11-09-2005, 03:46 PM
EVOLVING MINDS’ Melissa Gunasena:-
SOCIAL EXCLUSION AND THE MEDICAL MODEL
My experience of the medical model has been on the whole disempowering, disabling and often terrifying. I made the video, Evolving Minds; an exploration of the connections between psychosis and spiritual experience and the alternatives to psychiatry, in order to enable others access to the information that enabled me to recover from it. I do not call myself a service user and find the title derogatory and misleading. I am someone who has been forcibly sectioned on several occasions and therefore forced to undergo compulsory ‘treatment’
In my view psychiatry is used as a tool of state control and oppression
rather than of healing; where the aim is to maintain the status quo and
silence disturbed and disturbing people, rather than deal with the causes of their distress. To this end the concept of illness is stretched somewhat to include experience or behaviour that is outside the norm, and, in the great tradition of patriarchy, emotional expression and bizarre behaviour can be seen as part of that illness. Instead of seeing the whole person, their lifestyle, history and beliefs, the medical model sees only a set of
presenting symptoms. The diagnostic system is only useful for professionals to categorize people and along with all allopathic medicine treats the symptoms rather than the causes. If the medical model worked, people would be admitted once only and would go on to lead happy and successful lives; hospitals are full of people who are admitted again and again, spending their lives on the mental health treadmill.
Social exclusion is inherent in the structure and philosophy of the medical
model. By labelling and separating psychiatric patients through incarceration and mind altering drugs it gives the message to the rest of
the populace not to cross the ‘normality’ line.
This is why sectioning is so often viewed as punishment both by patients and the general population. Added to the damaging effects of the medication, such as depression, apathy, panic, hallucination, muscle spasms, pain, inability to keep still and brain damage are the dehumanising, brutalising and traumatising effects of the behaviour of some staff. Of course there are some staff who are genuinely compassionate but their efforts are limited by the modern psychiatric system, the origins of which can be found in the experimentation of the nazi concentration camps. Some of the founder members of the American Institute of Psychiatry after WW2 were formerly Nazi doctors who were given asylum in the American scientific establishment.
Psychiatric medication has been described as chemical lobotomy due to its’ success in blocking emotions and creative expression. The drugs are
extremely addictive and when coming off them one can experience withdrawal mania which the medical establishment is quick to see as symptoms of the ‘illness’. It is however the brain and body adjusting to normality after being suppressed which is why it is wise to come off the drugs slowly and with support.
Currently the Mental health Act states that one must be at risk of harming
oneself or others to be sectioned. Contrary to popular belief most
‘psychotic’ people are not violent. This view has been created by the
sensationalist media coverage, surrounding the rare occasions when someone with a mental health label is responsible for murder. This then reinforces the idea that mental patients are violently out of control and gives credence to the current system of incarceration and forced drugging.
According to government statistics you are thirteen times more likely to be murdered by a ‘sane’ person than by someone with a psychiatric diagnosis. However the government wants to bring in new laws increasing compulsory detention and introducing forced medical treatment in the community; a gross violation of human rights demonstrating the current political ideology that our existence is owned by the state. Meanwhile, provided an individual belongs to a government institution such as the armed forces, it is perfectly ‘sane’ and legal for them to murder and brutalise people, even babies and children.
In my opinion the medical model of mental health is not only of no help in
treating mental distress it is actively harmful and if any healing does
occur it is despite, not because of medical intervention. Psychiatry has
however, had excellent results in the field of political oppression, with
the use of medication to suppress political dissidents by causing apathy and memory loss, notably in the former USSR and currently in China.
There is a school of thought believing that ‘madness’ is fundamental to
human evolution, innovation and creativity, as the ability to perceive new
connections, make new links and invent new objects and concepts. We are still evolving as human beings and I believe that psychiatry is being used to suppress areas of human consciousness and experience that could be drawn on to develop our existence and enhance our reality.
