[nativechic]

Have been off the boards for a while so didn't post a December book poll--maybe we can start again in the new year. I read a book anyway which is not very available--I had good luck again in suggesting that my library buy it and they did so maybe you can do the same if this interests you.

It's "Outside Mental Health: Voices and Visions of Madness" by Will Hall, one of the founders of the Icarus Project. It was basically a lot of essays and transcripts of interviews. No audiobook version but many interviews are on the Madness Radio podcast that's publicly available. Mix of experts, providers and ex-patients/psych survivors. It seemed like all the ex-patients had bad experiences in the mental health system early on and ended up going off medication and trying to stay involved in changing system through activism or becoming counselor themselves. I had kind of mixed feelings about this one-sidedness which makes out medications to be bad. Would love to discuss if someone else gets a chance to read it.

I really want to read this. The Icarus project forums are very interesting to me and I relate to the posts made there but it's not a very active online community. While I plan to stay on meds for at least a year, I appreciate the underlying message of the Icarus project which is about exploring mental illness as a unique and different way of looking at things. I live pretty close to Berkely and they have Icarus meet ups and art studios and ways to get involved. I really want to go and probably will soon. I wish the book was available in audiobook format. I can read a little at a time though and will check out my library and ask them to order it. I think Icarus might be a local cause so perhaps my library already has it.

Thanks for the suggestion.

[nativechic]

Originally Posted by ElsaMars

I can read a little at a time though and will check out my library and ask them to order it.

Thanks for the suggestion.

You're welcome! Each piece is 1-5 pages so it lends itself to reading a little at a time--definitely preferably to reading it all at once!