Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to provide a profile of Christopher Fox.
Design/methodology/approach – Christopher provides a short biographical account of his life thus far. He is then interviewed by Jerome. He describes how he has coped with serious depression.
Findings – Christopher claims that he owes his own life to two things, Philosophy and his close friend Helena.
Research limitations/implications – The wide diversity of first person accounts shows the necessity of collecting them as they reflect the lived experience of people battling with serious mental health problems. The personal is often lost in the quantitative world of “p values” and statistical tests.
Practical implications – Christopher mentions being helped by numerous informal chats with peers rather than medication and focussed psychological therapies.
Social implications – While Christopher drew much sustenance from the works of Nietzsche, he was most helped by a friend who had been his learning mentor at school. Friendship can be critical in maintaining hope.
Originality/value – Like many before him, Christopher says he “learnt more about myself in the days where I sat in the garden (with peer survivors) than in the collective sessions of therapy, CBT or hospital visits.”