{"id":1187,"date":"2009-02-01T01:10:56","date_gmt":"2009-02-01T06:10:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/paganpages.org\/content\/?p=1166"},"modified":"2009-01-23T13:11:42","modified_gmt":"2009-01-23T18:11:42","slug":"door-to-the-beyond-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/2009\/02\/01\/door-to-the-beyond-5\/","title":{"rendered":"Door to the Beyond"},"content":{"rendered":"

Getting CHEESy<\/strong><\/p>\n

…and written over the Door are the words:\u00a0 Choice.\u00a0 Hope.\u00a0 Empowerment.\u00a0 Environment.\u00a0 Spirituality.<\/strong> This is the door we walk through together this month.<\/p>\n

I spent two weeks in school this month (January 2009).\u00a0 The class was called Peer Employment Training, and the end result was to be a certificate as a Peer Support Specialist, making the twenty of us in the class eligible for employment in the fields of mental health and substance abuse.<\/p>\n

The twenty of us walked in with our Superman capes and bulletproof Spandex, waiting to be empowered to lift and carry all our charges into a new world.\u00a0 We were very disappointed, but in a joyful way.<\/p>\n

In just the first hour of the class, we were taught how to take off our capes and fit them for each and every person we were (will be) assigned to, and teach them how to learn to use it themselves.\u00a0 Instead of Advocacy, we were trained in how to make each person we serve into their own expert, empowering them to take control of their own case and not live down to their labels.<\/p>\n

You know how psychiatry has been these past 40 years.\u00a0 You walk into the doctor’s office, you tell him what’s wrong, and he doesn’t hear but a few key words of what you tell him.\u00a0 He then uses those key words to decide upon a diagnosis, and that diagnosis tells him what drugs to prescribe you.\u00a0 There is little or no talk therapy, and after being given a label, you are never treated as a full human being again.\u00a0 They can take you to court and force you to take the medications, or force you to receive electro-convulsive therapy, or force you to go to and stay in a “hospital”, all in the name of Your Own Good, to keep you from Doing Harm To Yourself Or Others.<\/p>\n

Voila, you are no longer a person.\u00a0 You are a label, a diagnosis, a stigma.<\/p>\n

I’ve been beating my own head against that barrier for most of my life.\u00a0 I knew I was still a person.\u00a0 I knew the drugs were hurting me.\u00a0 Over five years ago, I told the doctors where to go, and they didn’t have enough on me to commit me somewhere.\u00a0 In those five years (and in the two prior years), I learned how to take care of myself, how to get well, how to recover.\u00a0 My recovery is not complete, but I am at least 80% better than I was under their “care”.<\/p>\n

I walked into this class expecting to get more bruises on my head from beating against the same old wall… and they moved the wall!\u00a0 They had even begun to dismantle it!\u00a0 I grabbed my sledgehammer and did my own best Berlin imitation.<\/p>\n

From the first, the word “recovery” was used.\u00a0 We were told that we were people, not labels, and were not to be defined as less than human ever again.\u00a0 We were told about our choices, and we learned that this new paradigm has already been in use in a few areas.\u00a0 There is a new hospital about 40 miles west of Asheville which mimics another hospital in Phoenix, Arizona, where there are no physical restraints, there are no labels, and there are more peer support specialists than doctors.\u00a0 The treatment area is called the “Living Room” and is furnished accordingly.\u00a0 People are recovering, and are welcome to come and go as they choose, and are never ignored.<\/p>\n

Wow.\u00a0 Add another wow to that.\u00a0 We learned about the CHEES Priniciple, which is:
\n
\nCHOICE:<\/strong> One choice is no choice.\u00a0 Mental health can be achieved through the use of drugs, supplements, talk therapy, meditation, acupuncture, chiropractic, traditional Chinese medicine, and many other routes, and withholding information on any of these is dishonoring the individual.<\/p>\n

HOPE:<\/strong> You are never hopeless.\u00a0 Sometimes you can feel so far down that you need someone to hold your hope for you until you can hold it yourself.\u00a0 The twenty of us were trained to do just that.<\/p>\n

EMPOWERMENT:<\/strong> You are the expert on your problems and your solutions.\u00a0 We will help you find those sources, but you will lead us through that process.\u00a0 We can give suggestions, but only with your permission and only after trying to get you to see what is already inside you.\u00a0 We will listen to you; we will do our best to empower you to get your “treatment team” to listen to you.
\n
\nENVIRONMENT: <\/strong>You need to be in a place that suits you, not a “treatment center” and not on the streets.\u00a0 You know what is best for you.\u00a0 We will help you discover the options and find ways to get into what you need.<\/p>\n

SPIRITUALITY: <\/strong> This was the big one. We are using the S-word again, and even the L-word (LOVE).\u00a0 No more impersonal decisions made on your behalf.\u00a0 Each of us has our own spirituality, and we peer support specialists are being trained to honor that.<\/p>\n

Peer Support Specialists are experts, but it’s a different kind of expert:\u00a0 We are experts in not being experts (and that takes a LOT of expertise!).\u00a0 We are learning how to listen to you, how to lead you to listen to yourself.\u00a0 We do not know what is Right For You \u2013 only you know that.<\/p>\n

Are you beginning to see why I am so excited about this?\u00a0 Are you beginning to have hope that the System will die and leave something better behind?\u00a0 If not, I would be happy to hold that hope for you until you are ready.<\/p>\n

To me, the things I learned in this class were more miraculous than if we ever were to elect a black President… oh, wait, we just did, didn’t we?\u00a0 Damn.\u00a0 Am I still in the same world I was last year?<\/p>\n

