandmother died of peritonitis when Keith seventeen - very traumatic.  Coped by being involved in boys club.  After admission to Shenley cut himself off from former friends because of the stigma.  Made new friends through joining labour party.  Started being political at about sixteen - writing several essays at school.  Felt he could have achieved more in life, but maybe his greatest achievement was just surviving.
 
 
DVCPro Tape 03 of 09, VHS Tape 01 of 02                         03:00:36 - 03:29:55    
 
First job
On leaving school, got printing job as a compositor. Got on well but after breakdown didn't have courage to go back because of the stigma.   For ten years hardly went out of house.    Talks about the implications of having a psychiatric diagnosis.
 
Concept of hospital as an asylum and his early ideas of mental hospitals
Talks about the concept of asylum within a large country mental hospital and how the environment can be calming and serve a practical purpose.   Shenley was not really isolated - compares it to places like Broadmoor.  When young, Keith thought mental hospitals were something to be fearful of, and worse than the workhouse.
 
First assessment
First contact with services when he could not sleep, was disruptive and parents could not cope.  Initially went to GP but did not take prescribed medication and sent to psychiatrist at Shenley.  Describes how he felt about psychiatrist and how he was diagnosed as schizophrenic and "intellectually impaired".  At the time of initial problems, his friends were unaware of what was happening to him because he cut himself off completely.
 
First impressions of Shenley
Felt dazed and tired on admission to Shenley.  Hospital wasn't as he expected.  Set out in villas, not like old Victorian buildings.   Environment not bleak but emotionally intimidating.
 
Villas
The villas were two-storey buildings.  On ground floor, staff offices and patients' rest room, dining room and general room while sleeping quarters were upstairs.  Villas were single sex - talks about mixed sex wards and how they might create tensions.  Describes sleeping area and night time in the ward. Talks about how he found environment quite stress-free and compares it to modern psychiatric hospitals.  
 
Security
Villas were locked at night but not during the day.  Windows did not have bars but opened  about six inches.  Patients sometimes used to be able to unscrew windows to get in and out.
 
Interactions between staff and patients
Problems arose between staff and patients if patients tried to "buck" the system.  Keith kept a low profile.   If patients were violent, were sent to block which was a five to six  storey building a little removed from the main villas, with a higher nurse:patient ratio.  Some patients went on to Broadmoor or Rampton from block, other returned to general wards and some were back and forth.   Talks about how there was sometimes violence between patients, but this was controlled to some extent because the patients so highly medicated.
 
 
DVCPro Tape 04 of 09, VHS Tape 01 of 02                         04:00:38 - 04:32:46
           
Buildings at Shenley
Describes buildings that made up Shenley, those for patients, residential nursing staff and doctors.   Talks about the building for the Alpha Club, which was run by patients for patients with a nurse in charge, and describes some of the activities that went on there.   Other buildings included those where occupational therapy took place; this was quite sophisticated and worked on the philosophy of pushing patients into some sort of structure.
 
Local amenities and attitudes
Shenley village was within walking distance, and patients could go into village to pubs,  Keith also went to couple of parish council meetings in village.   St Albans and Boreham Wood were a bus ride away.   Radlet was fairly near but not popular because some patients had committed suicide there.   Patients were accepted in the village by local people, probably because they were used to them being part of the community.  Also some of Shenley staff lived in village and this helped make hospital part of community.   When  allowed out to local amenities, patients had to be back by nine pm (sometimes later if in better health).   Initially, Keith not allowed out and felt very restricted; describes how once complained of tooth-ache as an excuse to get out for a while.
 
Life on the ward
While on ward, patients read books, played cards.   For the first few weeks most people just wanted to sleep because of the medication; not allowed to stay in bed and would sleep on a chair. Talks about how initially, patients had personal clothes locked away or taken home by relatives and had to wear night clothes, and how it was a real event when patients were allowed to wear their own clothes again.  Clothes washed either by relatives who would take them home, or hospital had own laundry facilities. Patients bathed themselves - compares difference in way patients in general hospitals treated.   Physical problems generally were addressed in compassionate way; Keith gives example of going to general hospital in St Albans with a patient who had a bad finger.  Problems arose when nurses used control and restraint.
 
