Recovery and Mental Health

Overcoming the Impossible: My Journey Through Schizophrenia

Psychiatric survivor, psychologist and author Ron Bassman wrote this breakthrough article that was published in the popular magazine, Psychology Today. He describes how despite a diagnosis of schizophrenia and years of lock-ups and abuse and electroshock and insulin coma therapy and psychiatric drugs…. he survived, recovered, became a psychologist. Ron is an advocate for change in the mental health system, and author of the book, “Fight to Be.”

It’s a beautiful mind: Schizophrenic experience leads man to medicine

Oregon’s largest newspaper describes a visit by psychiatric survivor/psychiatrist Dan Fisher to eastern Oregon to provide training about ‘recovery’ following a psychiatric diagnosis.

USA National Empowerment Center

A good place to start exploring the concept of “recovery” following a diagnosis with psychiatric label is the federally-funded technical assistance office of National Empowerment Center directed by psychiatrist and psychiatric survivor Dan Fisher.

Pamphlet on recovery

Steve Morgan of Vermont created a basic flyer that can be given out about recovery. One version is for reading, the other for printing (there are different layout requirements for both).

Web site based in Vermont about alternatives for recovery

“Simple and useful” information about recovery and alternatives for mental health consumers, psychiatric survivors and mental health workers. While the web site is based in Vermont, it has resources that would be of interest to people all over.

Finding Purpose After Living With Delusion

This front page NY Times article is about Mr. Milt Greek, a man diagnosed with schizophrenia who has explored his own beliefs and similar experiences and those of others. This is the latest in a series of articles by NYT journalist Benedict Cary that have been giving voice to mental health consumers/psychiatric survivors and questioning the mainstream medical model of what is called “schizophrenia.”