We can heal “psychosis.” Words like “psychosis” are the clinical language of the oppressor. The word gives the impression that those who use it actually know what they are talking about. The fact is they generally do not. We, who have experienced that which gets called psychosis and have gotten clear on what it actually is are the only ones who can truly speak to it. Let us come together and help one another out.
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Stories of healing and transformation
Below this updated section remains the list of recovery stories and resources for that which is labeled psychotic. See also: Drug free recovery from depression, anxiety, bipolar, schizophrenia, etc…
People can heal the sensitivity to become what gets called psychotic by becoming AWARE…that is a growth and maturation process…when one matures enough to become an observer of their thoughts and become discerning about the content of their thoughts psychosis pretty much goes away…
Psychosis is, among (many) other things, also, quite often, a deep attachment to one’s (not consensually reasonable) thoughts and beliefs. To be clear much of what is consensually and widely believed in society and the mainstream is also delusional. It’s just generally accepted. R.D Laing has much to say about the “normal” human being. Let’s just say that real clarity and lucidity is not normal.
All human beings can become psychotic under the right (or wrong) circumstances…
Strengthening the health of the body helps clarity and growth too…as holistic beings it all matters…everything.
The maturation and healing process happens naturally…and can be aided and supported by many different things. If you visit the drop-down menu at the top of the page on this blog there are many suggestions in that direction.
The biggest problem in our society now for those who get diagnosed with any sort of “psychosis,” is that they are most often met by professionals that do not even believe that healing can occur, let alone deep transformative growth. Deep transformative growth, could be the norm, if those claiming to be healers actually knew what was involved in the individuation journey. Meeting the dark underbelly of the psyche as those of us who have been labeled psychotic at one time or another is a calling and an act of heroism. One that is rarely encouraged in society. I might add that it’s to the detriment of all society that we are shut down and often tortured rather than supported. Many of us are healers trying to be born, just like Malidoma Somé says here: What a Shaman Sees in A Mental Hospital
When it comes to holistic healing most people find this journey includes profoundly meeting and tending to the body too. Please visit the other parts of this website to learn about doing that in a multitude of ways.
There are many ways to find healing. Two pages that explore different ways of perceiving what is otherwise labeled psychiatric illness are here:
Shamanic-like nature of consciousness
Spiritual emergency: one way of interpreting activity of the psyche that is often labeled psychotic
Whether you choose to see psychosis or other extreme states of consciousness as healing crisis of the mind/body/psyche or you consider it spiritual emergency, many people find their way through them without meds or with meds only for a short time or intermittently as needed for relief. This is something that is not widely appreciated or understood. If given the right supports and a safe place most people can heal from such situations.
To see documentation of a program that gets these sorts of results in an entire area of Finland see here. They’re seeing an 85 to 90% recovery rate (with very little or NO medication) in a population that in the US is told they will never recover at all!
This is a collection of stories of people who have come through such episodes generally getting labeled either schizophrenic or bipolar. The label isn’t so important I’ve found and there is lots of crossover between anything that gets labeled psychotic.
These are the stories of people’s journey’s through their dark nights of the soul sometimes lasting months, other times lasting years, but all ending fully recovered. In addition these stories involve freedom from drugs/medications. Most everyone on these pages were told they would need drugs for the rest of their lives and proved psychiatry sorely wrong.
There are more recovery stories here that are not specific to psychosis, but to other forms of mental distress that get labeled bipolar or depressed etc.
A few more recent posts on the subject of psychosis recovery:
Understanding Psychosis and Schizophrenia – A Valuable, and Free, Online Report
“Rethinking Madness: Towards a Paradigm Shift in our Understanding and Treatment of Psychosis”
“People recover from psychotic disorders all the time, all over the world.” Our mental health system’s denial of this costs lives
Schizophrenia: A drop of sunshine — full length film about a young woman in India who finds her way through the maze to heal and thrive again
Who’s Delusional? What does support look like?
This page will be continually added to as I find more information.
This list is by no means exhaustive.
Dina Tyler: Psych survivor at Psychiatric Grand Rounds, SF
New video: Madness as a reckoning of one’s own psyche. Yes. — Faith Rhyne
UK psychologist now thrives after the damning diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia
Thirty Years Later: Still CURED of Paranoid Schizophrenia
It feels so great to be off psych meds: a recovery story by Corinna West
The most famous person who recovered from psychosis documented it too: Carl Jung, another drug-free recovery from psychosis If you read The Red Book
, it’s clear that what Jung was experiencing would have been labeled psychotic by any self-respecting psychiatrist today.
Video interview with John Nash of Beautiful Mind fame — contrary to what was shown in the film John Nash spent most of his life after initial crisis drug free.
