10th Apr 2014: Schizophrenia; Reflections by an Insider by Kenneth Wilson

Come along to The Counting House at 7pm for a talk by Kenneth. Share a crust of bread, and hear the reflections he has to share…

Title of talk:

Schizophrenia: Reflections by an Insider

Bullet points of what you would like to talk about:

1. I’ll begin by introducing concerns over the viability of ‘schizophrenia’ as  a term. The condition that this traditional term refers to is real, in my opinion, but the term comes with so much stigma that the diagnosis is almost as bad as the condition itself – therefore I’d like to advocate a much less stigma-laden term. I don’t know what the new term is to be but I think we need one.
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Fun: A New Prescription For Social Anxiety? by Martin Webber

Anxiety affects us all. Sometimes, a little bit is a good thing. It can sharpen our minds before a performance or help us to complete a piece of work, for example. More often, though, it can get in the way of leading a normal, productive life. Severe anxiety can stop us sleeping, going out and getting on with our lives.
Research in the US has found that as many as one in ten people suffer from social anxiety disorder – a persistent fear of social situations – at some point in their lives. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance recommends medication or psychological therapy for the treatment of social anxiety. However, only about half of adults seek help and most only do so after experiencing problems with their anxiety for over 20 years.
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4th April 2013: Barefoot in the Head; How the way we think, feel and behave produces mental and physical health by Prof Ray Miller

psychology

Name of speaker and subject:

Prof. Ray Miller, Psychologist

Title of talk:

What has Psychology ever done for us? (A story in three parts)
Part 2: Barefoot in the Head: How the way we think, feel and behave produces mental and physical health. Psychological therapies from the couch, through dogs and rats, to mindfulness and positive thinking.

Bullet points:

  • The distressing history of treating problems of mental health.
  • The growth of psychological models of mental well-being.
  • History and development of major psychological therapies.
  • The importance of mental well-being to physical and social health.
  • The growing demand for psychiatric and psychological treatments.
  • What is ‘normal’? Are we pathologising everyday distress?

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Media Headlines Concerning Mental Health Service Users In England By Dina Poursanidou

Looking at media headlines from 2011 and 2012 concerning users of mental health services in England evokes in me a strong, odd sense of living and operating in two parallel and contradictory universe a sense of paradox that brings to mind Alice and her transportation from the boredom of her riverbank reality (she was sitting with her sister at a riverbank, the story goes) to the adventurous fantasy world of Wonderland Read more…

Asylum: A Journey Through Madness and Back by Dina Poursanidou

How I became involved with the Asylum magazine and what such involvement has meant for me:  a journey through madness and back by Dina Poursanidou

My first encounter with the Asylum magazine occurred in the spring of 2010 – when the magazine was relaunched after a 3-year break. I was introduced to Asylum by Helen (Spandler), a friend and colleague from the University of Central Lancashire and member of the Asylum editorial collective, and I have been reading it religiously ever since. In the autumn of 2011 Helen asked me whether I would be interested in being involved in the Asylum editorial collective, stressing that ‘the collective is open to anyone who wants to help produce and develop the magazine, working in a spirit of equality’. I was pleased to be asked and I have been a member of the collective for about a year. Read more…