Let me be

Why must I be normal, and do normal things? Who made me believe I would fly with new wings? Why must I conform, re-enact what I see? Who made me believe I’d be better – and free? What makes it so hard to embrace each new task is the critical take, hypocrisy’s mask. Therapists decree…

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through the tunnel, endlessly seeking

historical accounts of mental health, 1960s-70s From my searches the majority of historic information is from the medical profession perspective, with commentary from those who look upon these medics as saviours of society, taking on these societal misfits. Keeping them off the streets. I have found very few accounts from patients and service users, telling…

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Mental health: a personal view in verse

I wrote this verse during my first hospital admission, two weeks before I was to turn 19. The structure and language are self-conscious, embarrassingly so, but it held enough truth for one of the ward sisters to keep a copy. About 40 years later the same sister arrived to work the night shift on the…

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How do we naturally integrate environmental sensory inputs?

Sensory integration. What on earth is it? It could be just one thing, or it could be many. It can be experienced as an under- or over-sensitivity to sensory experiences, like touch, hearing, smell, and sight. And it probably affects most of us in some way, at some time. Perhaps you cannot bear the labels…

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Beside Myself

Just for a heartbeat I consider your view – look back at myself from the angle of you; mind breaking free to make sense for one time, takes a new slant on what’s me and what’s mine. Not far away from another place But very same day, in my own space. For I see no…

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Cognitive Behaviour Therapy – is this really the best we have?

According to articles from reputable publications cognitive behaviour therapy has been found to be an effective treatment for: alcohol and drug use dependency, anger problems, anxiety disorders, bipolar affective disorder, depression, eating disorders, hoarding, marital problems.Also: obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic attacks, perinatal mental health problems, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), psychosis.As well as: schizoaffective disorder,…

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