Personal Stories

Personal Stories Links

• Janet Frame: 'An Angel at My Table' Janet Frame, the noted New Zealand author, was devastated by her experiences in a psychiatric hospital.
  
• Bud Powell 1924-1966 Taken to Bellevue Hospital for evaluation, he wrote on the admittance form: 'Pianist and composer of over 1,000 songs.' To which the attending doctor wrote, 'delusions of grandeur' and put him in a straitjacket.
  
• Mental Illness? or - Salvation Online book that chronicles a woman's 18 year journey through hell and back with what is popularly called "mental illness" to healing, wholeness and a new paradigm.
  
• No More Shame Information on self-injury, depression, and suicide. Includes a journal, poetry, smiles, and useful links.
  
• Finding Yourself Without Paying Through the Nose Finding self improvement, respect, esteem, confidence,discipline,great attitude and yourself without paying through the nose.
  
• Struggles of the Heart. abuse survivors site A resource on child abuse, including personal story and links.
  
• Something Ain't Right in the Cuckoo's Nest Having gone through psychiatric system as a "consumer," as well as worked in the mental health system, I am familiar with states of mind that are referred to as "mental illness" and stigmas that go along with being so labeled.
  
• Psychotherapy - the patient's perspective Psychotherapy, an introduction from the patient's perspective. Excerpts from a book written by a patient of a London psychotherapist.
  
• Hope and Help Web site Personal suggestions for decreasing depression, stress, chronic pain syndromes and TV watching.
  
• Defining Sanity A unique resource for an inside look at mental disorders from the viewpoint of a sufferer. Includes on-line novels, personal journal, original lyrics, poetry and music.
  
• To be a Mental Patient To be a mental patient is to be stigmatized, ostracized, socialized, patronized and psychiatrized.
  
• Journals of a Child Molester An accurate daily journal of events and feelings from the perspective of the perpetrator. "My reason for making this journal public is simple. If anything in this journal helps someone in any way so that one less child in this world is hurt, then it is all worth it."
  
• Dick Sutphen's Brainwashing: The Battle for Your Mind
  
• Austen Riggs Center Explained by Richard Cole A patient's view of the Austen Riggs Center, a psychiatric hospital in Stockbridge, MA.
  
• Ink Droppings The site provides editorials on current mental health issues. It also includes abuse survivor poetry/prose.
  
• The Show Must Go On Errol McInnes journals in detail the events of an episode of Major Depression aggravated with psychosis, and the recovery from that episode and how psychiatric intervention has affected his life.
  
• Gaines, Victoria - The Story of a Proud Nutcase Story of author's escape from domestic and psychiatric abuse, discusses civil and human rights violations that are involved in the involuntary commitment of those alleged to be mentally ill. Includes personal information, photographs, and poetry.