Electro-convulsive therapy (ECT)
Talks about how distressing it was to watch other patients having ECT and how it would maybe have been better to take emotional and social action rather than purely physical action.   Saw patient go pale and shake during procedure, and afterwards dazed and with memory problems.  Keith felt ECT was given more to placate relatives that something was being done.   Mostly patients for ECT were middle aged women, at time of menopause.
 
Relationships between patients
Talks about the sense of community among patients through commonality of experience.   Talks about specific friends, and how some patients had physical relationships but these were generally frowned on.   Were several pregnancies, with baby being taken away immediately it was born and how this was an infringement of civil liberties.
 
Alpha club
Describes more about the Alpha Club, and how activities were well structured, outings organized and person in charge seemed prepared to take a few risks, compared to emphasis on public safety today.  
 
 
DVCPro Tape 06 of 09, VHS Tape 01 of 02                         05:00:36 – 05:29:19
 
Occupational therapy (OT)
Talks about how the buildings for OT were unimpressive but the work of OT was impressive.  Structured and gave a sense of routine; considered to be therapeutic, even in early acute stages of illness.   OT staff mostly women, low status, much below doctors and even nurses, but regarded very favourably by patients because less custodial than nurses and interested in social development.   Talks about Stepping Stone project, which is currently trying to work with patients to develop social skills in the community.   Also discusses the importance of education re mental health issues and some of the work he has been involved with in schools.
 
Bullying
Discusses bullying and how emotionally bruising it can be.  As child had kept much of his experiences of being bullied to himself.   Some of nurses at Shenley verbally bullied patients when they lost control.   Made Keith feel angry but he had to be careful what he  said because there was risk you would be injected if  you protested.
 
Cigarettes
One way of dealing with anger was to have a smoke. Cigarettes were a form of trading currency, but also part of socializing process.  Cigarettes could be bought at Alpha Club shop, where could also buy other things like sweets, pork pies etc.
 
Money and paid work at Shenley
Got weekly allowance of about two pounds from social security. Could earn more by working, particularly on farm.  Many of the women in Shenley involved in doing repetitive work (eg folding and stapling paper) for very little money, more just to give them something to do.   When Keith left Shenley, wrote to Jack Jones saying people in Shenley doing work should be unionised, and they should have same rights as normal workers, with pension rights etc, but he was told his argument was unacceptable.   If patients complained considered to be aggressive and antisocial and taken off work and so lost the little income they did get.   Men would work in laundering or gardening, including repairing garden tools.  On farm, kept pigs, grew vegetables, but patients paid much less than farm workers from local community.   
 
Mother and Baby ward
Patients from other parts of hospital discouraged from associating with women on mother and baby unit.  Women from there didn't attend Alpha Club much, but would sometimes at socials.  
 
Socials at Alpha Club
Social events held at Alpha Club.  No alcohol.   People danced and socialized but there were always people who couldn't socialize, maybe because of effects of medication.   There would be pop music and a buffet (at Christmas everyone got a bottle of Guinness).   Staff would be present, would break up any couples who were getting too friendly, particularly if same sex. .  
 
Visitors
Mother used to visit Keith every Wednesday, and Keith went home most weekends.  
 
 
DVCPro Tape 06 of 09, VHS Tape 01 of 02                         06:00:34 – 06:30:30   
 
Dr David Cooper
Describes Dr David Cooper, who was a Marxist psychiatrist who believed social factors were main cause of mental illness and how this alienated him from lot of his colleagues.  Ran Villa 24 (adolescent ward) for about ten years.   Closed down when  someone from NSF, who had relative on ward and didn't like what was going on there, leaked it to press.  David Cooper got no professional support from doctors or nurses, although patients liked him.
 