Psychosis, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Story as a Vehicle of Healing
Psychotherapy For Schizophrenia Recovery – Cathy Penney RN
David Lukoff’s story of psychosis and recovery
Paul Levy’s Story of Transformation
Another recounting from Paul Levy—visit his site and listen to the Madness Radio interview
Sean’s experience with manic psychosis and the transformation that followed
Sean’s understanding after a year of study
The Doctor who hears voices—a documentary that chronicles the healing journey of a young woman in an extreme state being cared for a man whose been there himself–Rufus May
Rufus May talking about his own story on Madness Radio–also transformed from psychotic to “ordinary” human being—that’s what we all are!!
A post with multiple links looking at the wonder that is Pat Deegan’s life
Documentary on the lives of two women who work through their psychosis
Dr. Edward Whitney’s manic psychosis that resolved itself with a spiritual understanding
Recovery through mind training —a journey of meditation in Buddhism—By Sally Clay
The Wind Never Lies — Steve Morgan’s Recovery Story
Will Hall’s Story of Recovery
The heroines journey –recovery using Joseph Campbell and Carl Jung
Pat Deegan
Buddhist meditation and schizophrenia — Ed Knight
The Red Book — Jung’s experience with extreme states
Daniel Fisher, psychiatrist who recovered from what was labeled schizophrenic: Visionary Psychiatrist Daniel Fisher — Madness Radio
- Monica/Gianna’s story: the aftermath of polypsychopharmacology
Rcently published on Dr. David Healy’s website. I’m not physically well, but that is because the drugs harmed my body. I have no sign of mental illness. My mind has a clarity I’ve never known. So I’m including this here now.
Published on Mad in America: Everything Matters: a Memoir From Before, During and After Psychiatric Drugs
For healing support:
Websites:
Spiritual Emergency
Spiritual Recovery
A Jungian approach to psychosis
Voices of Recovery
Successful Schizophrenia
Soteria House—drug free healing house for those in psychosis
Recovery from schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders —-Ron Unger’s blog—experiencer for extreme states and now a practicing Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Spiritual Emergence (help, information and referral in Canada)
Holistic Recovery from Schizophrenia
Books to help understand the process our minds go through while in extreme states:
Visit the Beyond Meds BOOKSTORE
Am I Bipolar or Waking Up?
— Sean Blackwell
Trials of the Visionary Mind (SUNY Series in Transpersonal and Humanistic Psychology)
– John Weir Perry
Soteria: Through Madness to Deliverance
–Dr. Loren Mosher and Voyce Hendrix
The Stormy Search for the Self: A Guide to Personal Growth through Transformational Crisis
— Stan and Christina Grof
Mad In America: Bad Science, Bad Medicine, And The Enduring Mistreatment Of The Mentally Ill
— Robert Whitaker
A Brief History of Everything
— Ken Wilber
Politics of Experience
— RD Laing
The End of Your World: Uncensored Straight Talk on the Nature of Enlightenment
— Adyashanti
THIS IS BY NO MEANS AND EXHAUSTIVE READING LIST
More posts on psychiatric drug withdrawal:
Please do not attempt to discontinue psych drugs without first very carefully educating yourself on the risks involved so that you might minimize the chances of developing grave iatrogenic illness if you decide to withdraw: Psychiatric drug withdrawal and protracted withdrawal syndrome round-up
● Psychiatric drug withdrawal and protracted withdrawal syndrome round-up
● Online Support in Withdrawal
See also: Peer support? This is the real thing. Free of institutionalization. (psych drug withdrawal)
Support Beyond Meds Enter Amazon via a link from this blog and do the shopping you’d be doing anyway. No need to purchase the book the link takes you to. THANK YOU or make a donation with PayPal
How do I withdraw from 3mg of risperdal.
Study the About page on this blog and buy some of the recommended books and then see what you think is right for you. Use the info you find there are a springboard to more research so that you can make the right decisions for yourself…
a primer to withdrawal is here.
but I recommend educating yourself much further than that before making a decision.
withdrawing from Risperdal is potentially dangerous if you don’t do it right, so please take your time and see if it’s right for you.
Steven Morgan is an awesome guy…he will be wonderful to work with and I think you’re all very lucky to have him!! and I’m sure him, you. Say hello to him…
Hi Gianna,
I see that you have Steven Morgan’s story here. We have just hired him to be the director of our peer-run psychiatric survivor group, Another Way, here in Montpelier, VT.
Thanks for gathering all this material and fostering connections that combat our isolation.
Yay Ellen!
this is a relatively new page I’ve put together…I’m often bummed at how infrequent all my resources in the tabs are used…I can see how often pages are visited…and while the tabs get looked at often enough the vast amount of info collected on them don’t get looked at often enough…I don’t know how to make them more available…
These tabs are the meat of my blog…the stuff that really counts…and is timeless.
Hi Gianna,
I have never clicked on this recovery from psychosis tab before. You have gathered some very important resources. I have my work cut out for me reading it all.
Good stuff, thanks.