Liz Miller
Encyclopedia
Elizabeth Sinclair Miller (born 27 February 1957) is a British physician
, surgeon
, campaigner and writer
noted for her outspoken stance on mental health, and bipolar disorder
(manic depression) in particular. Although she has a long history of television and radio appearances, she came to public prominence in Stephen Fry
's Emmy Award
-winning documentary The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive in 2006. In 2008 she was voted Mind Champion of the Year by public poll.
at the age of eleven. From there she went to the University of London
, graduating from King's College
in 1979. After marriage to Richard Armstrong in 1995 she assumed his surname until separation in 1999. She suffered from a series of bipolar breakdowns, and now campaigns on behalf of the mentally ill.
for her paper "The Hypothalamic Control of Sodium Metabolism and the Syndrome of Inappropriate Natriuresis
". The stress of her career, being the only female neurosurgeon in the UK at the time caused her to have a hypomanic episode while practising in Edinburgh
that same year. She was sectioned for six months, after which she suffered from depression
. She said that this experience gave her the lasting insight that people with severe mental illness are best considered 'damaged; not ill'. "If I have learnt one thing, it is that the brain heals if you give it what it needs to heal."
In 1990 she returned to work in Bedford General Hospital
, transferring to Guy's Hospital
, London in 1991 to work in Accident and Emergency. In 1992 she had a second mental breakdown
and was admitted to the Maudsley Hospital
, part of King's College. After a year working as a medical adviser in the software industry she took an Art Foundation
Diploma
at the Byam Shaw School of Art.
In 1994 she was made a Member of the Royal College of General Practitioners
but had her third breakdown shortly afterwards. She was admitted to the Bethlem Health Care workers Unit at the Royal Bethlem Hospital, Shirley, London
. It was here that she met other physicians who were later to form the Doctors Support Network
. In 1996 she started work with the Manic Depression Fellowship
, and formed the Doctors Support Network with Dr Soames Michelson. She continued her academic career on a part-time basis, gaining a BA
in Psychology
from the Open University
in 2001 and an MSc
in Organisational Psychology from Birkbeck College, University of London
. She was awarded a Diploma in Occupational Health in 2002 whilst treating London Fire Brigade
personnel for mental health issues. It was in this latter post that she began her work on Mood Mapping.
Miller E.S., Crockard H.A. Transoral transclival removal of anteriorly placed meningiomas at the foramen magnum. Neurosurgery July 1987.
Miller E.S., Collins I., Seckl J.R. Hyponatraemia following subarachnoid hemorrhage: Sodium loss or fluid gain? J Clin Sci (abstr) 1987.
Miller E.S., Dias P. Uttley D. Subdural empyema; A review of 24 cases.Journal Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 1987 50 1415 - 1418
Miller E.S., Dias P. Uttley D. A review of one hundred cases of intracranial suppuration managed since the introduction of computerised tomography. British Journal of Neurosurgery 1988 3 105 - 108
Miller E.S., Montague A.P., Crone P., Kirby N.G., Quality Assurance in Accident & Emergency Medicine: Guy's Hospital. Health Trends. 1992 24 1 pp 38 – 40
Armstrong E. Safety of patients participating in drug trials. British Medical Journal 1998 317:818 (with simultaneous reply from Glaxo Welcome)
Miller Lizzie Career focus Helping troubled doctors BMJ 2002; 324: 148
Miller Liz, Doctors, their mental health and capacity for work Journal of the Society of Occupational medicine Occupational Medicine 2009 59(1):53-55; doi:10.1093/occmed/kqn111 http://occmed.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/59/1/53
1979, MBBS
King's College
, University of London
1983, Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (FRCS(Ed))
1993, Art Foundation Diploma, Byam Shaw School of Art
1994, Member of the Royal College of General Practitioners (MRCPG)
2001, BA
, Psychology
, Open University
2002, Diploma of Occupational Medicine
2005, MSc
, Organisational Psychology, Birkbeck College, University of London
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
, surgeon
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
, campaigner and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
noted for her outspoken stance on mental health, and bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder or bipolar affective disorder, historically known as manic–depressive disorder, is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated energy levels, cognition, and mood with or without one or...
