Month: August 2014

Does long-term use of “antipsychotic” drugs cause more disability & more psychosis?

by Ron Unger This sounds like a weird question – everyone knows that psychosis is often very disabling, and antipsychotic drugs are widely recognized for their effects in reducing psychosis in at least most people, and most often taking effect in just a few days. And when people become psychotic again, it’s often understood that it’s because they “weren’t taking their meds.” But what if it’s trickier than that? What if “antipsychotic” drugs make things better in the short term, but make long term problems worse? How would we even know? … [click on title to read and view more]

The stream of life

The same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day runs through the world and dances in rhythmic measures. It is the same life that shoots in joy through the dust of the earth in numberless blades of grass and breaks into tumultuous waves of leaves and flowers. It is the same life that is rocked in the ocean-cradle of birth and of death, in ebb and in flow. I feel my limbs are made glorious by the touch of this world of life. And my pride is from the life-throb of ages dancing in my blood this moment. … [click on title to read and view more]

The war on grief

by Robert D. Stolorow The DSM5, the most recent version of psychiatry’s diagnostic bible, makes it possible to classify grieving that endures beyond a rather brief span of time as a mental illness. … [click on title to read and view more]

The middle way to eating (intuitive eating) #foodie friday

I've not read the below book, but I like the way it's talking about food, because although I've needed to change my diet in all sorts of radical ways during this healing process I find myself in, I actually do have a practice around food that looks much like what this quote from this book speaks to. I am actually quite flexible within the restrictions I have no choice but to impose while my body heals. I am not generally afraid of food and I routinely introduce new foods as I heal. It's been an amazing and lovely learning journey in so many ways. When people have very real food intolerances finding one's way back to moderation and flexibility can be a challenge, but it's not impossible. One thing I've needed to do is not care what others think. I have some very real intolerances and there really are foods I cannot eat for the time being. That is okay. It is real. We can still find what flexibility means for us even if that is the case with some foods for us. … [click on title to read and view more]

A way to be on this earth and not shy away from the pain

Wow. Just wow! A wave of gratitude arriving on the shores of a radical earth based faith that is lived, a faith that is in and of itself, nature being natural. Nature engages constantly with itself like this. I'll share here that there is this heartbreak in me, a general sadness and despair I feel about many of the issues we face as a collective earth and as a human species. The suffering on this planet often overwhelms me. I sense along with many other animals that whether by natural events or by our own human hands, probably a convergence of both, this earth our home and everything that lives on it is in for massive changes and challenges in the next century and we will need new ways to engage on this planet if we are to make it without devolving into a big ugly mess. And yet life goes on! Even if nature shakes off the current natural inhabitants, life will go on in some new way and so we live on endlessly. … [click on title to read and view more]

You’re invited to celebrate UNHAPPY HOUR

You're invited to celebrate Unhappy Hour. It's a ceremony that gives you a poetic license to rant and whine and howl and bitch about everything that hurts you and makes you feel bad. During this perverse grace period, there's no need for you to be inhibited as you unleash your tortured squalls. You don't have to tone down the extremity of your desolate clamors. Unhappy Hour is a ritually consecrated excursion devoted to the full disclosure of your primal clash and jangle. … [click on title to read and view more]

Training the wisdom body: adverse experience allow us to connect with others

Sitting still in meditation may be the common image that comes to mind when one thinks of Buddhist practice—but just as important is cultivation of awareness through movement. … [click on title to read and view more]

The anger and rage collection: what we don’t engage we cannot transform

Anger is an emotion many people have so much trouble with that what happens is that is they end up denying that it's how they feel and also then, in turn, become unable to be present to it in others. This is not an effective way to heal if one has good reason to be angry. In fact it becomes impossible. Most people have good reason to be angry. We live in a culture of abuse and trauma and we've all been hurt. We also see a world where forces that feel much bigger than us are hurting many 1000s and millions of people all over the world. We also watch as our world and planet is being destroyed. So many good reasons to be angry, yes. And so many good reasons to be totally and completely aware of what is going on around us. We need to get it together! The world is a mess and it's a mess because of us. Human beings. So, what do we do about it? … [click on title to read and view more]

Special graces

This is my interpretation of spiritual experiences or special graces: Those to whom more is given, more will be expected – meaning, grace is shoring us up for what is down the road. I was always skeptical of special graces because the generosity they elicit seems to gear us up for some trial ahead. Special graces make us fearless and reckless in giving all and doing all. … [click on title to read and view more]

Depression and the Call to Adventure

By Jason E. Smith
The journey of the hero begins with a call. Something in the life of the individual feels in need of a change.

It may be a job, a relationship, or a system of belief — some aspect of life that once felt meaningful, but no longer seems to provide sustenance for living.

For example, you may find that one day you look up from your desk at work, see all the activity taking place around you, and ask yourself that most dangerous of questions: Why?

“Why am I doing this? What’s it all for? Is this all my life is about?”

When you hear yourself asking these questions, you are hearing the call. … [click on title to read and view more]

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