Mental illness and the Media
From www.mentalhealthsupport.co.uk/mentalhealthandstigma.html

In this day and age it is still surprising how the Media and Television do not accurately portray. A person who is suffering with Mental Ill Health often not showing the recovery of people with mental ill health at all. may be because it is not a juicy big story in the Soaps. When in reality most people who have had or are living with a mental ill health condition are living normal lives in the community and often in this day and age a lot of Mental illness can be controlled with medication Giving the person relief from conditions such as Depression, Anxiety, Schizophrenia, Bi Polar that give a person better quality of life. A good Idea for people who are recovering with mental ill health is to join a day centre that specializes in mental health. These places are often open door policy which means you don’t need a referral to use the service also carers can use the service. The day centres are often places that you can meet and make friends with other people who are going through similar things. Often in a relaxed friendly atmosphere where you feel you are part of something positive. Where people understand you and don’t judge you. It’s a shame really the Media and television would not focus on this side of mental ill health recovery and have a positive effect on reducing stigma not creating it mental illness does not define a person or their ability of what they can contribute and achieve in life and the hobbies and interests they have each person is unique.

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www.mentalhealthsupport.co.uk

Mental Health - Unusual Beliefs

Tamasin Knight's first book Beyond Belief explores ways of helping people who have unusual beliefs. These are beliefs that may be called delusions, obsessions, or another kind of psychopathology.

Psychiatric treatment attempts to remove these beliefs by medication and other methods. The new approach described in Beyond Belief is different. It is about accepting the individual's own reality and assisting them to cope and live with their beliefs.
Beyond Belief explains the new approach in a very readable format.
Many psychological techniques to cope with unusual beliefs are described. These include strategies to reduce fear, strategies to increase coping and problem solving techniques.
Ideal for mental health professionals, service users/survivors and carers.

Free download at www.peter-lehmann-publishing.com/books/beyond-belief.pdf

Visit www.topazpostline.freeuk.com/events.html for Mental Health Events & Books update Autumn 2010, See also Links on mental health, getting help and self-help.

Hearing Voices Network

www.hearing-voices.org

MAD PRIDE

Info/ media: 07766 124472 or 07542 459321 http://madpride.org.uk


Mad pride presents...
A day of action to oppose welfare benefits cuts for the "mentally ill"
Nationwide one-day medication strike!

In the first of a series of co-ordinated medication strikes, all UK mental
health service users will default on their psychiatric medication for one day,
in protest against the coming savage welfare benefits cuts. Further, all UK
service users will not engage with any mental health services whatsoever on
that day, in a bid to demonstrate our collective power.

THIS WILL PUT LIVES AT RISK. If we work together and help each other
individually and in groups, we can survive. At our demonstration and subsequently, 
we shall distribute information advising people how to respond to hostile DWP 
communications threatening their welfare benefits entitlements and "inviting" 
them to "tests," signposting them to sources of help.

Mad Pride is now an international, loosely-connected network of cells devoted
to promoting the civil liberties, social status and creative talents of
people labelled "mentally ill." It was originally formed by a small group of
people in London, whose heyday was from 1999 to 2003. This small group has
reconvened specifically to organise direct action against benefits cuts, to
take place on Tuesday October 26th.

Pictures from Demotix - you can upload your own photos and text at www.demotix.com

www.demotix.com/news/488916/mental-health-patients-and-workers-get-mad-over-government-cuts
www.demotix.com/news/487045/mad-pride-protest-speakers-corner-over-spending-cuts
www.demotix.com/news/487061/mad-pride-burn-cameronosborne-effigy
www.demotix.com/news/487086/mad-pride-protest-against-benefit-cuts-mentally-ill

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_Pride
Mad Pride is a mass movement of mental health services users and their allies. The first 
known event specifically organized as a Pride event by people who identify as psychiatric 
survivors/consumer/ex-patients was in Toronto, Canada when it was called "Psychiatric 
Survivor Pride Day", held on September 18, 1993. It was first held in response to local 
community prejudices towards people with a psychiatric history living in boarding homes 
in the Parkdale area of the city, and has been held every year since then in this city except 
1996. By the late 1990s similar events were being organized as Mad Pride in London, 
England and around the globe from Australia to South Africa and the United States, drawing
thousands of participants, according to MindFreedom International, a United States 
mental health advocacy organization that promotes and tracks events spawned by 
the movement.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mentalism_%28discrimination%29

Mentalism is a form of discrimination and oppression against people based on intelligence, 
mental type (ex. ADHD or bipolar) or neurology  (ex. neurotypical or schizophrenic) especially 
against those who have,  or who are labeled as having, a mental disorder or a mental illness.  
Like other "isms" such as sexism and racism,it is characterized by complex social inequalities 
in power. It can result in blatant mistreatment or multiple, small insults and indignities. The 
negative attitudes and terms may be internalized.  Terms with a similar meaning that are
sometimes used are "psychophobia" and "sanism".

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Soteria Network www.soterianetwork.org.uk

We are a network of people in the UK promoting the development of drug-free and minimum medication therapeutic environments for people experiencing 'psychosis' or extreme states. We are part of an international movement of service users, survivors, activists, carers and professionals fighting for more humane, non-coercive mental health services.

People who hear voices, have visions or experience reality in different ways to those around them — and become overwhelmed by their experiences — are often referred to as experiencing 'psychosis'. We believe that people can and do recover from difficulties which tend to be categorised under the term psychosis. This recovery can be dealt with, without and sometimes despite psychiatric intervention.

LINKS Page www.soterianetwork.org.uk/links/links.html

22 page Booklet online including more Links at www.soterianetwork.org.uk/books/books.html

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Publications from the SAMARITANS

www.samaritans.org/your_emotional_health/publications.aspx

Some of the publications available online - There are also information packs
Young People's Emotional Health

Coping With Stress

Depression and Suicide

Youth and Self-Harm

Mental Health and Suicide

Youth Matters - A Cry for Help

Bloke's Own

Young Men Speak Out