Scout Tzofiya Bolton: 'Trust the patient'

What happens when a manic episode changes your life forever?This week, John sits down with author, poet, broadcaster and activist Scout Tzofiya Bolton.Scout speaks about living with schizoaffective disorder, experiencing psychosis, addiction and repeated struggles to access the right mental health support. They discuss the events that led to a prison sentence during a manic episode, the failings they encountered within mental health services, and the unexpected ways prison helped them rebuild their life.Scout also reflects on sobriety, faith, creativity and the power of poetry and radio to communicate experiences that can be difficult to put into words.Scout's book, The Mad Art of Doing Time is available now.If you need support, you can find advice and someone to talk to by visiting www.samaritans.org, emailing [email protected] or calling 116 123.You can send in your thoughts and reflections to [email protected] or via howdoyoucopepod.comWatch and subscribe on YouTube @howdoyoucopepodFollow the show on Instagram, TikTok and FacebookHow Do You Cope is a Significant Production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.