An inspiring and profound speech from the late Alan Watts. Alan Watts audio courtesy of alanwatts.org with permission http://youtu.be/wU0PYcCsL6o More posts featuring Alan Watts work on Beyond Meds: Alan Watts on insecure societys and hermits Right here, right now: Alan Watts and Chögyam Trungpa (and Fat Boy Slim!) Guided Meditation (Awakening The Mind) — can serve as an... Continue Reading →
I have learned that trying to change myself actually gets in the way of healing.
MHP: It can be questioned as to whether this was the best forum for such a speech as family members and patients were present. Would this be better served to have been presented only to professionals to prevent patients from grasping onto this view as a reason to stop their medications? ME: yeah...lets keep on infantilizing everyone...they can't handle the truth, right? Can't make analytical choices or listen to debate? This is exactly what has been wrong with mental health treatment as currently practiced....the truth is routinely withheld and people cannot make informed choices. It's nothing short of criminal when considered from that stand point. Some of us have been gravely harmed because we were not given choices. That's why we're motivated to share the whole truth...then people can decide what risks they want to take or not. MHP: Monica, some people really can't handle the truth, make analytical choices or listen to debate precisely because of their mental illness. On the other hand, many can despite any mental illness. That is what makes balance in this field so difficult to achieve. ME: I was a social worker for many years in social services with the "seriously mentally ill." The only people I routinely dealt with who couldn't handle the truth were some of my colleagues and the administrators...that was my experience. And it continues to be my experience now. Mental health professionals are often terrified of the truth to the detriment of those they serve.
Saturday mellow: the breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you, don't go back to sleep [click on title for the rest of the post]
Are elders living with forgetfulness, Alzheimer's, and dementia unreachable? Are there parallels with states called psychotic? Can meaning be found in the confusion of brain injury and coma? Stan Tomandl, MA, DiplPW and author of Coma Care & Palliative Work, and An Alzheimer's Surprise Party: Unveiling the Mystery, Inner Experience, and Gifts of Dementia, explores communicating with memory loss and how to make an end of life transition with dignity. [click on title for the rest of the post]
It may seem counterintuitive, but there's a body of evidence to suggest that the millions of Americans with a diet soda habit may not be doing their waistlines — or their blood sugar — any favors.
As the consumption of diet drinks made with artificial sweeteners continues to rise, researchers are beginning to make some uncomfortable associations with weight gain and other diseases.
And there are many other reasons to avoid artificially sweetened foods, too. [click on title for the rest of the post]
In these days with limited access to mental health facilities, and when in-patient or out patient treatment might be focused on invasive treatments and not on recovery, you may be tempted to "provide sanctuary" for a friend or family member who is experiencing serious mental health challenges. Many of you have probably already done this. ... [click on title for the rest of the post
Shamans are often called "seers" or "people who know" in their tribal language because they are involved in a system of knowledge based on first hand experience. Shamanism is not a belief system. It's based on personal experiments conducted to heal and to get information. … [click on title for the rest of the post
Moving in many different ways has become and will remain a foundational aspect of becoming well for me. I do yoga, I walk, I dance, I garden and I mindfully am present with the movements of my body when I do just about everything. Even when I do the dishes or any other household chores. Becoming conscious of our incredibly lovely animal bodies can be a deep and profound joy. The wonderful thing about this is doing something like mowing the lawn ceases to be a chore. It becomes time to be with your lovely body. … [click on title for the rest of the post
"Adrift" is a love letter to the fog of the San Francisco Bay Area. I chased it for over two years to capture the magical interaction between the soft mist, the ridges of the California coast and the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. This is where “Adrift” was born. -- this brings back many lovely memories of my home state.
Lately I’m even more unsettled than usual in conversations about the politics and practices surrounding ‘madness:’ talk where I might occupy any number of roles including doctoral student, nascent researcher, counseling and psychotherapy practitioner, family member, ‘survivor’, ‘service user’, ‘mad’ person, friend. You name it. (a reblog...please go read this) -- click on title to access post