Saturday sessions with Dr Cooper
Describes meetings that were held every Saturday in Dr Cooper's office, saying sessions were  sometimes more like tutorial than therapy.  Sometimes difficult because of lack of structure, so more verbose people tended to dominate or people were sometimes very aggressive to each other, with psychiatrist only intervening after damage had been done.  Later sessions were changed to be more structured. Keith discusses issues around being judged ,and how this is different for a psychiatric patient compared to ordinary person.   Felt that nurses and doctors who were non-judgemental were regarded as being too soft.   Stresses the need for friendship with staff.   Talks about a charge nurse who he (and his parents) got on with particularly well.
 
A typical day
Woken  at 7am, breakfast (cereals etc) at 8am.   Between  9-10am had an hour to kill  so listened to radio,  9.30- 12.30 occupational therapy.   During OT, psychiatrist and therapist might come to talk to you. about what you were doing or other general things.  Then lunch in refectory. Then from 2-4pm OT and from 4pm time was your own - usually watched TV. 
 
Medication
Keith talks about reliance on medication and how he tried to avoid taking it.   How David Cooper took him off medication, and was then off  it  for  ten  years but then on re-admission to Shenley was put back on high doses and on it ever since.  Reflects how David Cooper was prepared to take risks, and contrasts it with attitude nowadays.   
 
Discharge and trying to find work
Discharged after a year in Shenley.   Describes problems with getting a job, and how being honest about yourself could be a problem. Had little help from hospital in finding work.  Got job at British Museum Newspaper library, but sacked  for talking to students.  
 
Work
Went into voluntary work - managed OXFAM shop for two years as a volunteer.  Also later did work for Labour Party on a voluntary basis.  Keith's father was annoyed he was not working and couldn't understand difficulties for someone with mental health history.   Mother was aware of stigma, but swept it under the carpet. Particular issue about not giving parents grandchildren.  Did some studying but never took exams.  Then wrote satirical play about media, submitted it to Unity theatre but rejected and resulted in Keith having breakdown  
 
Second admission to Shenley
On admission to Shenley for second time, very heavily medicated, but meant he got out quicker. Encouraged to write poetry in OT. GP sent senior social worker to see Keith, but eventually Keith taken in to Shenley by police.  Very angry, verbally aggressive.   On ward, knew some nurses from previous admission and this helped him adjust. Contact with psychiatrist very negative.
 
 
DVCPro Tape 07 of 09, VHS Tape 01 of 02                         07:00:34 – 07:30:35
 
Running away from insulin coma therapy
Prospect of insulin coma therapy made Keith run away from hospital because he was terrified of this treatment which "shakes one's brain up".   Had seen people on ward like zombies after treatment.  One person in coma for seven to ten days; leaked to Evening Standard and after bad publicity insulin coma treatment abandoned at Shenley and the psychiatrist responsible dismissed from hospital.  Staff response to Keith running away generally all right, some thought it was quite amusing.  David Cooper said it proved Keith had mind of his own and was not a zombie.  Not given insulin treatment and put on medication instead.   About one third of patients on ward in zombie state because of insulin coma therapy - patients relieved when treatment abandoned.
 
Other treatments seen
Sodium amytal sleep therapy - Keith had this briefly and felt it "calmed the brain down".  ECT.  Psychosurgery - patients sent to Brook Hospital; David Cooper against psychosurgery.   Talks about one particular person who had psychosurgery and effect it had on him and how he eventually committed suicide.  
 
Response to suicide on the ward
Suicide was a reminder that the same could happen to you.   Sense of loss and guilt about not doing enough for person who died.   Staff were supportive to patients and relatives.  Real sense of loss and guilt for staff as well as patients as person part of community.
 
Community and friendships
Sense of community showed itself in meetings with David Cooper, because he listened to patient's views on things as well as nurses' views.   Patients formed strong friendships between one another, with strong sense of solidarity.  Talks about how patients successfully stood up as a group for another patient to stop him being sent to block.   Felt it was beginning of User voice.
 
