And Some Added Emphasis
At the "Mental Health" Liberation Leaders' Workshop led by Janet Foner (the International Liberation Reference Person for "mental health" system survivors) last August, Janet modelled the theory she presented superbly. She presented a five-point program for staying in leadership:
1. Build a support system around you.
2. Stay in touch with present time/benign reality.
3. Reclaim power.
4. Have FUN!
5. Stay firmly in RC and gain allies. (Don't hang around the fringes.)
There were thirty-nine people from Canada and the USA. There were ten men and twenty-nine women; at least ten Lesbians, Gay men, and bisexual people; at least one third of the workshop was Jewish; at least one third was raised poor and/or working class. Interestingly enough, these groups (women, Gay people, Jews, poor/working class) are particularly singled out by the system of oppression.
Janet talked about the movement, her five-point program, and had us develop our own goals as "mental health" liberation leaders. She held out the direction: "From now on I am completely in charge of 'mental health' liberation. And I decide to end the oppression now! And this means...."
Some Basic Mental Health Liberation Theory
Basically, "mental health" liberation theory is basic RC theory: ALL human beings are born (and conceived) completely intelligent, powerful, zestful, loving, flexible, creative -- ALL PEOPLE without exception! There aren't two groups of people on the planet: sane vs. insane; normal vs. crazy; distressed vs. deeply distressed. There is only one kind of human: completely intact, whole, intelligent, who has distress recordings as a result of cumulative hurts. Everyone is "deeply" distressed. Everyone needs to counsel/discharge. There is no such thing as "crazy."
"Mental health" oppression affects everyone. It uses coercion to enforce the status quo. "Mental health" oppression defines normalcy as the patterns which have been imposed on white, middle-class people. The good news is these patterns can be discharged. "Mental health" oppression is the stop sign on re-emergence: "Don't cry." Most forms of discharge are labelled as either forms of mental illness or symptoms of mental illness. Crying = Depression; Laughing = Mania; Shaking = Panic disorder. Also, counseling only once a week is a symptom of "mental health" oppression. What if you could only go to the bathroom once a week? Discharge is a natural, normal process that "mental health" oppression has labelled crazy in order to maintain the class system.
RC is not therapy. RC is NOT therapy. Therapy "helps" you adjust to the oppressive society. Therapy is used to "help" you feel better. (RC is used to THINK better.) Therapy tells you that you are inadequate, "sick." Therapy reinforces your patterns and invalidates you. On the other hand, RC is a tool to reclaim your inherent, intact, and complete power and intelligence.
"Mental health" liberation theory needs to be taught in all fundamentals classes. Everyone needs to read What's Wrong with the ''Mental Health" System And What Can Be Done About It.
Cathy White
Laurel, Maryland, USA