ALTERNATIVE VIEWS OF PSYCHOSIS & THE CONCEPT OF REALITY
Psychosis is defined as any form of mental disorder where the individuals’
contact with reality becomes distorted. The dictionary definition of reality
is the state of things as they are or as they appear to be, rather than as
one might wish them to be. However what we think of as reality is governed by our cultural, political, economic and religious conditioning and varies across the world and over time. Our schooling and the media, both of which are used to uphold the present exploitative economic and political system, heavily influence our reality. Ultimately however, we are all responsible for defining our reality. According to Buddhist philosophy, no one experiences the true nature of reality as it is obscured by delusions in our minds. Psychosis often involves feeling of connection with the rest of creation, the ability to communicate telepathically and the dissolution of personal boundaries. This sense of ego loss is also the aim of Buddhist meditation but it is done gradually in controlled environments.
Shamanism is another form of spirituality, which bears strong resemblance to what is known as psychosis. Historically this was found across the world and is still practised by many cultures today. The shaman moves between different realities using techniques such as drumming, fasting and hallucinogenic drugs, to effect change in ordinary reality, generally for healing purposes. For this reason they are valued and revered by their societies for their ability to access different realities, rather than persecuted or given a diagnosis of mental illness. In our society, the reason why communicating with, or being possessed by spirits, hearing voices or having visions is considered abnormal is due to the fact that practitioners of shamanism and the pagan goddess worshipping religions were almost completely exterminated during the Christian witch hunts of the and any extra-ordinary, supernatural or spiritual experience became criminalized as devil worship. Herbal medicine with its’ tradition of wise women was superseded by the male dominated medical profession.
ALTERNATIVES TO THE MEDICAL MODEL
PSYCHOLOGICAL & SHAMANIC TECHNIQUES
Reality can be divided into two states, the ordinary everyday and the
transliminal, in which we lose the part of the mind, which discriminates
along conditioned boundaries. Both psychosis and spiritual experience fall
into the transliminal. The reason why one individual is a successful medium, clairvoyant or shaman, and another is labelled with a mental illness, is due to their ability to navigate between realities, entering and leaving different realities on volition. The medical model tends to deny the
validity of peoples’ meaningful spiritual experience by saying it is part of
their delusional illness. Rather than rubbishing peoples’ realities as
delusions, the concept of shared and non-shared reality can be used to
enable people to understand what they are experiencing. The use of
compulsion can be minimalised by giving people feedback about how they are coming across, a range of options about how to control their mood and taking their concerns seriously and acting upon them.
In our society it is considered acceptable to talk to god; what if god talks
back? Some people find the voices they hear to be useful, others harmful. An important factor is the extent to which one identifies with them, as
statistically far more people claim to hear voices than actually come into
contact with psychiatric services. One view is that the voices represent a
part of the person that they have to leave behind in order to move on.
Threatening voices can often be a re-run of abuse or trauma. It can be
helpful to open a channel of communication with the voices, talking back for example; another way of dealing with them is to refuse to pay any attention to them, by not giving them any energy they may gradually fade away. Art and poetry are useful ways of remembering ones’ experiences in other realities.
Psychosis has been described as dreaming whilst awake and sleep deprivation will cause anyone to hallucinate. Very often not sleeping and racing thoughts are a sign that you are entering the transliminal and it is
important to rest even if you can’t sleep. Make a list of ten things that
tend to happen when things go wrong and see how many of them need to be in place before you need to take steps to shut your self down before you are ‘shut down’ officially. Another useful technique is to stick up messages around the house saying ‘are you feeling or thinking this; do this in order to deal with it’. (eg. Think you’re Jesus; go bang a drum) Repetitive drumming is useful for silencing the voices and is an ancient shamanic technique to ground the trance state; it can be done on hand drums or even just your legs or a table top.
Spending time in nature is very important for healing. Gardening is a great way of grounding as you are literally earthed, and growing organic
vegetables is an extremely nurturing experience
NUTRITIONAL THERAPY
The medical model views mental illness as an imbalance in brain chemistry. All psychotic illness, schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder can all be treated successfully using nutritional therapy. It is hard to believe that people in the affluent Western world are suffering from malnutrition, but the average diet is deficient in important nutrients for healthy brain function. This is mainly due to our dependence on processed food and the mineral depletion of soil through use of agrochemicals.