(manic depression) in particular. Although she has a long history of television and radio appearances, she came to public prominence in Stephen Fry
Stephen Fry
Stephen John Fry is an English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, television presenter and film director, and a director of Norwich City Football Club. He first came to attention in the 1981 Cambridge Footlights Revue presentation "The Cellar Tapes", which also...
's Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
-winning documentary The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive in 2006. In 2008 she was voted Mind Champion of the Year by public poll.
Biography
The daughter of a gerontologist and a theatre nurse, Miller is the third generation of her family to become a physician. A difficult child by her own admission, she managed to persuade her parents to send her to Cheltenham Ladies' CollegeCheltenham Ladies' College
The Cheltenham Ladies' College is an independent boarding and day school for girls aged 11 to 18 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England.-History:The school was founded in 1853...
at the age of eleven. From there she went to the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, graduating from King's College
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
in 1979. After marriage to Richard Armstrong in 1995 she assumed his surname until separation in 1999. She suffered from a series of bipolar breakdowns, and now campaigns on behalf of the mentally ill.
Career
She began surgical training in 1982 and her Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons was conferred in 1983, whereupon she began training as a neurosurgeon. That same year, she developed several malignant melanomas, and believes she might not have received treatment in time had she not been a surgeon. Over the course of the next few years she published several academic papers, and in 1989 was Cheyne Medal runner-upRunner-up
Runner-up is a term used to denote a participant which finishes in second place in any of a variety of competitive endeavors, most notably sporting events and beauty pageants; in the latter instance, the term is applied to more than one of the highest-ranked non-winning contestants, the...
for her paper "The Hypothalamic Control of Sodium Metabolism and the Syndrome of Inappropriate Natriuresis
Natriuresis
Natriuresis is the process of excretion of sodium in the urine via action of the kidneys. Natriuresis is promoted by Brain and Atrial natriuretic peptides, and it is inhibited by chemicals such as aldosterone...
". The stress of her career, being the only female neurosurgeon in the UK at the time caused her to have a hypomanic episode while practising in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
that same year. She was sectioned for six months, after which she suffered from depression
Depression (mood)
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...
. She said that this experience gave her the lasting insight that people with severe mental illness are best considered 'damaged; not ill'. "If I have learnt one thing, it is that the brain heals if you give it what it needs to heal."
In 1990 she returned to work in Bedford General Hospital
Bedford Hospital
Bedford Hospital is a District General Hospital located in the English town of Bedford, serving north and mid Bedfordshire. It is run by Bedford Hospital NHS Trust.-Main site :...
, transferring to Guy's Hospital
Guy's Hospital
Guy's Hospital is a large NHS hospital in the borough of Southwark in south east London, England. It is administratively a part of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. It is a large teaching hospital and is home to the King's College London School of Medicine...
, London in 1991 to work in Accident and Emergency. In 1992 she had a second mental breakdown
Mental breakdown
Mental breakdown is a non-medical term used to describe an acute, time-limited phase of a specific disorder that presents primarily with features of depression or anxiety.-Definition:...
and was admitted to the Maudsley Hospital
Maudsley Hospital
The Maudsley Hospital is a British psychiatric hospital in South London. The Maudsley is the largest mental health training institution in the country...
, part of King's College. After a year working as a medical adviser in the software industry she took an Art Foundation
Foundation Course
A foundation course is a preparatory course for university-level art and design education, used particularly in the United Kingdom.-Description:...
Diploma
Diploma
A diploma is a certificate or deed issued by an educational institution, such as a university, that testifies that the recipient has successfully completed a particular course of study or confers an academic degree. In countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia, the word diploma refers to...
at the Byam Shaw School of Art.
In 1994 she was made a Member of the Royal College of General Practitioners
Royal College of General Practitioners
The Royal College of General Practitioners is the professional body for general practitioners in the United Kingdom. The RCGP represents and supports GPs on key issues including licensing, education, training, research and clinical standards. It is the largest of the medical royal colleges, with...
but had her third breakdown shortly afterwards. She was admitted to the Bethlem Health Care workers Unit at the Royal Bethlem Hospital, Shirley, London
Shirley, London
Shirley is a place in the London Borough of Croydon, England. It is a suburban development situated 10 miles south south-east of Charing Cross.-Description:...
