New Book Challenges Current Thinking On Depression And Finds Advantages In The Condition

Tom Wootton, author of The Bipolar Advantage, has just announced the release of his second book, The Depression Advantage, a stirring and sometimes controversial look at the depressive condition and its potential benefits for depressed people.

Mr. Wootton is the founder of Bipolar Advantage: http://www.bipolaradvantage.com. A company dedicated to spreading the message that people with mental conditions can lead full and productive lives. His books can be purchased at: http://www.bipolaradvantage.com/store.html

The Depression Advantage is an audacious departure from the accepted doctrine and canon of literature on depression. The book celebrates the advantages of spiritual, personal and social growth possible through the experience of depressed states and challenges current thinking on depression treatment.

Drawing from historical and literary examples ranging from the lives of the Saints to Buddhist parables to pop culture heroes like the X-Men, The Depression Advantage demonstrates that physical, mental, emotional and spiritual pain can be a catalyst for personal growth and transcendent understanding.

Next on MindFreedom MAD FREE LIVE Web Radio with Host David

ive interview with Dorothy Dundas, survivor of insulin coma
shock who became psychiatric survivor activist.

This Wednesday, 3 October 2007, at 4 pm ET, click, listen and call in
to a free LIVE MindFreedom Web Radio:

Tags: Recovery, suvivor

October is "Screen the World for Normality Month"!

Some claim October is "Mental Health Month." MindFreedom renamed
October "Screen the World for Normality Month"! Celebrate Mad Pride.

Got normal? Here's how you can participate! Get your rubber chicken
ready! Events in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Missouri, Illinois,
Australia, Belgium... or anywhere you are.

Help launch Martin Luther King's vision of an "International
Association for the Advancement of Creative Maladjustment."

Tags: Recovery

To Err is Human

from Gerald Butler

To Err is Human

Since we were first diagnosed, our lives have been centered on our illnesses. Family, Doctors, Co-workers, Society, and mostly ourselves, all concentrate on what is wrong with us. If we are not reminding ourselves, someone else is telling us how we must improve ourselves. Often, prior to learning how to cope with our illness we find ourselves behaving not become better, but attempting to be what others fell we should be. In recovery we must begin to develop a greater sense of self and a realization of how we got in the position we are in. By practicing Peer Support I have found this to be true: without a sense of self-worth our inner selves/egos cannot find the enthusiasm necessary for us to participate in our own recovery process. In other words, ‘If I am worthless, why try to better myself? As opposed to concentrating on the negative aspects of our lives, we must first and foremost accept the fact that we are valuable both to ourselves and to those currently going through what we have been through.

Everyone makes mistakes, that's a given. Because we have been told all our lives how useless we are, some of us have a tendency to accept our mistakes, saying, "They were right about me, I am worthless". In recovery we must: 1) acknowledge our faults and make apologies as needed 2) put in place an 'Action Plan' to assure we do not make that particular blunder again3) Put the lapse in storage on the top shelf, somewhere way in the back. And while we are at it, we should take our pride and self-esteem out of storage and begin making those a part of our everyday lives, tossing out the negative things we tend to focus on. There are many who have lost faith in the system. Having been there, we not only know where they are but also how to convince him/her to seek recovery. Thus it behooves us to do whatever it takes to get and stay well as they are in need of our help. Just as the Doctor goes through years of schooling to learn to save lives, by practicing Peer Support we have the ability to use our past experiences to do the same. We can turn the poison of the past into medicine to heal others and ourselves.

"You messed up so now we will never allow you that opportunity again" 90% of us have either been treated as such or have had it stated outright to us. However, that attitude is going the way of the dinosaur system wide. Instead we must seek out those administrators who say to us "You made a mistake, now let's you and I work as team to assure that you do not make the same error the next time". These are the leaders of a transformed system as described in the 'The Presidents New Freedom Commission Report to Congress'. When community based treatment was first implemented, mental health treatment took a giant leap into the future. Of course no one could have foreseen it, but the problem: a vital piece of the equation was missing, us. In the future, when we are asked how did Michigan's system of treatment rise to it's current level; I don't think it will have as much to do with innovative programs as it will be because of the high level of cooperation between consumers and administrators.