Maintaining an even blood sugar is vital for optimum mental health. The
ingestion of caffeine and processed sugar causes blood sugar levels to rise rapidly; the body panics and releases insulin to reduce blood sugar, which then drops rapidly causing people to feel irritable, lethargic, depressed, panicky and experience mood swings; they then eat more sugar to raise blood sugar levels and the whole cycle starts again. Most psychotropic medication also has this impact on blood sugar. Snacking throughout the day on healthy food is an effective way of maintaining an even blood sugar level.
Food sensitivities are also an important factor for people with mental
health problems, for example, 60% of people with depression have been found to be intolerant to wheat. A food allergy will cause an immediate and severe reaction, whereas an intolerance may take a few days to appear and can manifest as a variety of symptoms including depression, anxiety, anger, lethargy hallucinations, bloating, and digestive and skin problems. The most common foods that people are intolerant to are wheat and dairy products.
Avoid all stimulants; tea and coffee and sugar containing foods
Avoid all dairy and wheat products if you suspect they are causing a
problem.Eat plenty of fresh organic vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds.
Drink plenty of water.
MEDITATION & BREATHING TECHNIQUES
The psychotic state often feels magical, mystical and super-meaningful. This state of high arousal can leave a person feeling vulnerable. This feeling of threat, when the mind goes into tunnel vision might be caused by something real, imagined, or out of the memory. A way of relaxing the mind and body is to breathe out more than you breathe in, a technique which can allay feelings of anxiety or panic. Massage, aromatherapy, acupuncture and herbal medicine can also be of great benefit.
Meditation is a way of developing the ability to calm and control ones’
mind: Aim for 10-15 minutes daily. Sit comfortably, close your eyes and
focus on the sensation of the breath as it passes through the nostrils,
breathing gently and normally. When thoughts come up and the mind becomes distracted, bringing the mind back to its’ object, the breath, will
strengthen concentration. Initially you will find that it is difficult to
focus for long but by paying no attention to thoughts and feelings and just
focusing on the breath the turbulence will gradually die down and you will
be left with a feeling of calm and spaciousness in the mind.
To obtain copies of the Evolving Minds video and other radical social,
political and environmental documentaries contact Undercurrents on 01792 455900 http://www.undercurrents.org
SOCIAL EXCLUSION AND THE MEDICAL MODEL
My experience of the medical model has been on the whole disempowering, disabling and often terrifying. I made the video, Evolving Minds; an exploration of the connections between psychosis and spiritual experience and the alternatives to psychiatry, in order to enable others access to the information that enabled me to recover from it. I do not call myself a service user and find the title derogatory and misleading. I am someone who has been forcibly sectioned on several occasions and therefore forced to undergo compulsory ‘treatment’
In my view psychiatry is used as a tool of state control and oppression
rather than of healing; where the aim is to maintain the status quo and
silence disturbed and disturbing people, rather than deal with the causes of their distress. To this end the concept of illness is stretched somewhat to include experience or behaviour that is outside the norm, and, in the great tradition of patriarchy, emotional expression and bizarre behaviour can be seen as part of that illness. Instead of seeing the whole person, their lifestyle, history and beliefs, the medical model sees only a set of
presenting symptoms. The diagnostic system is only useful for professionals to categorize people and along with all allopathic medicine treats the symptoms rather than the causes. If the medical model worked, people would be admitted once only and would go on to lead happy and successful lives; hospitals are full of people who are admitted again and again, spending their lives on the mental health treadmill.
Social exclusion is inherent in the structure and philosophy of the medical
model. By labelling and separating psychiatric patients through incarceration and mind altering drugs it gives the message to the rest of
the populace not to cross the ‘normality’ line.
This is why sectioning is so often viewed as punishment both by patients and the general population. Added to the damaging effects of the medication, such as depression, apathy, panic, hallucination, muscle spasms, pain, inability to keep still and brain damage are the dehumanising, brutalising and traumatising effects of the behaviour of some staff. Of course there are some staff who are genuinely compassionate but their efforts are limited by the modern psychiatric system, the origins of which can be found in the experimentation of the nazi concentration camps. Some of the founder members of the American Institute of Psychiatry after WW2 were formerly Nazi doctors who were given asylum in the American scientific establishment.
