Welcome To The Jigsaw Ward
The Story Of A Nervous Breakdown

In 1998, Manchester singer songwriter Darren Poyzer suffered a nervous breakdown ...

"In January 1998, I started to sense that healthwise, all was not right. What started out as a mild fear of sharp table corners turned into intense panic and unusual behaviour patterns. Combined with erratic sleeping practices, aggressively powerful dreams, a lack of ability to cope at work and with personal emotions, I was admitted to hospital in April having suffered a nervous breakdown

Scared, edgy and acutely sensitive to the slightest suggestion of danger, my month in psychiatric residence doing jigsaws was a complete shock to my battered nervous system. It would be a full 13 months later that I would remove the props of medication, therapy sessions and classes, and once more attempt to face the World on my own two feet

I have always suffered from some form of depression but it wasn't until being diagnosed on this occasion as suffering from agitated depression that I realised just how far down is bottom. The taste of suicide in my mouth, visits by demons and nightmares clearer than real life are all things that even today, I can talk about at length and without hesitation


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I am of course not alone. Depression is 'The Silent Epidemic' and it is something that strikes in all walks of life. I am not a therapist or expert, but I can talk from the point of view of someone who has returned from this wicked and destructive illness to once more take the stage with an acoustic guitar and heartfelt songs. This is my proudest statement ...

The key to conquering mental illness I believe is communication, backed up by an inner strength based on faith in humanity. Then of course of necessity is the understanding of those around you, and an enormous amount of of time and patience. Ask any member of my immediate family, or chat with my partner at the time Cath, and they will tell you of the difficulties, the mood swings and the fears

To this day, I thank the staff at Bury General Hospital, psychiatric therapist Gwynneth Jones at Prestwich, and all those family and special friends who took the time to offer support at a vital time

To this day, I remain resolute that I will not be subject to the stigma aimed at mental health victims and survivors, and I remain I hope as a source of inspiration to those who themselves are suffering the cutting life threatening illness that is depression."