MENTAL HEALTH General Information

Most people have times when they worry what they have said or done, or about what happened or was done to them.  Perhaps we want to share those - and perhaps not.  We each have our own ways of handling things and everyone is different.  There is an internal narrative running where we describe things to ourselves, and this could change in the telling as we explain or re-classify things to suit how we feel.  Some people 'manage' their illness or pain, not pushing themselves too far all the while.  We can become aware of what is making things worse.  To some degree we can contain or accommodate periods of depression, loneliness, anxiety or confusion in ourselves or those we know.  People can and do help each other along the lines of 'a friend in court' - someone who is basically there and aware how things are.

It can be difficult to know where to begin with seeking help for oneself on private matters.  There is currently some media attention concerning the effectiveness of drugs for certain types of psychological problems.  There can be controversy too about what is called 'talking cures' and whether those are always helpful, or even unhelpful if they are not suitable or experienced as intrusive.  Some books and links appear below, and the general idea is to show that there is not necessarily something terribly wrong with us as individuals, but that we live in a wider society or environment - It helps to see some of that too. 

You may or may not like the approach of the books or links but might use them as a starting point while searching for yourself.  Some writers imply there is 'no such thing' as mental illness and we do not entirely agree.  But there can be other valid ways of looking at problems, how they may arise and what can be done.  Support from outside can be helpful, but people can be very effective themselves, and information-gathering worth the effort.  We may give ourselves labels in an attempt to understand better and find some 'solution', but labels in themselves can be hard to overcome, so we may saddle ourselves with them unnecessarily.

There is plenty of information available on the Internet.  Take your time and look at alternatives, and try not to feel under pressure to conform to what others may say.  There are a range of email support groups too, but it is as well to bear in mind that what you say there is pretty public.  As with any type of disclosure, something one says cannot get 'un-said' again!

BOOKS AND LINKS - Mental Health & getting the right help

'Selfwatching: Addictions, Habits, Compulsions: what to do about them' by Ray Hodgson & Peter Miller

Dorothy Rowe's books on many subjects to do with human emotions and relationships (some available cheaply secondhand at www.amazon.co.uk or you can see them in book stores)

'Madness Explained: Psychosis and Human Nature' by Richard P. Bentall & Aaron T. Beck
'Manufacturing Victims: What the Psychology Industry is doing to People' by Tana Dineen
'House of Cards: Psychology and Psychotherapy Built on Myth' by Robyn M. Dawes
'Therapy Culture' by Frank Furedi
'The Myth of the Chemical Cure' by Joanna Moncrieff
'The Myth of Mental Illness' by Thomas S. Szasz

'Broken Boundaries, Stories of betrayal in relationships of Care' by Sarah Richardson, Melanie Cunningham et al.

'Shouldn't I be Feeling Better by Now?' ed. by Yvonne Bates

'Fish in a Barrel' by Grace Towers

'Sexual Abuse by Health Professionals' by P. Susan Penfold

'Out of Bounds: Sexual Exploitation in Counselling and Therapy' by Dr Janice Russell

'Patients as Victims: Sexual Abuse in Psychotherapy and Counselling' by Derek Jehu

'Breach of Trust: Sexual Exploitation by Health Care Professionals and Clergy' ed. John C. Gonsiorek

'Falling for Therapy: Psychotherapy from a Client's Point of View' by Anna Sands

'Boundaries and Boundary Violations in Psychoanalysis' by Gen O. Gabbard, Eva P. Lester

Talking Cure - useful information & links relevant for the UK at:
www.talkingcure.co.uk (site of Dr Douglas McFadzean & associates)

'The Americanization of Mental Illness' article by Ethan Watter, New York Times, 8 January 2010 www.nytimes.com/2010/01/10/magazine/10psyche-t.html?pagewanted=all

