Applied Psychology, Psychiatry and Mental Health(Venue: Crowne Plaza)

Margaret Reece BA Hons is passionate about helping people with C-PTSD overcome their struggles. Through her life experiences of C-PTSD and the research of leading trauma experts, she aims to narrow the gap between therapist and client. A childhood, devoid of any predictable adult attachment figure, plus cumulative trauma, led to both emotions and thought processes shutting down. She was hospitalized, aged 19, for circa four years, given 30-40 ECTs, insulin therapy and medication; no success. She divorced herself from professional help to avoid lifetime institutionalization. In her sixties, she sought professional help; she had been misdiagnosed, aged 19, with what would now be known as a schizo-affective disorder and inappropriate treatment given. Two further misdiagnoses followed within the last ten years. The antipsychotic medication she had taken for 56years became unavailable, no warning; no substitute available. She set out to transform herself and others. Her book, Hope Restored: A guide to embracing the storms of C-PTSD is self-help, interspersed with memoir. It is being published later this year.