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On the Brink

Stories of harm and healing from a lifetime in psychiatry

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On the Brink

By: Penelope Campling
Narrated by: Penelope Campling
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About this listen

 We have lost our way when it comes to treating serious mental illness: this is a powerful call to arms from highly respected doctor and therapist, Penelope Campling.

'Deeply thoughtful and compassionate' Susie Orbach, author of In Therapy

'As a GP I wish I could send patients to Penelope Campling; as someone worried about failing mental health services, I wish she were in charge.' Gavin Francis, author of Adventures in Human Being

NHS psychiatrist and psychotherapist Dr Penelope Campling has spent a lifetime on the frontline of mental health care, working with patients in crisis. Now she has an urgent message for us all: with our health service at breaking point, we are failing people in serious mental distress. We can and must do better.

Dr Campling invites us into her therapy room. At the forefront of a radically new approach to working with mental illness, she shows how therapeutic communities have helped her patients to break generational cycles of trauma, change crippling internal narratives of shame and despair, overcome abuse and rebuild their lives to find meaning and hope.

Moving and insightful, On the Brink combines patients’ stories with candid self-reflections on the difficult business of helping others.

'A book with the power to move and inform . . . [Campling] is an expert in "intelligent kindness".' Gwen Adshead, author of The Devil You Know

'[An] insightful, important book . . . an exhibition of what could be possible and an invitation to act to deliver that vision.' Kathryn Mannix, author of Listen

'This book oozes compassion and kindness and made me want to be a more understanding doctor.' Kate Milton, British Journal of GP Practice

Previously published in hardback under the title Don’t Turn Away: Stories of Troubled Minds in Fractured Times Mental Health Mood Disorders Neuroscience & Neuropsychology Personal Development Personal Success Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Health Inspiring
All stars
Most relevant
Everyone should read this highly empathetic highly personal account of what it's like to work in mental health care in the uk and what it's like to try and help people when the system allows it and when it doesn't. Anyone who has experienced services first hand will identify with it and those who haven't will come away more informed about the realities of how the system works and doesn't work.

Disturbingly Brillant

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While this book gives a good historical context of mental health systems, it also honestly explores the sad state of our attention to people’s trauma and distress in current times - a sad indictment of the poor thinking of politicians and leaders in the concept of investing to save - sometimes people’s lives!

Kindness and compassion and normality in abundance

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A helpful listen to all working in modern mental health services. Truth spoken openly. I found it very validating. A useful sauce for those who struggle and feel their are losing their passion to help others. Penny is also a lovely narrator.

Relevant, validating and insightful

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amazing thoughtful in my opinion gave clear answers on what it is needed for the struggling mental health system in the uk.

amazing and thoughtful

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The compassion and empathy shown throughout this book by Penelope Campling is a breath of fresh air. What a crédit she is to mental health in the NHS.

She discusses cases in the chapters and speaks on a personal level of how things went well or even her shortcomings with the care. Whatever the outcomes compassion and understanding are paramount.

If only the mental health sector was staffed by more people with her values, courage and commitment there could be change.

I particularly liked the epilogue when she spoke about visiting her granddaughters crèche. Her granddaughter explained about a corner in the crèche they could go if they did not feel right. There were different teddies to cuddle depending on how you feel and another teddy if you did not know and could take to a nursery nurse. Lastly the sand in the jar of water moment was so simple and effectively explained for young and old alike.

If children are enlightened to the their feelings even if they don’t understand them, mental health can be addressed without stigma and can be thought of positively, so a new generation can initiate changes for their futures.

What a empathetic doctor

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