“I know electroshock survivors, and I’ve been on a psych ward while it was being practised on my friends. While you may be aware of the hazards (heart attacks, brain bleeds, memory loss), what you probably don’t know about is what happens to them as people who you interact with. They have a stare in their eyes, where their eyes don’t move like a normal person’s. It seems to look through you. They may have a smile on their face, but it is a goofy smile, empty of real expression and emotion or comprehension of what you are talking to them about. Years later, you can still see these effects. They have been hollowed out somehow as people, the connections in their brains fried with electricity so that they are no longer complete persons. It is a sad thing to see, and to witness happening. Shock is not effective in relieving depression or anything else beyond the first few weeks after it happens, when the brain, having suffered an injury, is trying to repair itself and so it seems that the activity of the mind has changed. In fact, it has only been damaged, and the electroshock survivors whom I personally know are all angry and confused about what was done to them, but they have been too brain damaged and intimidated to try to fight back any more. Electroshock is not “treatment.” It is a form of brain damage and torture, and I hope that you will prevent anyone from allowing it, because once you do, it will become “required” and that many more people will suffer. This is how the system works. When doctors can’t help, they use whatever extreme methods might be available — regardless of the harm that is done. Please do not allow electroshock to become a first-line treatment. It would be devastating to the public, and to many people who do not deserve this — especially when you consider the absolute dearth of genuine informed consent in this country. Please make a principled stand against it.”

FDA: Stop FDA from Down-Classifying the Shock Device to a Class II Device Stop shock treatment. – Sign the Petition!

ERIC COATES JUST SIGNED THIS PETITION ON CHANGE.ORG.

“I think that psychiatry is winning because it deals with each one of its victims in isolation, alone, and without real friends who can help them. This has been true ever since the first asylums were opened in medieval Europe, where mad people were confined in buildings that can only be described as jails. Those who were loud were chained to the walls. Those who didn’t obey were beaten. Those who didn’t understand what was being said to them or who fought back a little to protect themselves were locked in little rooms without heat, without clothes, without a place to go to the bathroom, and starved into submission. This is not unlike the solitary confinement units of the worst prisons today. Every person who has mental problems is dragged in front of a psychiatrist, who, without any psychological training at all, simply prescribes a pill and then throws that person back into the ward. At the New Hampshire Hospital in Concord, New Hampshire, there are now only two psychologists. Two. For a couple hundred “patients.” But psychiatrists and nurses who dispense pills that pacify you like chemical chains now number in the dozens, and the jailers themselves — the “mental health workers” — number in the hundreds. Some of these people are genuinely there to help. But what they don’t realize is that every single person who enters the place is brought in in isolation, never gets to choose their own caregiver, never gets to choose their own lawyer, never gets to choose their own “treatment.” On the wall of the psych ward, there is a list of your rights, including the right to be “consulted with about your treatment.” This sounds great, but it never happens. To be “consulted with” means only that you are informed of what will be done to you, and if you resist — as I have — they will use the courtroom down the hall (hidden from the public, hidden from anyone who might help you) to take away your rights so they can do what they want to you. A psychiatrist, all by himself or herself, might seem like a noble person. But when you realize that they have the whole force of law, and of an institution that is designed like a prison, and a whole team of enforcers called “mental health workers” to enforce their will upon you, you have to realize that this is not “treatment.” This is a whole professional football team attacking the one guy who happened to wander out of the stands in confusion, and they do it time after time, day after day, year after year. When they’re done with you, most people would never have the courage to fight back again. And that’s how they’re winning. One victim at a time, isolated and removed from any help. Beaten down until they wouldn’t dare to help anyone else. Over and over and over. It’s time to fight back.”

 

 

 

 

get-her-back-we-are-paying-for-that-20.05.15 (1)

The true story above regarding Elizabeth’s return home from the care home reflects the need for Open Dialogue and change in the way care is given in my local area but sadly I understand from speaking to Dr Rassaque that my local area is one that is not included in the pilot scheme for Open Dialogue.    I would like to see open dialogue compulsory so that our experience is not repeated and nationally an open and honest system is adopted.   You have only got to look at the situation of wards overflowing, patients being long term incarcerated and the huge expense of this to the general public.  This affects everyone and it costs a fortune as I can see from my Freedom of Information Request to send someone to private hospitals and so called “specialist hospitals” where the “care” is just the same – drugging.    This is no answer at all and I have proven that treatment has been wrong in Elizabeth’s case as she cannot even metabolise the drugs.

