HOW DO WE RECOVER? AN ANALYSIS OF
PSYCHIATRIC SURVIVOR ORAL HISTORIES

ORYX COHEN, M.P.A ., has emerged as a leader in
the international consumer/survivor/ex-patient (c/s/
x) movement . Currently he is the career initiatives
coordinator for the Western Massachusetts Training
Consortium. He oversees and supports c/s/x-led
microenterprises and self-employment projects.

Oryx is the cofounder of Freedom Center, the Pioneer
Valley's only peer-run support/activist organization. Freedom Center's
purpose is to empower and support people with psychiatric labels while
challenging oppressive mental health policies and practices . He serves on
several boards and committees nationally and regionally, including the
National Association for Rights Protection and Advocacy (NARPA) and
Windhorse Associates. He volunteered for several years with
MindFreedom International, directing its Oral History Project, which
involved collecting and documenting c/s/x stories of abuse, empowerment,
recovery, and resistance in the mental health system.

Summary
This article analyzes interview and survey data collected during the
course of the MindFreedom International Oral History Project from
June 1 through September 1, 2001 . The purpose of the
MindFreedom Oral History Project was to gather stories of experiences
in the mental health system from the psychiatric survivor or
ex-patient perspective . Thirty-six people participated in the study,
most of who consider themselves "psychiatric survivors. " Qualitative
and quantitative analysis reveals four major themes emerging
from these histories : trauma, social control, internalized oppression,
and recovery. The focus of this article is on the theme of recovery.
Participants demonstrated resiliency and a strong ability to
"recover." No "magic bullet " was found to work for all participants '
recovery process ; instead, participants used a variety of selfdesigned
strategies to recapture their once broken lives.

More: http://akmhcweb.org/recovery/oryx_jo...nist_psych.pdf