Psychiatric medication has been described as chemical lobotomy due to its’ success in blocking emotions and creative expression. The drugs are
extremely addictive and when coming off them one can experience withdrawal mania which the medical establishment is quick to see as symptoms of the ‘illness’. It is however the brain and body adjusting to normality after being suppressed which is why it is wise to come off the drugs slowly and with support.
Currently the Mental health Act states that one must be at risk of harming
oneself or others to be sectioned. Contrary to popular belief most
‘psychotic’ people are not violent. This view has been created by the
sensationalist media coverage, surrounding the rare occasions when someone with a mental health label is responsible for murder. This then reinforces the idea that mental patients are violently out of control and gives credence to the current system of incarceration and forced drugging.
According to government statistics you are thirteen times more likely to be murdered by a ‘sane’ person than by someone with a psychiatric diagnosis. However the government wants to bring in new laws increasing compulsory detention and introducing forced medical treatment in the community; a gross violation of human rights demonstrating the current political ideology that our existence is owned by the state. Meanwhile, provided an individual belongs to a government institution such as the armed forces, it is perfectly ‘sane’ and legal for them to murder and brutalise people, even babies and children.
In my opinion the medical model of mental health is not only of no help in
treating mental distress it is actively harmful and if any healing does
occur it is despite, not because of medical intervention. Psychiatry has
however, had excellent results in the field of political oppression, with
the use of medication to suppress political dissidents by causing apathy and memory loss, notably in the former USSR and currently in China.
There is a school of thought believing that ‘madness’ is fundamental to
human evolution, innovation and creativity, as the ability to perceive new
connections, make new links and invent new objects and concepts. We are still evolving as human beings and I believe that psychiatry is being used to suppress areas of human consciousness and experience that could be drawn on to develop our existence and enhance our reality.
ALTERNATIVE VIEWS OF PSYCHOSIS & THE CONCEPT OF REALITY
Psychosis is defined as any form of mental disorder where the individuals’
contact with reality becomes distorted. The dictionary definition of reality
is the state of things as they are or as they appear to be, rather than as
one might wish them to be. However what we think of as reality is governed by our cultural, political, economic and religious conditioning and varies across the world and over time. Our schooling and the media, both of which are used to uphold the present exploitative economic and political system, heavily influence our reality. Ultimately however, we are all responsible for defining our reality. According to Buddhist philosophy, no one experiences the true nature of reality as it is obscured by delusions in our minds. Psychosis often involves feeling of connection with the rest of creation, the ability to communicate telepathically and the dissolution of personal boundaries. This sense of ego loss is also the aim of Buddhist meditation but it is done gradually in controlled environments.
Shamanism is another form of spirituality, which bears strong resemblance to what is known as psychosis. Historically this was found across the world and is still practised by many cultures today. The shaman moves between different realities using techniques such as drumming, fasting and hallucinogenic drugs, to effect change in ordinary reality, generally for healing purposes. For this reason they are valued and revered by their societies for their ability to access different realities, rather than persecuted or given a diagnosis of mental illness. In our society, the reason why communicating with, or being possessed by spirits, hearing voices or having visions is considered abnormal is due to the fact that practitioners of shamanism and the pagan goddess worshipping religions were almost completely exterminated during the Christian witch hunts of the and any extra-ordinary, supernatural or spiritual experience became criminalized as devil worship. Herbal medicine with its’ tradition of wise women was superseded by the male dominated medical profession.
ALTERNATIVES TO THE MEDICAL MODEL
PSYCHOLOGICAL & SHAMANIC TECHNIQUES
Reality can be divided into two states, the ordinary everyday and the
transliminal, in which we lose the part of the mind, which discriminates
along conditioned boundaries. Both psychosis and spiritual experience fall
into the transliminal. The reason why one individual is a successful medium, clairvoyant or shaman, and another is labelled with a mental illness, is due to their ability to navigate between realities, entering and leaving different realities on volition. The medical model tends to deny the
validity of peoples’ meaningful spiritual experience by saying it is part of
their delusional illness. Rather than rubbishing peoples’ realities as
delusions, the concept of shared and non-shared reality can be used to
enable people to understand what they are experiencing. The use of
compulsion can be minimalised by giving people feedback about how they are coming across, a range of options about how to control their mood and taking their concerns seriously and acting upon them.