At yesterday’s Open Dialogue Meeting held at Friend’s House in Euston I met up with others including professionals who wish to see change.   Thank goodness there are some decent professionals.   I met up with some of the mothers I am in touch with who have sons/daughters trapped in the system foryears on end, who are fighting for their release and an alternative to the current cruel and rotten system that deprives their sons and daughters of the basic human rights such as spending time with families at times such as Christmas, regular leave and the right to treatment of a humane nature.  Instead they are witnessing their sons and daughters stuck in hospitals or care homes a long distance away from home and drugged enormously with disregard to physical health and on a never ending sentence.   Sandra Breakspeare is one such mother I am in touch with  and I think it is apalling that her son has been incarcerated I think she said for circa 15 years and this had led to him going downhill.    Sandra wishes to set up Chy Sawel and myself and other mothers would love to see this up and running.  I think there is a need for such facility as not everyone is suited to acute wards and they should definitely not be used long term.  In Elizabeth’s case, she has been sent away from home to Wales and incarcerated for three years and she has come back disabled.  She has not been out alone since coming home and I have had to appoint friends and immediate family as carers as no one cares in my local area and as we have been have been through Court of Protection which was very stressful for Elizabeth and not the first time either that we have been taken to court, you just lose trust in those who are supposed to care but it was good to see that in other areas there are people working in the profession who are passionate about change.    I have proven that Elizabeth can improve at home by way of correct diet.   We took part in Open Diaglogue with some professionals through our membership of the wonderful organisation ISPS – it was good as there was no feeling of “them and us” –  there is a sense of equality – inclusion rather than exclusion and Elizabeth was encouraged to participate in the workshops.  Elizabeth commenced the session of open dialogue by talking about how it felt to be taken to court.   It is very important to be able to trust those involved with your care.   It is difficult to trust professionals in my area from reading all their nasty comments in the files.   There would not have been any problems if open dialogue was available but like the standard of care it is a post code lottery so I can see.

The Programme of Open Dialogue UK 2016 Conference was a full day of interesting discussions which encouraged audience participation commencing 9.45 am ending at 16.45 as follows:

9.45 am   –  Nick Putman- welcome and introduction

09.55 am – Jaakko Seikkula –  Open Dialogue Approach – value of openness & democracy

10.35 am  – James Davies, Sami Timini, Jacqui Dillon, Peter Kinderman – Reflections from                                                                                                                           Panel

10.45 am – Jaakko Seikkula – Response to reflections

10.50 am – Volkmar Aderhold, Petra Hohn – response to reflections

11.20 am – James Davies, Sami Timini, Jacqui Dillon, Peter Kinderman – Reflections from                                                                                                                            Panel

11.30 am – Volkmar Aderhold, Petra Hohn – Response to reflections

11.35 am – Questions from /dialogue with delegates

12.00 pm – lunch

13.00 pm – Pablo Sadler, Ed Altwies – The Parachute Project in New York

13.30 pm – Russell Razzaque, Val Jackson, Anna Arabskyj – Peer Suported Open Dialogue                                                                                                      pilot project.

14.00 pm – Anne Cooke, Rachel Waddingham, Sarah Carr, Julie Repper – Reflections from                                                                                                                          Panel

14.10 pm – Pablo Sadler, Ed Altwies, Russell Rassaque, Val Jackson, Anna Arabskyj –                                                                                                                      Respose from Presenters.

14.15 pm – Questions from /dialogue with delegates

14.35 pm – Iseult Twamley, Rafaella Pocobello, Amy Morgan, Werner Schutze – a taste of                                                                                                          international developments.

14.55 pm – Nutritional networking with tea,coffee and biscuits.

15.25 pm – Corrine Hendy/Leslie Nelson  – Peer involvement in open dialogue

15.45 pm –  Nick Putman, Olga Runciman, John Joyce, Lauren Gavaghan – Open Dialogue                                        UK –   Training and related developments within the NHS

16.05 pm – Anne Cooke, Rachel Waddingham, Sarah Carr, Julie Repper  –  Reflections                                                                                                                           from panel

16.15 pm – Corrine Hendy, Leslie Nelson, Nick Putman, Olga Runciman, John Joyce,                                                   Lauren Gavaghan – response from presenters.

16.20 pm – Questions from/Dialogue with delegates

16.40 pm – Nick Putman – Final Comments

16.45 pm – Finish

 

As you can see from the above – a full and varied day with wonderful professional speakers both from the UK including international speakers and this gives hope to people like myself.

Sandra Breakspeare of Chy Sawel showed me some fabulous premises which would be ideal for the alternative care centre Chy Sawel which we as mothers would like to see set up.   I hope that the funding can be found as there needs to be choice in care and there is certainly demand for such a centre.  I have come across professionals who dismiss the idea a nutrition approach to MH care  but I would dispute this as I can see that now Elizabeth is home I am seeing real improvement due to change of diet/nutrition and I am extremely lucky to have someone who is helping me right now and who is an expert on nutrition.   Chy Sawel  hopes to offer a holistic approach and have a conference coming up on the 13 May with speakers such as Nick Putman, Robert Whitaker – I shall feature the Agenda in due course and will attend along with Elizabeth.

It is some time since I have written my blog last but all is going well which is thanks to my brilliant carers.

I shall write shortly about the Chy Sawel Conference.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Read More