Walking with the Taniwha
Full details for this title
| Interest Age |
Young Adults |
| Reading Age |
Young Adults |
| NBS Text |
Autobiography: General |
| ONIX Text |
General/trade |
|
| Number of Pages |
Not specified |
| Dimensions |
Not specified |
| Weight |
Not specified - defaults to 600g |
|
| Dewey Code |
616.860092 |
| Catalogue Code |
Not specified |
Description of this Book
In the Maori world and depending on where you come from, the word 'taniwha' can have a different meaning, i.e. a deep water creature as a force for good or for evil. From a mental health perspective, the more narrator Paul Bennett fought a bad buzz, the more his anxiety could take him into psychosis, where he was fighting with demons and the devil. From a physical health perspective, the more he stressed when he had trouble breathing, the more his anxiety grew, leading to hyperventilation and often to a full-blown asthma attack. Through his journey of recovery, Paul has learnt to walk with his anxiety or un-wellness, hence the title Walking with the Taniwha.
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Author's Bio
Paul Bennett was a fit, staunch young man with the world at his feet. He was a top New Zealand surfer. He was also a party animal with fringe gang associations, who lived a life of hard-core drug and alcohol abuse. On the outside he might have given the impression he was a carefree Maori warrior, but on the inside he was sad, angry and empty. In 1999 Paul was given two months to live. Through a series of events, he fought the conventional medical system that had given him no hope and found natural therapies that put him on the slow road to recovery. With the healing of his body and his mind came the necessary (and sometimes painful) process of healing and reconciliation with his family, his Maori heritage and the mainstream system. In this completely revised edition of Walking with the Taniwha, Paul tackles the challenges of addiction and overcoming mental and physical ill-health, describing the options available for rehabilitation and wellness.
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