Messages, Insights and Wisdom from "Psychiatric Survivors"
Below you'll find personal stories from those who have survived mental health experiences.
- A Story of Survival, Courage and Transformation by Anonymous
- An anonymous reader shares her insight on moving through a schizoaffective breakdown and on to a level of development she never imagined.
- Some of Us are Happy and Content in Our "Insanity" by Anonymous
- Having auditory, sensory, and visual hallucinations her entire life, this author learned at a young age that if she discussed this with her family, she was told either that they weren't real, she had an over-active imagination, or she was ill. She thinks otherwise.
- Contrarian Psychiatrist Loren Mosher Dies of Liver Cancer by Adam Bernstein
- Loren R. Mosher, 70, who died of liver cancer July 10 at a clinic in Berlin, was a contrarian psychiatrist and schizophrenia expert who was dismissed from the National Institute of Mental Health for his controversial theories on treatment.
- Medical Error Story (Tragic Roundabout) by Diane Blakemore
- I have a true story that was very horrific. I would like the public to know the truth about this [electro shock treatment] fraudulent treatment, (torture) that is considered as a "treatment" option for people who are "depressed", or maybe even just sad or emotional.
- Formally Schizo-Affective, Now "Weller than Well
" by David Mitchell Boie
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"My first anxiety attack occurred during a bad trip I had in college, but I was not on LSD, mushrooms, peyote, or PCP, in fact I have never tried any of these psychoactive substances because of fear of destroying my mind. What I took was a bottle of Robotussin DM cough syrup...."
- How I Trimphed Over Schizophrenia by Jimmy Cheah
- A personal account with valuable insights for all about Jimmy's journey to becoming "weller than well"
- Hard to Stay "Sane"
- Jennifer Elam writes "I am a licensed psychologist who is not practicing at this time. In 1996, I came to a point that I could no longer function and stay sane in this profession because of all the things you talk about in your articles...."
- Schizophrenia and My Mystical Journey by Ricky Gee
- Discovers that what may be seen by some as bizarre behavior can actually be a passage into a higher state of maturity.
- Mankind Suffers from Delusions
- Per-Erik Larsson has come to the conclusion that all of mankind suffers from delusions, especially that never ending progress is good.
- Psyciatric's Lack of Insight: Missives from Patricia Lefave D.D.(P.)
- (See more of her writings at her blog: BeyondthePsychiatricBox.blogspot.com
- New! Speaking of Perception Problems - "I want to talk here a little bit about some of my former perception problems as related to my own case. After talking to so many of the psychiatrized from around the world, I think many of you can relate to this topic very well."
- Schizogenesis: My Manufactured Madness - "What I am trying to demonstrate here is out of both my own concrete experience and that of many others. It includes the experience that earned me my madness label for seeing too much of what has always been right there to see."
- The Psychiatric Tautology: Our Collective Nightmare - "My goal, in sharing my personal experience, is mutual rescue and healing.... The 'mutual' part, is because I believe psychiatry, itself, needs healing as much, or more, than those of us it is determined to define as sick."
- The Schizophrenic/Psychiatric Mirror: My Reflection on the Co-Dependent Dynamic - "The two extreme poles of co-dependent dysfunction are Violator (sociopathy) and Violated (schizophrenia). The Violator is the cause. The Violated suffers the effect. The Violator doesn't know how to stay out of other people's boundaries. The Violated doesn't know how to keep other people out."
- Back Through the Looking Glass - Discusses Ms. Lefave's reaction to "Dorland's definition of Brainwashing" and how it relates to people in everyday life.
- The "Game": And Its Assessment for Our Mad Messiahs - "It starts when a group operates on a basis of dysfunctional agreement. The group is set up like a pyramid scheme with the leader of the dysfunction at the top. The premise of that one's reasoning is to gain, and retain, power and control of the whole group. He achieves this through the use of a hidden agenda of domination."
- The Metaphysical Cause of So-Called "Schizophrenia": The Projected Duplicity - "All people who violate the boundaries of others, and then justify it, use the "Switch." It is then said to be the violated one's perception and/or reactions that are the problem, rather than the violators reasoning or behavior. That's the basics in the avoidance of responsibility: blaming the victim For blaming the aggressor. That idea CREATES the circular trap of co-dependency."
