Friday 11 July 2008

Change, transformation and growth

I found a link to the below video at one of Patricia Lefave's new sites, CounterPsych. In the video John Breeding talks about "Helping People w/ Psychology Issues & Mental Health Problems", about Loren Mosher and Soteria, about how "everything eventually changes and transforms" ("This, too, shall pass.") if only it is allowed time and a safe space "to be and express itself", about how important it is "to stay in present time, in space, to not let our fears and reactivity run us", about how important it is "to bring yourself into this space of calm and relaxed confidence", especially for those, who want to help people in crisis.

He also talks about the devastating effect of concepts like "permanent conditions", "permanent mental illnesses and stuff, as a condition, a state that you have and will have", that "makes it impossible to change, and transform, and grow, because it is a negation of reality, and it puts a fear..., and it puts a false premise, a big lie, in there, that there's this brain disease, when there's not."

Now some people may wonder: "Well, isn't there? I've always been told it were a brain disease." The concepts of biological, genetically predisposed, and permanent brain diseases are altogether believe-it-or-not concepts. No scientific evidence has yet been found to prove any of these concepts right, as this article by Steven Morgan, that Gianna posted on her blog yesterday, once again makes clear. On the contrary, as Steven's article states, every circumstantial evidence points towards (childhood) trauma to be the cause of existential crises.

The video in many ways can stand as a response to Sean's video on crises, supporting his views, just as it at the same time clearly contrasts with Torben Schjødt's views, indeed, exposes these as the big lies, the negation of reality, that, come into existence out of fear and reactivity, make change, transformation and growth impossible ("Many of the patients Torben Schjødt has met have never overcome their illness completely.").



Thanks to Mike (PsycheTruth), John Breeding, Steven, Sean, Patricia, Gianna... to everyone out there in the blogosphere, at YouTube, in cyberspace, making an amazing contribution to bring about change, transformation and growth, and for all the positive energy that keeps coming from you!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

It was a video about the 'Truth about chemical imbalances' on Psychetruths channel that made me realize we are getting hosed by psychiatry and Pharma.

I was 14, I did not have an 8 year college degree. When they told me inpatient that I had a chemical imbalance I believed them.

Those 'mental health professionals' have been making it up as they go along the entire time I have been alive.

Then on psychetruth's 'favorites' section was Liz Spikol's vlog about ECT and the adult diapers and all that stuff.

I watched her video
'Just say yes'(to drugs) as she models polypharmacy dependancy for the viewer, a free advertisement for several Pharma Companies.

Frankly I was appalled. I was spiritually moved. The last five years or so, I had kept my own recovery to myself. Nobody but me, knew how far down I had gone, or far up I had returned.

I thought to myself, I can do what Liz did. I can talk about the depression and I can talk about what it is like to get rid of it.

Incidentally Marian do you have a link to your personal accounting of psychosis? I did a cursory search but did not find one.

I ask because psychosis is one thing I have not talked about yet. I've alluded to it, like everyone does. But not shared specifics.

Sean goes right out there and goes at length about his psychosis in minute detail.

He asks that we all participate in a dialog about psychosis by talking about it.

So I have been thinking about compiling subjective experiences of psychotic states. There seems to be no industry standard about what constitutes as psychotic.

Although most of us agree that behaviors such as public nudity or self exposure, yelling loudly at one's self and to no one constantly will be treated as psychosis.

You have alluded to your psychosis as being more healing, more enlightening as opposed to a 'darker' form of psychosis.

I would like to read more about your experience with it if is available to be viewed.

Anonymous said...

I read your accounting Marian. It was really quite something else.

Your descriptions of states lent themselves to ample visuals I might add.

There was not as much in exacting details or particulars as I was hoping for.

I only had a vague sense of when you crossed one realm into another and back again, and how you could tell where the line was.

A wonderful and compelling job describing why you got there though.

A very beautiful accounting.

I loved the communing with trees, horses and dragonflies part.