In our society it is considered acceptable to talk to god; what if god talks
back? Some people find the voices they hear to be useful, others harmful. An important factor is the extent to which one identifies with them, as
statistically far more people claim to hear voices than actually come into
contact with psychiatric services. One view is that the voices represent a
part of the person that they have to leave behind in order to move on.
Threatening voices can often be a re-run of abuse or trauma. It can be
helpful to open a channel of communication with the voices, talking back for example; another way of dealing with them is to refuse to pay any attention to them, by not giving them any energy they may gradually fade away. Art and poetry are useful ways of remembering ones’ experiences in other realities.
Psychosis has been described as dreaming whilst awake and sleep deprivation will cause anyone to hallucinate. Very often not sleeping and racing thoughts are a sign that you are entering the transliminal and it is
important to rest even if you can’t sleep. Make a list of ten things that
tend to happen when things go wrong and see how many of them need to be in place before you need to take steps to shut your self down before you are ‘shut down’ officially. Another useful technique is to stick up messages around the house saying ‘are you feeling or thinking this; do this in order to deal with it’. (eg. Think you’re Jesus; go bang a drum) Repetitive drumming is useful for silencing the voices and is an ancient shamanic technique to ground the trance state; it can be done on hand drums or even just your legs or a table top.
Spending time in nature is very important for healing. Gardening is a great way of grounding as you are literally earthed, and growing organic
vegetables is an extremely nurturing experience
NUTRITIONAL THERAPY
The medical model views mental illness as an imbalance in brain chemistry. All psychotic illness, schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder can all be treated successfully using nutritional therapy. It is hard to believe that people in the affluent Western world are suffering from malnutrition, but the average diet is deficient in important nutrients for healthy brain function. This is mainly due to our dependence on processed food and the mineral depletion of soil through use of agrochemicals.
Maintaining an even blood sugar is vital for optimum mental health. The
ingestion of caffeine and processed sugar causes blood sugar levels to rise rapidly; the body panics and releases insulin to reduce blood sugar, which then drops rapidly causing people to feel irritable, lethargic, depressed, panicky and experience mood swings; they then eat more sugar to raise blood sugar levels and the whole cycle starts again. Most psychotropic medication also has this impact on blood sugar. Snacking throughout the day on healthy food is an effective way of maintaining an even blood sugar level.
Food sensitivities are also an important factor for people with mental
health problems, for example, 60% of people with depression have been found to be intolerant to wheat. A food allergy will cause an immediate and severe reaction, whereas an intolerance may take a few days to appear and can manifest as a variety of symptoms including depression, anxiety, anger, lethargy hallucinations, bloating, and digestive and skin problems. The most common foods that people are intolerant to are wheat and dairy products.
Avoid all stimulants; tea and coffee and sugar containing foods
Avoid all dairy and wheat products if you suspect they are causing a
problem.Eat plenty of fresh organic vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds.
Drink plenty of water.
MEDITATION & BREATHING TECHNIQUES
The psychotic state often feels magical, mystical and super-meaningful. This state of high arousal can leave a person feeling vulnerable. This feeling of threat, when the mind goes into tunnel vision might be caused by something real, imagined, or out of the memory. A way of relaxing the mind and body is to breathe out more than you breathe in, a technique which can allay feelings of anxiety or panic. Massage, aromatherapy, acupuncture and herbal medicine can also be of great benefit.
Meditation is a way of developing the ability to calm and control ones’
mind: Aim for 10-15 minutes daily. Sit comfortably, close your eyes and
focus on the sensation of the breath as it passes through the nostrils,
breathing gently and normally. When thoughts come up and the mind becomes distracted, bringing the mind back to its’ object, the breath, will
strengthen concentration. Initially you will find that it is difficult to
focus for long but by paying no attention to thoughts and feelings and just
focusing on the breath the turbulence will gradually die down and you will
be left with a feeling of calm and spaciousness in the mind.
To obtain copies of the Evolving Minds video and other radical social,
political and environmental documentaries contact Undercurrents on 01792 455900 http://www.undercurrents.org