'Citizens Advice Handbook: Practical Independent Advice' Penguin paperback C.A.B.
'Your Rights: the Liberty Guide to Human Rights' by Megan Addis & Penelope Morrow
'Advocacy Skills for Health & Social Care Professionals' by Neil Bateman
'Getting to Yes: Negotiating an Agreement Without Giving In' by Roger Fisher & William Ury
'From Conflict to Co-operation: How to Mediate a Dispute' by Dr Beverly Potter

'No Smoke: the Shocking Truth about British Justice' by Sandra Lean
'Rethinking Miscarriages of Justice: Beyond the Tip of the Iceberg'  by Dr Michael Naughton

CAB - Civil Rights in England  www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/your_rights/civil_rights.htm
LIBERTY (Civil Liberties/Human Rights) - http://www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk

JOSEPH ROWNTREE FOUNDATION:  http://www.jrf.org.uk  ::  JRF LINKS - http://www.jrf.org.uk/links
JRF REPORT APRIL 2008 on social issues affecting individuals - http://www.socialevils.org.uk

SAINSBURY CENTRE for MENTAL HEALTH www.scmh.org.uk/

SAMARITANS - http://www.samaritans.org - REPORT ON WORKPLACE BULLYING available in Word or pdf format: http://www.samaritans.org/media_centre/latest_press_releases/workplace_bullying_rife.aspx

The following links lead to information which also may be useful as a starting place.
Sometimes when we are worried or in need of information, we do not think where to find it!

For General Links click HERE

MIND http://www.mind.org.uk
Downloadable Factsheets/Booklets in alphabetical order). The Mind Booklet on Advocacy, available from the above link, gives information on Advocacy including listing some organisations.  Literature is also available direct from MIND or call in at your local Branch.

CITIZENS' ADVICE
http://www.nacab.org.uk
http://www.adviceguide.org.uk (online downloadable information
on many issues + local CAB Branches)

MISCARRIAGES OF JUSTICE - BOOKS & INFORMATION
Innocent:  http://www.innocent.org.uk
United Against Injustice:  http://www.unitedagainstinjustice.org.uk

TANSAL Abuse & Rights: www.tansal.org.uk/humanrights.html

CIVIL LIBERTIES/ HUMAN RIGHTS
CAB:  Civil Rights in England  www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/your_rights/civil_rights.htm
LIBERTY:  http://www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk

Having Trubbles or Wurries
as a Young or Older Person

'Doc Matrix' full site www.docmatrix.me.uk

'Doc' has some Outline Questions about the help people get when they look for someone to help them

Or just use the Form to say what you want to

YouTube theCojent channel

Doc's Outline Questions on Help

Could you have got through without help?
Do you wish you had not sought help? Why?

What might you have done differently?
What do you think was helpful?

What do you think was unhelpful or unconstructive?
What do you feel could be construed as obstructive or abusive?

Do you feel there was anything at all manipulative about it?
This could be in the form of some special expertise, perhaps an overbearing manner,
or even someone being quite charming

Was there an attempt to make the philosophy very attractive?
Or very 'necessary' !

 

Doc's Further Questions on Help

Did you ask anyone for some help?
Did you wish you could ask someone for help?

Did you try for help via the National Health Service?
Did you seek help privately?

Did you see a psychologist or someone who used Cognitive Behavioural Therapy – CBT?

Did you seek some kind of spiritual or pastoral help?
For instance through religion, or what some people think of as a cult-like organisation?

Was it some form of alternative medicine or wholistic approach?
Did you consult a form of psychic practitioner?

Did you go for hypnosis or hypnotherapy?
Was it what is loosely termed NLP or neuro linguistic programming?

If you sought help was it helpful to you?
Were there things that were not helpful?

Did you find it easier to talk to friends, colleagues, neighbours, family? Was it easier to talk to a stranger or casual acquaintance?

Did you receive help from voluntary workers?
Did you try telephone or textlines, email or the Internet?

With hindsight, what would you rather have done?
What would you advise someone else to do with a problem?

Do you feel you have ever been influenced by another person or by a group, so that you behaved or thought differently from usual? How do you think this happens?

Do you sometimes behave very differently anyway according to circumstances, or how you are feeling?