Finally, although she would rather remain anonymous Irene Kazieczko (Michigan Department of Community Health) was not only largely instrumental in bringing Peer Support to Michigan but she has also done everything she possibly could to assure its implementation. A while back I asked her if she had foreseen how much Peer Support would benefit consumers and until recently I did not grasp the full meaning when she answered yes. Irene believed in us more than we believed in ourselves and she still has meetings just to ask how we feel. She has pushed us, pulled us, and walked by our side until we began to have that same belief in ourselves. And now, through Peer Support, we are passing that belief on to others needing help. All I ask is that when you see Irene, be sure to give her a pat on the back. She deserves it and anyone who knows her realizes she will never give herself one.

Gerald Butler

CPSS

Consumer Advocate

Tags: Recovery

The Person Centered Planning Conference

9/28/06

Consumers in Michigan just had our best week in recent memory, the Person Centered Planning Conference and the Recovery Council, all in one week. I feel the highlight of the Person Centered Planning conference was the presentation given by Ms Ann Forts. Ms. Forts has Downs Syndrome (which she refers to as UP syndrome) and travels over 20.000 miles a year spreading the message of hope and recovery. Ms. Forts has far too many credentials to list here, including an appointment to a National committee by then President Bill Clinton so I suggest you go to her web site: www.anniefortsupfund.org. As the entire system of treatment moves toward transformation, consumers like Annie will be more common place as opposed to rare and at the rate things are progressing, recovery shall soon be taken for granted for anyone entering the system.

The Michigan Department of Community Health Recovery Council is a committee of majority consumers from across the State and we meet about every three months and make decisions regarding the direction of treatment and recovery in the State. I am not certain I am at liberty to reveal what we met about on Friday but suffice it to say it is vital to every consumer in the system. The thing about the Recovery Council is that as little as two years ago, the idea of consumers being involved in the decision making process regarding the direction of treatment, was a mere dream. Today, through the Recovery Council, our thoughts and suggestions are being heard and are being implemented. Years ago many of us put our dreams away; we gave up hope of ever being listened to. This is a new day and time and it is now safe to pull those dreams off the shelf, dust them off, and make them reality. There are far too many folks who believe in us and they are working hard on our behalf, so we must do our part by believing in ourselves.

Under the Governor's new initiative, there are thousands of folks coming out of the criminal justice system and back into the community. I have always been an advocate for this: as opposed to making the justice system adapt to the mentally ill our efforts should be directed towards keeping the sick out of the jails in the first place. Those being released were imprisoned because of substance abuse related offenses, mental illness or both, and would fare better in community-based treatment. Whether they thrive of fail depends largely on how well they are received by whatever community they return to. Directed by Jocelyn Fitzpatrick, Corrections to Work is a group of folks dedicated to seeing to it that these 'Returning Citizens' are welcomed with open arms back into the community. On November 1st Corrections to Work will be hosting a fundraiser at the Charles H. Wright Museum and Ms. Fitzpatrick has asked the Recovery Band to bring our message of recovery to their event. To be honest we are proud to be able to give what was so freely given to us, HOPE.

The thing about Peer Support is that it is more than just a concept, to us it is a way of living. It does not require a specific, time, place, or setting for it to happen. In the van on our way to the Person Centered Planning conference, Andria Jackson (you may remember her from Empowerment Day) told us how since she was a child she not only wanted to sing with a band, but also how she had promised her Grandmother that she would one day do just that. During that trip, Ms Jackson became the newest member of "Recovery" and the band gets to be a part of making another persons dreams come true. This is Peer Support and what we do as Peer Supporters is that no matter what we are into, Office Management, Sports, the Arts, Technology/Computers, Farming/Animal Husbandry, or Cars, we find consumers who are into what we are. We open our Peer Support manuals and our hearts and are pleasantly surprised at how quickly we both begin to grow. And then we go in search of others needing to renew their faith and trust in the system.

Yes, the Freedom Train has left the station and the cost of a ticket to ride is self-esteem and belief in humanity. Consumers are willing to go back into the darkness to save another consumer; we know our way around and how to find the light. After all, having been there before we are more than qualified to help others navigate their way through recovery. When soldiers return to battle to save those left behind he/she is called a war hero and receive medals. When consumers go back into the fray to help others, they are called Peer Supporters and are golden. So as the train of system transformation picks up steam we will be seeing more consumers like Ann Forts traveling the Nation spreading the message of hope. More Recovery Councils where consumers are making decisions on our future, and most certainly, greater recovery outcomes. During these uncertain times this much is guaranteed: with everyone, Physician, Case managers, Consumers, Providers, ETC, working towards one goal, we have little choice but recovery.

