Changing the Paradigm

Editor's notebook

by Liz Thor-Larsen

At the risk of ruffling a few feathers, I have written the following editorial. It is by no means the opinion of all members of our Society or even all user/survivors of the psychiatric health system. However, after a good deal of research and active involvement in the anti-psychiatry movement for the last three years, I believe it is an important point of view that must be articulated if we are ever to have effective, stigma free mental health services in this country. Peer group societies like the Vancouver/Richmond Mental Health Network are very important for all of us who have been "through the system".

However, much more work needs to be done.

The world wide social movement critical of biopsychiatry includes patients, ex-patients and medical health professionals in both the mainstream and alternate health care systems. We would like to see an end to the drugging of adults and children with emotional problems. We want medical coverage for non-drug medical support. Massage therapy, reflexoloty, counseling and "talk therapy", yoga and/or vitamin and herbal supplements to strengthen the nervous and immune systems which are all effective components of a health care regime that lowers stress and can protect any person from the debilitating effects of depression or psychosis.

We would like to see an end to the use of the term of "mental illness" all together. All of us in society must recognize and understand that people in emotional distress are reacting to some extremely stressful circumstances in their lives. These circumstances need to be ameliorated, not with drugs but with coping skills education and with protection from abuse.

Children being targeted or diagnosed must be provided with relief from oppressive life situations and recognition must be made that parents often need parenting skills training when their children are suffering with so-called "mental illnesses".

We feel that all so-called "mental illnesses", major and minor, are the result of complicated, often long term, stressful situations,
(or "psych-social overwhelm", as described by psychiatrist Dr. Peter Breggin in Toxic Psychiatry-St. Martins Press; NY. 1991).
They are not the result of bio-chemical problems in the brain. We feel that targeting the brain with drugs is cruel. It causes drug addiction and tends to undermine genuine self-esteem and self-confidence.

We feel that readily available support centers on a human scale must be established to provide non-violent and multi-faceted assistance to people in weaning themselves slowly from drugs. These must be places where people feel empowered to take personal responsibility for their lives again. Attacks of psychosis that may occur during the weaning process must be recognized for what they are. They are the side effect of weaning from powerful, mind altering drugs and not an indication of a return of the person's "illness". This is a tall order, but it's what we want and I know that eventually, this will become the accepted paradigm because it is humane, it makes sense and it will be an effective way for people to be accepted again into society.

We are determined to challenge and step away from the simplistic, coercive and dangerous "take this pill" treatment paradigm that dominates our society today.