Departure of David Cooper from Shenley
Things on Cooper Unit started becoming out of hand and about ten years later situation chaotic.   Media were alerted by relative of patient on ward and Evening Standard exposed  Cooper, who was forced to leave Shenley. He went to East End but was very alienated and eventually went to France.  Keith reflects on how David Cooper had strong sense of sincerity, equality and liberalization, and how he taught him to always value one's own views.   After David Cooper left, a much more traditional approach was adopted at Shenley.
  
Discharge after second admission
Was older and more mature and with medication more placid on this admission and so discharged after only six weeks.
 
 
DVCPro Tape 08 of 09, VHS Tape 01 of 02                         08:00:48 – 08:32:45
 
Second admission to Shenley
Describes second admission to Shenley, and negative experience with psychiatrist.   Was in and out of hospital in six weeks.
 
Sport
Describes sports facilities at Shenley and league competitions between the various hospitals around St Albans.  Felt physical activity helped overcome effects of medication.
 
Other aspects of hospital life
Talks about food being “not very good”, although probably nutritionally sound.  Contact with the outside world included going to village, and seeing newspapers and television news.  Had access to library.  Also art therapy, sometimes on ward, or in occupational therapy or sometimes at Alpha Club.  Talks about writing poem about miners strike and how Thatcher later betrayed the miners, the injustices in society, his involvement with the labour party and how politicians need to be educated.
 
David Cooper
Talks more about David Cooper, particularly his last years and how he died alone in Paris. 
 
Attitude to closure of large asylums
Initially in favour, but feels that in early stages of illness good to put people into a less stressful environment.  Shenley not really isolated - more a sanctuary.
 
Re-integration into community
Joined Community Health Council and various local committees in the health authority and social services.  Set up Connections User Group with Cathy Pelikan.  Feels much of User work with professionals became tokenistic.  Survives because he feels he has the right to survive in the community just like anybody else.
 
Current circumstances
Lives with mother, who is getting older but still does a lot for Keith.  Ambition is to write poetry that is recognized. Has had several poems published in local paper and would like to use poetry as a political weapon as well as a literary talent.  Feels sad he is not married with children and in some ways feels he may have had a wasted life.
 
Current contact with mental health services
Contact now is only with general practioner, who he gets on with.  If he had problems now would go to local councillor friend.  Keeps political contacts intact because they may be practically useful because he feels vulnerable as a psychiatric patient, especially if something goes wrong in the local community.   Generally feels he is accepted by most people in locality  and has made effort to be communicative.   Current medication is largactil, stelazine and artane.  Believes medication serves a function and therefore takes it.  Reflects on how he was pushed into taking medication on his second admission to Shenley.   Says he grudgingly accepts his mental health problems.
 
Attitude to Testimony  video
Video has given him opportunity to have a voice which otherwise would not be heard.  Video is recognition of rights of Users/consumers to be heard.
 
 
DVCPro Tape 09 of 09, VHS Tape 02 of 02                         09:00:39 – 09:14:34
 
Expresses thanks
Thanks interviewer and crew for providing opportunity to have his rights as a consumer recognized by giving his views of mental health services.
 
Contact with other Users
Has contact with Brent User Group, Survivor's Poetry.  Has worked with local MEP about European approaches to mental health and the User movement in Europe.
 
Concerns about increasing focus on violence by Users
Worried about how Jane Zito and Marjorie Wallace have focused public attention on violence committed by a few Users.  Has tried to redress this focus by working in local secondary schools to give a truer picture of Users to young people.
 
Family photographs
Describes various family photographs that are on mantelpiece : father, self, aunt and mother.  Reflects on parents positive influence on him and about how his father's experiences of the war somehow hardened him.
 
CD collection
Talks about his love of classical music and his music collection accumulated over twenty years.
 
Certificate
Shows certificate he received for collecting £17,000 over a four year period for local hospital by running car boot sales.
 
End of DVCPro Tape 09 of 09 – End of VHS Tape 02 of 02
 
 
INTERVIEW ENDS