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Post by Admin on Oct 24, 2020 23:17:01 GMT
Trench Warfare in Mental HealthThe battle between biomedical vs psychological understandings of mental health has continued for over a century. But who really benefits? And does it cause more harm than good? I’m going to argue that the debate needs to be scrapped entirely. Before I begin, I want to share a very short story about my father. In WW2, my father fought against the Japanese. On one occasion, he was alone and out of ammo. An army of Japanese soldiers were coming up over the hill towards him. From his dug-out, he attacked them whatever he could lay his hands on – grenades, rocks, boxes. He knew this was the end, but he fought on to the bitter end. Only, he didn’t. The incident never took place in the way he described it. It happened in 2009. On a general medical ward in Darlington, England. A 67 year-old man, dressed in a hospital gown, perched on the edge of his bed, face contorted with rage, hurling Quality Street at the man in the bed opposite, shouting “come on, you bastards!!” Was he psychotic? Was this triggered by some past trauma? Did he have PTSD? Did he need anti-psychotic medication or therapy? No. He was dehydrated and had a fever. Half a vat of saline drip and copious antibiotics later, and my father returned to tell the tale. Fortunately, we were all able to have a good laugh about it afterwards. And the rather bemused man opposite was grateful for the Quality Street. My father’s brief episode underlines my frustration at a debate in mental health that refuses to die: Who is Right About Mental Health? fosteringchange.co.uk/trench-warfare-in-mental-heath/
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Post by Admin on Oct 25, 2020 2:26:02 GMT
They are right - it's all Bullshit.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 25, 2020 16:36:38 GMT
Trench Warfare in Mental HealthThe battle between biomedical vs psychological understandings of mental health has continued for over a century. But who really benefits? And does it cause more harm than good? I’m going to argue that the debate needs to be scrapped entirely. Before I begin, I want to share a very short story about my father. In WW2, my father fought against the Japanese. On one occasion, he was alone and out of ammo. An army of Japanese soldiers were coming up over the hill towards him. From his dug-out, he attacked them whatever he could lay his hands on – grenades, rocks, boxes. He knew this was the end, but he fought on to the bitter end. Only, he didn’t. The incident never took place in the way he described it. It happened in 2009. On a general medical ward in Darlington, England. A 67 year-old man, dressed in a hospital gown, perched on the edge of his bed, face contorted with rage, hurling Quality Street at the man in the bed opposite, shouting “come on, you bastards!!” Was he psychotic? Was this triggered by some past trauma? Did he have PTSD? Did he need anti-psychotic medication or therapy? No. He was dehydrated and had a fever. Half a vat of saline drip and copious antibiotics later, and my father returned to tell the tale. Fortunately, we were all able to have a good laugh about it afterwards. And the rather bemused man opposite was grateful for the Quality Street. My father’s brief episode underlines my frustration at a debate in mental health that refuses to die: Who is Right About Mental Health? fosteringchange.co.uk/trench-warfare-in-mental-heath/ It's a great article, and sums everything wrong with it up well. I have been at one of these conferences where the 'experts' have guest speakers who have lived experience. The experts are almost always mental health professionals. Is the same with user led focus groups, people can compile reports of what change service users would like to see but none of it will be implemented. Is a box ticking exercise. They do make a lot of money at the expense of other people's suffering, and am sure they mean well, but nothing changes, so is really a waste of effort and time getting involved in it all for anyone who wants to see real improvements to how those in the system are treated.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 25, 2020 16:38:07 GMT
It would be interesting to see if there was ever a response to this article by any of the groups the author is referring to.
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Post by Admin on Oct 25, 2020 17:45:18 GMT
It would be interesting to see if there was ever a response to this article by any of the groups the author is referring to. i think the argument is intractable. It will continue to be a case of all the different camps / people / groups arguing all their own theories / perspectives / agendas. All the same socioeconomic / political / traumagenic arguments. All the same hard science / biomedical / psychiatric arguments. All the same soft science / psychogenic arguments. All the same spirituality arguments, with all the same arguments within religions / spirituality. All the same anti / critical / pro / alternative psychiatry arguments. With all the same variations / polarizations / plurality.
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Post by Admin on Oct 25, 2020 18:01:57 GMT
It would be interesting to see if there was ever a response to this article by any of the groups the author is referring to. i think the argument is intractable. It will continue to be a case of all the different camps / people / groups arguing all their own theories / perspectives / agendas. All the same socioeconomic / political / traumagenic arguments. All the same hard science / biomedical / psychiatric arguments. All the same soft science / psychogenic arguments. All the same spirituality arguments, with all the same arguments within religions / spirituality. All the same anti / critical / pro / alternative psychiatry arguments. With all the same variations / polarizations / plurality. There are deep polarizations within each area as well - even within the psychoses & differences between bipolar & schizophrenia, between the psychoses & neurosis & with personality disorders. Arguments within psychiatric nosology & labelling theory. Within some 120 different schools of psychology. Between all the World religions / spiritual systems. Within recovered / cured / med free & middle / upper class / affluent cases with lower class / working class / people on benefits & more severe cases (involving highly controversial & deeply divisive issues of severity); poverty, homelessness, criminality (& prisoners / recidivists), violence with victims & perpetrator, gender issues, addiction / dual diagnosis. Issue of varying education / intelligence levels, stigma & discrimination, The list goes on & on.
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Post by snowstorm on Oct 25, 2020 19:29:10 GMT
Must be miserable being a lived experience advisor and seeing not very much change.
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Post by Admin on Oct 26, 2020 8:58:05 GMT
Must be miserable being a lived experience advisor and seeing not very much change. i suppose that there is a gradual change with things. i think it's very hard when different groups / people are pulling in different directions, as per the article. i have observed this a lot - the psychiatry / psychology debate, left / right politics, Atheism / religions & spirituality, environmentalists / climate change denial, pro & anti vax, pro / anti Brexit, loads of areas where people disagree. Maybe it's just part of the duality of humanity?
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