Compelling Alternatives -- 'Outside Mental Health' -- To Mainstream Psychiatry

Alternatives to mainstream mental health are now being taken seriously by the mainstream media, as evidenced by the New York Times August 2016 article, "An Alternative Form of Mental Health Care Gains a Foothold." The recently published book Outside Mental Health: Voices and Visions of Madness (2016) provides both compelling alternatives and realistic hope for those who have been failed by mainstream mental health. It has become increasingly mainstream to criticize psychiatry for its corruption by drug companies, invalid diagnoses, lack of long-term treatment effectiveness, and other scientific failings. Outside Mental Health reminds us that perhaps the most pathetic aspect "inside mainstream mental health" is how simplistic, boring, and reductionist it is--when our natures are so very complex, fascinating, and non-reductionist. Outside Mental Health restores the full range of color to our humanity. Outside Mental Health is authored by radio host and therapist Will Hall, who as a young man had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. The central question Hall asks is: What does it mean to be called crazy in a crazy world? This central question leads to specific questions that include: What does an "altered state" mean, and can it be terrifying but also exhilarating and illuminating? Is "hearing voices" really a symptom of illness or simply another dimension of our humanity? How much does context affect the experience of illicit and psychiatric psychotropic drugs? What is the rel...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news