. It was here that she met other physicians who were later to form the Doctors Support Network
Doctors Support Network
The Doctors Support Network is a confidential self-help group for physicians in the United Kingdom with mental health concerns. It was founded by Dr Soames Michelson and Dr Liz Miller in 1996...
. In 1996 she started work with the Manic Depression Fellowship
Manic Depression Fellowship
The Manic Depression Fellowship , often called The BiPolar Organisation is a British charity which works to help people with bipolar disorder take control of their lives. It has around 150 self-help groups across the UK, with around 5,000 members...
, and formed the Doctors Support Network with Dr Soames Michelson. She continued her academic career on a part-time basis, gaining a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
from the Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
in 2001 and an MSc
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
in Organisational Psychology from Birkbeck College, University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
. She was awarded a Diploma in Occupational Health in 2002 whilst treating London Fire Brigade
London Fire Brigade
The London Fire Brigade is the statutory fire and rescue service for London.Founded in 1865, it is the largest of the fire services in the United Kingdom and the fourth-largest in the world with nearly 7,000 staff, including 5,800 operational firefighters based in 112 fire...
personnel for mental health issues. It was in this latter post that she began her work on Mood Mapping.
Mood Mapping
Miller's first book, Mood Mapping, was published in the autumn of 2009. It is a practical book, guiding the reader to emotional health and happiness.Awards
- 1989, Cheyne Medal runner up
- 2005, Nominee, Mental Health Survivor Award
- 2008, Mind Champion of the Year
Major publications
Miller E.S., Neoptolemos J.P., Aitkenhead A.R., Fossard D.P. Management of severe head trauma in a non‑neurosurgical trauma centre. Journal Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. 1985. 430.pp 82–87Miller E.S., Crockard H.A. Transoral transclival removal of anteriorly placed meningiomas at the foramen magnum. Neurosurgery July 1987.
Miller E.S., Collins I., Seckl J.R. Hyponatraemia following subarachnoid hemorrhage: Sodium loss or fluid gain? J Clin Sci (abstr) 1987.
Miller E.S., Dias P. Uttley D. Subdural empyema; A review of 24 cases.Journal Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 1987 50 1415 - 1418
Miller E.S., Dias P. Uttley D. A review of one hundred cases of intracranial suppuration managed since the introduction of computerised tomography. British Journal of Neurosurgery 1988 3 105 - 108
Miller E.S., Montague A.P., Crone P., Kirby N.G., Quality Assurance in Accident & Emergency Medicine: Guy's Hospital. Health Trends. 1992 24 1 pp 38 – 40
Armstrong E. Safety of patients participating in drug trials. British Medical Journal 1998 317:818 (with simultaneous reply from Glaxo Welcome)
Miller Lizzie Career focus Helping troubled doctors BMJ 2002; 324: 148
Miller Liz, Doctors, their mental health and capacity for work Journal of the Society of Occupational medicine Occupational Medicine 2009 59(1):53-55; doi:10.1093/occmed/kqn111 http://occmed.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/59/1/53
Academic Qualifications
1977, AKCAssociate of King's College
The Associateship or Associate of King's College award has been the degree-equivalent qualification of King's College London since 1833. It is the original qualification that the College awarded to its students since, not being a university, it could not award a degree.Since 1909, only students...
1979, MBBS
MBBS
MBBS was a popular BBS system in the Nordic countries during the mid-1990s. It was created by a team of Oslo-based enthusiasts, led by Mike Robertson. As many BBS systems of that era, it was only available for the DOS platform. Since one process could only handle one node, multitaskers such as...
King's College
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
, University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
1983, Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (FRCS(Ed))
1993, Art Foundation Diploma, Byam Shaw School of Art
1994, Member of the Royal College of General Practitioners (MRCPG)
2001, BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
, Psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
, Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
2002, Diploma of Occupational Medicine
2005, MSc
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
, Organisational Psychology, Birkbeck College, University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...