- Dysfunctional Pyramids of Power: Those Who Create and Sustain Them - "Most of us are familiar with the Drama Triangle: Persecutor (or Aggressor), Victim, Rescuer and the tendency of human beings to rotate through those roles, in an attempt to "fix" life, for both ourselves and others. In the ideal triangle, the Rescuer is at the top of the pyramid as an archetype. That one represents the Savior or Messiah."
- The Importance of Self Definition - "One of the lessons I have learned from dealing with psychiatry is the necessity for Self definition. To Self define and make it work of course, it has to be based upon a principle that works for everybody, without invalidating the rights of others to do the same. For me, that principle is that of mutual respect for boundaries which must operate in both directions at the same time."
- "Stockholm" Syndrome: Souls Held Hostage in Psychiatry, Families and Workplaces - "People in dangerous situations from which there is no escape, such as children, psych. patients, prisoners, kidnap victims etc., try to bond with the controller." Read on as the reasons are discussed.
- The Perfect Snare - "This article is for those who are sorting it out; for those who deny they are physically sick; for those who are getting well, despite the well intentioned, yet misguided efforts of psychiatry to stop the process. We are caught within the snare because of our expectation of reason from those to whom we relate as equals. This is our error, and the unrecognized star of the drama remains unseen by almost all of the players. He is the Controller/Manipulator, or Con/Man for short."
- Psychiatrists Don't Listen, They Diagnose and Prescribe by Susanna Lehtonen
- The curious way of thinking that psychiatrists have doesn't just occur in the United States. Read about one instance from a Finnish student.
- The Convenience Factor in Psychiatry
- Angel Moreno's story of being bombarded with medications and then suffering the effects from increased dosages. A good warning for all....
- Psychiatrist dissolves 35 year association with American Psychiatric Association.
- Dr. Loren R. Mosher's personal letter of resignation from the APA addressed to the president of the organization, with criticisms and suggestions for the APA.
- Who took the spirit out of madness?.
- Odette Nightsky of Northern Lights Education & Research writes: "With the increasing assault of pharmaceutical answers, our society is now 'brain trained' to ask for their issues to be 'fixed'! No longer are we seekers on the journey of life discovery all that lurks within, we are now educated to 'fix' things."
- Walking the Shamans Path: Not Schizophrenia, But Acute Sensitive.
- Odette Nightsky of Northern Lights Education & Research writes about her personal experience that led to a reassessment of what she had learned about schizophrenia.
- Working With Clients Who Suffer from Acute Sensitivity (Schizophrenia): A word to the therapist.
- Odette Nightsky pens another article for Successful Schizophrenia. This one draws upon the same materials as her new book: The Bridge Between Two Worlds
- Medications Freed Me From Paranoid Schizophrenia
- Larry Podsobinski a story of how after nearly two decades of ineffective treatment he finally found what worked for him as a paranoid schizophrenic.
- I'm Med Free, But Some People Don't Want to Be by Reece Sanders
- Beware: Not everyone will applaud your drug-free efforts.
- BE POSITIVE! This too shall pass by Leonard Shockley
- It is a fact that we all suffer. It is also a fact that the suffering we face is only temporary and we learn and grow stronger because of it.
- My Unchosen Journey Through Mental Illness by Clover Smith
- "For, although my spirit's detour through an agonized, deadly struggle was unchosen, my lived experience through the cause, the exacerbation of psychiatry, and the cure is what gives great usefulness and joy to my life now."
- Caffeine Allergy: A Hidden Allergy and Toxic Dementia
- Ruth Whalen discusses her longtime undetected caffeine allergy and the resulting dementia and misdiagnosis.
- My Spiritual Transformation Through Mental Illness.
- Winston Wu says, "My story is not just about mental illness and schizophrenia, it is about my path from Christian fundamentalism into New Age spirituality beliefs. I want people to know that it's a spiritual transformation story, so that those who are devout Christians won't be offended in some way."
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