Kate's first book tackles link between cannabis use and mental illness

August 8th, 2011

Motueka author Kate K this week released her first book "Matters To A Head: Cannabis, Mental Illness and Recovery". It is a wry and intelligent exploration of the link between cannabis and mental illness, written from Kate's personal and professional experiences in the mental health system.

In a first for New Zealand, this book combines valuable tools for recovery from dual diagnosis disorders with an insightful look at the socio-political context of our mental health system and societal attitudes towards drug and alcohol use.

Kate questions the notion of cannabis as a 'soft drug', and challenges mental health providers to embrace the Te Whare Tapa Wha model of recovery to improve outcomes for people with co-existing addiction and mental health disorders. She argues that even those in the 'too hard' basket can recover with the right tools and support, and the book is rich with practical application.

It took her six months to write the book, she said, another six to revise it, going through about five drafts. She wrote it two years ago while living as "a bit of a gypsy" in a caravan on Koitiata Beach, south of Wanganui. "A thousand words a day," she said. "I just had to get everything out of my head on to the page."

Kate is a writer and Registered Nurse with many years experience at the coal-face of mental health and addiction services in New Zealand. She wrote it for those struggling with mental illness and addiction, but also for the medical workforce – nurses, mainly.

Her book is available from her website www.matterstoahead.co.nz $30 + $5 p&p.

It is also available as an e-book, and can be read online here, or you can follow Kate's reading of the book .

You can also read here an article about Kate and the background to her writing the book in the Nelson Mail on August 20th.

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