Gerald Butler

CPSS

Tags: PCP, Conference, Recovery

Michigan Recovery Council, Part Two

September 21, 2007:

There was continuing discussion of the role PSS can play during access, and the impact that it has on the hope of persons in distress.

Jenneth Carpenter from HSRI gave a presentation of Recovery and the Federal Transformation grants process.

There are two groups of measures:

• Individual surveys
• Measures of organizational support of recovery

This reflects the idea that there are two dimensions of recovery:

• Supporting one's mental health
• Addressing environmental barriers

10 fundemental components:

• Self Direction
• Person-centered
• Empowerment
• Holistic
• Non-linear
• Strengths based
• Peer support
• Respect
• Responsibility
• One more I didn't catch

Recovery is a process composed of non-linear stages and recovery is self-defined.

The transformation Grants are designed for 5 years of re-fabricating the infrastructure of mental health system to include recovery as a primary paradigm. 9 grants have been given to states, with Michigan not being one of them. States were slower to start-up, and that detailed and actionable transformation plans was more challenging than they thought. The States are planning a wide range of activities.

Lunchtime!!

Michigan Recovery Council Meeting

Part One:

Two issues of immediate import:

• The measurement tool (Q45) pilot is going forward, despite Council concerns. The Council will go forward with looking for a better measurement tool. There will be a discussion meeting on the outcomes measurement process on October 25 at Constitution Hall
  
• There is a proposed Behavior Modification Policy for mental health services. There will be a feedback teleconference on September 25 at 4 pm. The policy uses a Behavior Modification Committee concept, but does not actually rule out any behavior modification technique if it goes through the BM Committee, and, sometimes, a DCH review.

Heather Visingardi talked about the role of Peer Support Specialists in Access and in the various providers. Heather said that the PSS service code can't be used for services until a person centered plan is created. Heather believes that the other activities that PSS do before the PCP is created should be validated by a code that supports the activities as an actual encounter that involves an essential service. DCH will be assessing the impact of PSS in hospitals and access centers using a grant.

End of Part One

Medicaid drug rule may hurt recipients

WASHINGTON — An obscure provision slipped into a $120 billion Iraq spending bill in May threatens to leave some poor and disabled Medicaid recipients without prescription drugs in October.

In a case of unintended consequences, Congress inserted a rule cracking down on Medicaid fraud that requires that all non-electronic prescriptions for Medicaid patients be written on tamper-resistant paper.

The rule was devised as a way to raise nearly $150 million over five years for public hospitals, the amount that Medicaid fraud costs the federal government.

New Book "Alternatives Beyond Psychiatry"

Today, the first big box of this eagerly-awaited book arrived from
the printer at our USA office. Now you can have your copy.

Sixty-one authors from five continents address questions such as:

** What helps me if I go mad? How can I find trustworthy help for a
relative or a friend in need?

** How can I protect myself from coercive treatment? As a family
member or friend, how can I help?

** What should I do if I can no longer bear to work in the mental
health field?

** What are the alternatives to psychiatry, how can I get involved
in creating alternatives?

** Assuming psychiatry would be abolished, what do you propose instead?

Shipping starts on Monday! You may now order this brand new book from
MindFreedom which serves as the USA branch office for the publisher.

Today, 14 September 2007 is "World Hearing Voices Day"!

Support humane alternatives for people who hear distressing or
overwhelming voices, sounds, etc. Hearing Voices Network USA is now a
sponsor group of MindFreedom International.

The International Network for Training Education and Research into
Hearing Voices (INTERVOICE) announced:

"2007 marks the 20th year of achievement since the hearing voices
movement took its first step, when in 1987, Dutch voice hearer Patsy
Hage challenged Marius Romme, her psychiatrist, with her criticism of
his clinical approach to her voices. She pointed out that rather than
using voices only in order to make an illness diagnosis it would be
more useful if he helped her learn to cope with the experience. He
listened, acted and the rest is history. From this beginning
INTERVOICE, has grown into an international network with 14
participating countries."