Pat Risser wrote:

I liken this process of losing oneself to brainwashing. I figure I was brainwashed by the cult of psychiatry. The definition of recovery I use is, “the process of regaining that which was lost.” What I lost was me. I “deprogrammed” from the cult of psychiatry and have been regaining my sense of self ever since. I had to overcome the despairing, helpless, hopeless feelings I’d learned as a mental patient. That’s why I prefer the term survivor now in describing my self.

I had to deal with a lot of the same. Only my sister was hospitalized long before I was, and by the time it happened, I was ‘hip’. In fact, I was already working to reform the mental health system. [!]

I have always identified as a ‘reformer’ rather than a ‘survivor’. I feel that survival was part of what I had to do. In my case I fought the programming of the system from the moment I learned I would be hospitalized. I tried to keep, “me.” Eventually I was able to resume my interrupted education and in 1987 I finally received my Ph.D. degree in math. But keeping “me” was not so easily solved, however much this provided ‘empowerment’.

I have worked some with the folks who are designing the “recovery model” in California and I think you will find that it is at least headed in the direction of being something which promotes treating people with dignity and respect and which will recognize many of the oppressors which we struggle to overcome.

Pat is too generous here. [1] There are some people earnestly working for the betterment of the clients, but they aren’t in control of the process. [2] The primary objective seems to be to ‘recognize the oppressors’ in the reverse sense that Pat means, by honoring them. I don’t think Pat that you are listening to the warning signals that are coming from the clients, yet. I know you will because you have always done right in the face of hypocrisy.

Respectfully

Andrew