I sure hope not.\u00a0 I like the world I’m in now.\u00a0 And if we work together, praise Goddess, we will all have something good to think back on.\u00a0 Why wait for 2012?\u00a0 The old world is ending now.\u00a0 We can, we will create the new one together, in peace, love, and all those old sixties things (minus the drug busts).\u00a0 Remember CHEES and all those bad memories will start to fade.<\/p>\n

Let’s walk through another Door together… next month.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Getting CHEESy …and written over the Door are the words:\u00a0 Choice.\u00a0 Hope.\u00a0 Empowerment.\u00a0 Environment.\u00a0 Spirituality. This is the door we walk through together this month. I spent two weeks in school this month (January 2009).\u00a0 The class was called Peer Employment Training, and the end result was to be a certificate as a Peer Support Specialist, making the twenty of us in the class eligible for employment in the fields of mental health and substance abuse. The twenty of us walked in with our Superman capes and bulletproof Spandex, waiting to be empowered to lift and carry all our charges into a new world.\u00a0 We were very disappointed, but in a joyful way. In just the first hour of the class, we were taught how to take off our capes and fit them for each and every person we were (will be) assigned to, and teach them how to learn to use it themselves.\u00a0 Instead of Advocacy, we were trained in how to make each person we serve into their own expert, empowering them to take control of their own case and not live down to their labels. You know how psychiatry has been these past 40 years.\u00a0 You walk into the doctor’s office, you tell him what’s wrong, and he doesn’t hear but a few key words of what you tell him.\u00a0 He then uses those key words to decide upon a diagnosis, and that diagnosis tells him what drugs to prescribe you.\u00a0 There is little or no talk therapy, and after being given a label, you are never treated as a full human being again.\u00a0 They can take you to court and force you to take the medications, or force you to receive electro-convulsive therapy, or force you to go to and stay in a “hospital”, all in the name of Your Own Good, to keep you from Doing Harm To Yourself Or Others. Voila, you are no longer a person.\u00a0 You are a label, a diagnosis, a stigma. I’ve been beating my own head against that barrier for most of my life.\u00a0 I knew I was still a person.\u00a0 I knew the drugs were hurting me.\u00a0 Over five years ago, I told the doctors where to go, and they didn’t have enough on me to commit me somewhere.\u00a0 In those five years (and in the two prior years), I learned how to take care of myself, how to get well, how to recover.\u00a0 My recovery is not complete, but I am at least 80% better than I was under their “care”. I walked into this class expecting to get more bruises on my head from beating against the same old wall… and they moved the wall!\u00a0 They had even begun to dismantle it!\u00a0 I grabbed my sledgehammer and did my own best Berlin imitation. From the first, the word “recovery” was used.\u00a0 We were told that we were people, not labels, and were not to be defined as less than human ever again.\u00a0 We were told about our choices, and we learned that this new paradigm has already been in use in a few areas.\u00a0 There is a new hospital about 40 miles west of Asheville which mimics another hospital in Phoenix, Arizona, where there are no physical restraints, there are no labels, and there are more peer support specialists than doctors.\u00a0 The treatment area is called the “Living Room” and is furnished accordingly.\u00a0 People are recovering, and are welcome to come and go as they choose, and are never ignored. Wow.\u00a0 Add another wow to that.\u00a0 We learned about the CHEES Priniciple, which is: CHOICE: One choice is no choice.\u00a0 Mental health can be achieved through the use of drugs, supplements, talk therapy, meditation, acupuncture, chiropractic, traditional Chinese medicine, and many other routes, and withholding information on any of these is dishonoring the individual. HOPE: You are never hopeless.\u00a0 Sometimes you can feel so far down that you need someone to hold your hope for you until you can hold it yourself.\u00a0 The twenty of us were trained to do just that. EMPOWERMENT: You are the expert on your problems and your solutions.\u00a0 We will help you find those sources, but you will lead us through that process.\u00a0 We can give suggestions, but only with your permission and only after trying to get you to see what is already inside you.\u00a0 We will listen to you; we will do our best to empower you to get your “treatment team” to listen to you. ENVIRONMENT: You need to be in a place that suits you, not a “treatment center” and not on the streets.\u00a0 You know what is best for you.\u00a0 We will help you discover the options and find ways to get into what you need. SPIRITUALITY: This was the big one. We are using the S-word again, and even the L-word (LOVE).\u00a0 No more impersonal decisions made on your behalf.\u00a0 Each of us has our own spirituality, and we peer support specialists are being trained to honor that. Peer Support Specialists are experts, but it’s a different kind of expert:\u00a0 We are experts in not being experts (and that takes a LOT of expertise!).\u00a0 We are learning how to listen to you, how to lead you to listen to yourself.\u00a0 We do not know what is Right For You \u2013 only you know that. Are you beginning to see why I am so excited about this?\u00a0 Are you beginning to have hope that the System will die and leave something better behind?\u00a0 If not, I would be happy to hold that hope for you until you are ready. To me, the things I learned in this class were more miraculous than if we ever were to elect a black President… oh, wait, we just did, didn’t we?\u00a0 Damn.\u00a0 Am I still in the same world I was last year? I sure hope not.\u00a0 I like the world I’m in now.\u00a0 And if we work together, praise Goddess, we will all have something good to think back on.\u00a0 Why wait for 2012?\u00a0 The old world is ending now.\u00a0 We can, we will create the new one together, in peace, love, and all those old sixties things (minus the drug busts).\u00a0 Remember CHEES and all those bad memories will start to fade. Let’s walk through another Door together… next month.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1187","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1187","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1187"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1187\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1187"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1187"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1187"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}