Welcome
to “Liver Life Cafe” Stoke-on-Trent
Working in collaboration with
People
who
suffer
from
some
of
the
many
forms
of
depression
will
know
only
too
well
just
how
hard
it
is
trying
to
cope
with
such
a
terrible
affliction.
Some
of
those
dark
clouds
can
persist
for
days,
weeks
and
even
months.
They
interfere
with
our
work,
social
life,
and
family
life.
That
feeling
of
sadness,
hopeless
and
loss
of
interest in things that we used to enjoy and that made us happy, have all but vanished.
The
abuse
of
alcohol
as
a
form
of
self-medication
for
depression
is
widely
known.
But
what
isn’t
dealt
with
or
spoken
of,
is
the
often-traumatic
mental
fallout
a
person
can
suffer
from
a
liver-related
medical
condition
or
following a liver or organ transplant. Guilt becomes a major factor.
This
website
is
about
raising
awareness
of
this
often-neglected
condition
and
to
offer
support
and
a
great
understanding
of
this
debilitating
condition.
The
support
group
meetings
are
to
be
held
every
two
weeks.
The
first
meeting
will
be
for
those
who
have
a
liver
condition
and
are
presently
seeking
medical
treatment.
All
family
members
and
carers
are
welcome
to
all
these
meetings
as
their
input
too
can
be
of
great
value and benefit to others.
The
following
meeting
is
for
those
who
have
undergone
a
liver
transplant
and
who
may
now
have
some
underlining
issues.
These
may
include
ongoing
health concerns or some delayed mental health issues.
So, what’s this all about then?
So,
the
lucky
ones
who
have
had
their
liver
transplant,
may
feel
like
they’ve
been
reborn.
You’d
think
a
person
would
be
elated
and
full
of
happiness
and
joy.
However,
for
some,
there
is
a
deep
feeling
of
sadness
that
they
now
feel
towards
their
donor.
Who
was
this
wonderful
person
who
has
now
saved
their
life?
This
totally
unselfish
gift
from
a
total
stranger,
can
become
such
an over whelming pressure.
A
person
can
also
often
feel
an
immense
feeling
of
guilt
and
unworthiness.
In
some
countries
this
is
known
as,
“Survivors
Guilt”
and
for
some,
this
condition
is
treated
as
a
form
of
PTSD
(post traumatic-stress disorder).
There
is
often
very
little
support
available
once
a
person
leaves
hospital
here in the UK.
The
body
may
have
been
treated,
but
the mind is often left to struggle.
UNDER CONSTRUCTION