You would think the biggest trauma in my life would have been my gun wielding, volatile tempered, hateful and uber-abusive father. But no, it was being sent more or less against my will, to a psych day program a few years back. Not under any kind of imminent legal duress or whatever, but basically because a misdiagnosing quack with questionable ethics told me I had to because I was contemplating my own suicidality - and I was afraid to say "no" because I feared said quack would escalate to some kind of formally forced level. Like call the cops on me.
So I am in my PTSD mode all the time about that, as well as my hellish childhood. I just don't feel safe in a world where they can treat you like a criminal and lock you up against your will in a place guaranteed that people could heavily stigmatize you afterwards as "crazy" or whatever. I have really come to detest the idea of forced psychiatry except perhaps under the most dire circumstances of someone being a threat to others. As far as choosing one's own destiny, even if that means death, I believe it to be a natural right that transcends laws and customs (which is cultural and based on specific religious and socioeconomic beliefs from the ancient Eurocentric past, btw - off yourself and burn in Hell was a pretty effective way to prevent the serfs from offing themselves despite living in an quasi-slavery society - other cultures have viewed it as an acceptable and even honorable way out). I say if you voluntarily want to be stopped from self-harm, fine, but don't ram it down someone's throat. OK, enough about my crazy political theories and viewpoint Suffice it to say I'm no fan of the mental health system in this country - it should "do good" but often does as much harm as good for people.
The above may be contentious with some, but it's just how I feel - unsafe and bitter and stigmatized and victimized and forced to live in a world where they can haul you off like a criminal "for your own good" due to what they all claim is a "medical issue". Yeah, imagine the public outrage if they were to start hauling off leukemia patients or people with ALS who refuse or reject treatment. But it's ok to do that to "crazy people" per society.
The triggering things for me are 1) at this point, the intensity of the traumatic experience(s) and the aftermath PTSD'ing about it big-time forces me to be a consumer of said services and 2) my profession exposes me to the MHS in a pretty significant way and I have to suck it up and deal with it and "them" all of the time, from patients to psychiatrists and therapists and the court system.
A few years later, after enough therapy to choke an entire herd of horses, playing the musical psychiatrist game until I finally found one that actually treats me like an adult with rights and free will, riding the medication roller coaster, I do not feel safe, and I wonder if I ever can in a world where if I say or do the "wrong thing" in the eyes of the system or the law they could haul me off and lock me up "for my own good."
I guess I'm just a "hater" and like Taylor Swift says in "Shake It Off" the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate.
I just don't feel safe anymore.
So I am in my PTSD mode all the time about that, as well as my hellish childhood. I just don't feel safe in a world where they can treat you like a criminal and lock you up against your will in a place guaranteed that people could heavily stigmatize you afterwards as "crazy" or whatever. I have really come to detest the idea of forced psychiatry except perhaps under the most dire circumstances of someone being a threat to others. As far as choosing one's own destiny, even if that means death, I believe it to be a natural right that transcends laws and customs (which is cultural and based on specific religious and socioeconomic beliefs from the ancient Eurocentric past, btw - off yourself and burn in Hell was a pretty effective way to prevent the serfs from offing themselves despite living in an quasi-slavery society - other cultures have viewed it as an acceptable and even honorable way out). I say if you voluntarily want to be stopped from self-harm, fine, but don't ram it down someone's throat. OK, enough about my crazy political theories and viewpoint Suffice it to say I'm no fan of the mental health system in this country - it should "do good" but often does as much harm as good for people.
The above may be contentious with some, but it's just how I feel - unsafe and bitter and stigmatized and victimized and forced to live in a world where they can haul you off like a criminal "for your own good" due to what they all claim is a "medical issue". Yeah, imagine the public outrage if they were to start hauling off leukemia patients or people with ALS who refuse or reject treatment. But it's ok to do that to "crazy people" per society.
The triggering things for me are 1) at this point, the intensity of the traumatic experience(s) and the aftermath PTSD'ing about it big-time forces me to be a consumer of said services and 2) my profession exposes me to the MHS in a pretty significant way and I have to suck it up and deal with it and "them" all of the time, from patients to psychiatrists and therapists and the court system.
A few years later, after enough therapy to choke an entire herd of horses, playing the musical psychiatrist game until I finally found one that actually treats me like an adult with rights and free will, riding the medication roller coaster, I do not feel safe, and I wonder if I ever can in a world where if I say or do the "wrong thing" in the eyes of the system or the law they could haul me off and lock me up "for my own good."
I guess I'm just a "hater" and like Taylor Swift says in "Shake It Off" the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate.
I just don't feel safe anymore.