All my work has been around understanding why human dysfunction happens. Not looking at causes - not at people’s pre-dispositions or genetic inheritance - but what actually happens in people’s lives. We know now that the determinants of health - whether we’re talking physical health, emotional – has a lot to do with people’s life experiences. But people’s lives don’t happen in a vacuum. It occurs in the context of society. … [click on title to read the rest]
American autism rights activist talks to Al Jazeera about the role of mental illness in the US gun control debate. " I think that it’s obvious there is a lot to be done on mental health policy in this country. Unfortunately, if you were to try and think of the single worst time to have that conversation, it would most likely be in association with violent crime and gun violence. The fact of the matter is people with psychiatric and neurological disabilities are no more likely to be committing violent crime than the general population. And when we look at mental health policy reform from the prism of violence, we end up with bad mental health policy. "
To protest the scapegoating of people labeled with mental illness by politicians, media, gun control advocates and the pro-gun lobby ● In particular to protest the "NY SAFE Act" pushed through NY's legislature and signed by Gov Cuomo, which expands state and federal criminal databases of people labeled as mentally ill, unconnected to any actual crime or act of violence, and expanded outpatient commitment (forced drugging in the community)
The distinction between thoughts (fantasies) and action is an important one here. Most people who think horrible thoughts NEVER ACT ON THEM. You've thought horrible thoughts before. We all have. Can you feel the CHILL? This is disastrous. Now people will absolutely not feel safe seeking help.
The good news is as the brain can be damaged in childhood, our brains can also heal at any time in life. Our brains are neuroplastic and we can turn around the negative wiring of our childhood and become whole again. We need healers who know this too. Psychiatric drugs can actually perpetuate and worsen these problems rather than heal them if used indiscriminately as they often are.
Will Hall did the Keynote speech at Alternatives 2012. It's another inspiring and deeply moving talk. He got a standing ovation for very good reason. Things are changing! In the several years I've been doing this work I can see the change. We are making a difference. Our life experience and sharing that openly with others is making a difference. One of the things that Will is talking about here is reframing our experience. This is a topic I often talk about on this blog too. Along with reframing our experience we need to understand the role of trauma in our lives and the lives of those who are labeled with psychiatric illness.
In the tradition of Ghandi and Martin Luther King Jr, truly spiritual people do not leave anyone behind. As long as we're on the planet it's our duty to care for it and everyone (of all species) on it. from Women, Nonviolence & Birthing a New American Politics
I had a thought: If I ever had any faith in "authorities" it's all gone now...completely...we are all, regardless of socio-economic status, education, gender or race bumbling along together...here is to us all coming to a profound understanding of that fact. then I saw this: The Master was never impressed by diplomas or degrees. He... Continue Reading →
So R.D. Laing refers to the DSM 3 in this video. We need to understand that the DSM throughout it's entire history has been gravely flawed. There are some people who criticize the DSM 5 (Allen Francis comes to mind who was the Chair of the DSM IV Task Force) who fail to realize that the DSM has been a dangerous and misleading document since it's inception. (It's not grounded in science) -- plus links and commentary about the DSM
Knowing what I know now about outcomes for people labeled with schizophrenia, or people experiencing delusions, who are listened to, who are not told their delusions are crazy or wrong--that many of these people who are taken seriously recover, I often wonder what would have happened had someone listened to my delusions. If it had not been assumed I was crazy--if I had not been coerced into believing I was crazy. What would have happened if I was taken seriously? I will never know, but there is plenty of evidence that had I been listened to and had my psychotic thinking been explored with respect I may have never entered the world of psychiatric care as we now know it...
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