ABSTRACT
Agnes Richter returned to Britain for Hearing Voices Network's (HVN's) annual meeting. Her colleagues were busy planning trips to the American Psychological Association's convention. Like every registered charity in the United Kingdom, HVN is required to have an annual general meeting (AGM) of its members to elect officers and vote on policy changes. There's a bit of the traditional conference at this particular AGM, with some formal papers read on topics of interest to members. Philip Thomas reports on a research project funded by Mind, the United Kingdom's largest mental health charity, which surveyed people who'd weaned themselves off psychiatric medication. The structure of local HVN groups varies a great deal: Some have fixed membership, whereas others operate as drop-ins. Some are facilitated by nurses, social workers, or occupational therapists; others are run entirely by voice hearers themselves. At HVN groups, people hear about a range of techniques that have proven helpful.
