Lia Govers

Born in The netherlands in a family of 11 siblings because of great conflicts mostly with my mother I went to live on my own at the age of 18, with the help of a higher scholarship. Three months later I started hearing voices, but was able to stop listening to them.

Sure at the time I had nothing to lose at all, I left Holland at the age of 20 and since then I always lived in Italy. I married an italian and we now have a grown-up son.

I worked for years in a part-time job using my knowledge of foreign languages. I graduated in Pedagogy in Italy too, but never used this study for a job.

When my mother died in 1994, I slowly started hearing voices again, but this time I really went completely out of control and for at least three years and a half I was 'paranoid and delusional'. I ended up with a forced hospitalization, stayed 2 months in the psychiatric ward of a hospital, 13 months in a halfway house. From then on I turned home, starting my psychodynamic psychotherapy that ended in April of 2009.

I completely stopped taking psychotropic drugs in 2002.

Since June of 2006 I was invited to write my own story and this-surprising even myself-really ended up in a great awareness-process and in a mindfullness.

Since the end of 2007 I collaborate in speeches about recovery at italian mental health congresses. I made some interviews for italian television and radio and have written two psychiatric articles, together with my ex-psychiatrist, dr. Giuseppe Tibaldi.

I have been very lucky for I was cured and surrounded by a very 'human' psychiatric approach.

Since 2010 I run a voice hearers group in my city too.

Currently- November 2013-I am writing another article together with my ex-psychiatrist for the International Journal of Mental Health about the efficacy of writing during the recovery process.