Thank you for this article, I found it harrowing to read and a complete tragedy for such an heroic soul. We are currently struggling with our own family trauma of severe mental illness and taking a critical look at services here in the UK which are very poor and generally only medication based....although holding out hope for Open Dialogue practices.... I also agree on the fact that many people with severe mental illness, my young son included, are heroic in their moral stances; mine refused to be released from private prison where he was held on remand for 4 months of complete isolation and deprivation whilst florid, starving himself and refusing to self care because he would not plead guilty to a charge (relatively minor) which he did not commit. Although vastly different in scale the stand out similarity is the brave soul that, as you say, are so rare and willing to make great sacrifices for what they believe in despite deprivations that no human should have to endure...it is no wonder the mind breaks under the pressure of isolation, marginalisation and stigma....they are truly Saints.
As a survivor of conversion torture, I was very touched by your post. My new memoir, Erase Her: A Survivors Story documents my own harrowing 2 1/2 year ordeal - at the age of 14 in the mid-1950s when most of the techniques (so called treatments-shock therapy, chemical castration, brain washing and lobotomy) were developed. I’d be happy to send you a review copy
Thank you for writing and sharing your story. I would be happy to receive a review copy of your book.
Thank you for this article, I found it harrowing to read and a complete tragedy for such an heroic soul. We are currently struggling with our own family trauma of severe mental illness and taking a critical look at services here in the UK which are very poor and generally only medication based....although holding out hope for Open Dialogue practices.... I also agree on the fact that many people with severe mental illness, my young son included, are heroic in their moral stances; mine refused to be released from private prison where he was held on remand for 4 months of complete isolation and deprivation whilst florid, starving himself and refusing to self care because he would not plead guilty to a charge (relatively minor) which he did not commit. Although vastly different in scale the stand out similarity is the brave soul that, as you say, are so rare and willing to make great sacrifices for what they believe in despite deprivations that no human should have to endure...it is no wonder the mind breaks under the pressure of isolation, marginalisation and stigma....they are truly Saints.
As a survivor of conversion torture, I was very touched by your post. My new memoir, Erase Her: A Survivors Story documents my own harrowing 2 1/2 year ordeal - at the age of 14 in the mid-1950s when most of the techniques (so called treatments-shock therapy, chemical castration, brain washing and lobotomy) were developed. I’d be happy to send you a review copy