[splitimage]

I belong to a couple of harp e-mail lists. On one of the lists, there was much discussion about music therapists, their training, and whether they should be licenced. This is all being sparked by one state setting out legislation as to who can call themselves a "Music Therapist" I personally don't see the big deal in this Music therapy is a regulated profession in ON.

I don't normally post much to the list, but on this occassion I thought i had something to offer, I wrote about my experience with music therapy while in patient at a psych hospital. I described what the music therapist did, what his background was, and how he was trained, as I'd gotten to know him. I then said that based on my experience Music Therapy involved a great deal more than how to play an instrument and that I supported regulation.

I didn't get many responses on list, I don't usually other than a couple of people agreeing with me. But I did get one private email entitle "Thank you for your Courage". It basically thanked me for being willing to be honest and share my experience and show that it was possible "to be crazy and thoughtful and caring" Yes well. I did feel marginally less antagonistic when the author went on to explain that she was going through treatment herself for what sounded like some heavy duty psych stuff, and that she'd delayed treatment for years because of fear of being labeled.

It's just said that we still have so far to go in breaking down stigma.

splitimage

[Ygrec23]

Is fearing stigma evidence of stigma? I have no doubt that stigma exists, but at the same time you'll agree that someone who was "taught stigma" as a child will, when grown, find it easy to project that stigma on others. Without those others necessarily having themselves displayed independent evidence of stigma. Yes, we have miles to go in that regard. I wonder, though, whether stigma is as bad now as it was a hundred years ago. Take care!

i figure there used to be stigma for many conditions until people began freely speaking about them & realized that those that "suffered" with the condition were the same people they knew. i am sure that diabetes, stroke, cardiac issues, cerebral palsy, irritable bowel, etc were all unspoken conditions to name just a few..now they are mainstream...no one blinks an eye when they are mentioned.

i speak freely about mental illness. to me it shows that i am comfortable with it...& if i am then it will allow you to be come so as well. i have no shame in it. bipolar happens. the DID occurred as a result of my lovely parents & their friends & the never ending abuse...(altho to be honest i don't usually define it as such..that does tend to freak people out ..i define it as very severe ptsd) same as my real ptsd which i do have from the abuse & my time in law enforcement.

not admitting to the DID is the only concession i make..i have in the past & it ruined friendships because people had such a hard time handling it...so now i keep that close to heart & just use the term severe disassociation & ptsd if prodded.

people do mean well but they do make some really stupid remarks. i hear them even on these boards at times...sometimes it seems that there is even a contest of whose disease/condition is worse??? like it should matter. like my ptsd or depression is better than yours because of:_____,really i wasn't aware of the competitive nature...you win..you can have the worse case..i don't want it.

like i said..the way thru ignorance for me is to be vocal..i am such thru humor (i have an amazing collection of "chez bin" stories from my stays there) & thru just being honest. it has worked with some friends & others...i am also very vocal about my struggles with suicide. it is a part of who i am...part of the package...when people say..."how could anyone do that...it's so wrong...i don't see anyone i know doing that." i say really you are speaking with one now.

anyway...my take on it...& what works for me...some day i'll share the story of the mighty breakfast revolt that got us all fresh baked muffins & ice cream...which cause my dr to ask why i was having muffin a la mode at 9 am??? see i might be crazy but doesn't mean i;'m boring (or when i made them throw a super bowl party cuz our local team was in the playoffs...ehy they always stressed getting back to a normal life..it's what i would have been doing in my "normal life"..so we had a party in chez bin)

[di meliora]

Earth is a larger version of the Tower of Babel. Like the workers at the Tower, speech has been confounded. We do not understand each other very well.