Lived Experience Forum

[Stout]

@Gumnut1 thanks.

You've obviously got one of those powerful minds I admire in people. Apart from the zzzzzzttt, 🧐

That's what terrified me. I to resist the industrial ward system. On principal. I know that for me the hospital system is the last thing I need. And so disruptive. Could you talk a bit more about resistance, and their responses, pls

[Gumnut1]

Thanks @Stout that’s very kind and I would be glad to talk a little about resistance and their response. I watch a lot of YouTube videos on self-help and one I saw was by a Shaolin Monk and philosopher Shi Heng Yi who is based in Germany, he demonstrated a Taoist principle using a rope he let dangle from his hand and the nature of resistance, forcing things to be and also allowing things to be (I apologise I am not using the right words here but I hope U understand the point being made) He pushed the rope back with his free hand simulating what happens when we resist something, naturally the rope would swing back towards him, He suggested that the more we resist something the closer it will bring it towards us, he also pulled the rope towards him and then the rope would naturally swing away, symbolising how if we pull things towards us and force things in life to be the way we want them to be, they move further away from us and then finally he let the rope be in it’s natural state which he explained as acceptance and showed there was no back and forth the rope is just there. And this relates to my time in the mental health system because the more I resisted and denied my condition the stronger it would come back at me and the more I wanted to be “Normal” and free myself of medication and hospitals the more I would end up in hospital and the more medication I would have to take. And when I finally came to accept my condition and know that I am normal, and began to learn and practice as much as I can about mental health and staying on the right medication, it changed my life. 

[Stout]

@Gumnut1 

That's a nice demonstration. I understand. My case is the inverse. The industrial scale intervention was abhorrent. I accept something is wrong, but it's not commensurate with the label. In fact, the industry takes a purist and cleansing view of me. I have noticed that if U don't resist the industry, they are less likely to get furious. They even choose to be nice.

[Stout]

To explain myself, I mean that the Department of Make Work caused life ruining disruption on more than a few occasions.

[Gumnut1]

If I understand @Stout is it that the system is trying to treat U with their cookiecutter approach to the label of the diagnosis they have given U? If so that is exactly I felt when I was in the system. It wasn’t until I was released from hospital for the last time and decided that I had to work on myself because the way I was being treated wasn’t working. Modern psychology and medications and medical sciences have only been around for the last maybe 150 years (I’m not saying these things are not effective (and I’m not saying don’t take medication) because they are and can be effective if U find the right ones) and finding a good doctor and treating team that understand U and being very honest and saying exactly and concisely how U are feeling and what U are experiencing and know that U are the CEO of your treating team and if U don’t feel that U are the CEO change your treating team. People have experienced mental health conditions and worked with them and on them effectively for thousands of years, I have found that using ancient mindfulness techniques mixed with modern medicine has done wonders for me, much more than ancient mindfulness techniques or modern medicine would do both on their own. No doubt we will find better ways today and into the future. I am first and foremost a human, I am not my diagnosis, I have a mind, I think, I breath just the same as every other human that every lived, but I am unique and different from every human that has been lucky enough to be on this earth. Why we are so lucky today is that we have access to the internet. I heard someone say the we can educate ourselves to the level of any Harvard graduate by information we can gather through the internet. What ever U need to know is at your fingertips. The answers I needed weren’t being given or I was told what I was asking was impossible, so I had to keep trying everywhere and asking everyone until I found the answers I was looking for. The answers U need are out there, U just need to find them. U will find what U need if keep looking. 

Impossible?

I’m possible!