Kettering single mum turns her mental health around and uses her Schizoaffective Disorder to write gripping fiction novel

A single mum from Kettering has turned her mental health around and used her Schizoaffective Disorder to write a gripping fiction novel.

Julie, 52, explains: "I could never have written ‘The People's Justice’ without my mental health problems.

"I've always suffered from acute paranoia and a head crammed full of wild, wonderful, but mostly frightening ideas.

"I was diagnosed at the age 29, and whilst being sectioned, I started scrawling a rush of wild thoughts, ideas and paranoid beliefs inside an old notebook.

"Years later, and with a much calmer thought process due to medication, I decided to take a step back, sort out these 'crazy', mixed-up scribblings, and extract my fictional story.

"I have to say that it was extremely difficult, to the point of almost driving me back to a paranoid state of no return.

"I took a six-month break from writing, as I was scared where it was taking me.

"But I did manage to return and finish the book... and I'm so glad I stuck with it.

"I've received so many wonderful five-star reviews from my readers, all of whom read the whole book in a single day."

And Julie added: "There are many people throughout the world, suffering terribly with all different mental health problems, and I feel extremely lucky that I managed to take all the negative elements of my illness, and turned them into something positive.

"I would advise anyone out there, who is suffering, please seek the help which is available, and never give up on yourself, or your dreams.”