I have often been asked the question "are you anti-psychiatry?". My response has been that I do not deny that there are persons in serious distress and despair, but I disagree with the bio-psychiatric paradigm.
The reason for my disagreement with the bio-psychiatric paradigm is that it is reductionist and does not take into account the experience of persons. It also has unproven concepts and there have been many seeking help who ended up far more damaged, be it from adverse events of psychiatric drugs such as tardive dyskinesia, or memory loss from electroshock. I have also seen with the bio-psychiatric paradigm that there is often an imbalance of power and patients already in despair are left to feel only more hopeless and powerless.
For the past 14 years, I have worked with autistic persons, those in extreme states of mind (voice hearers and those who would receive the label of bipolar or a psychotic disorder) as well as trauma and attachment concerns. Presently, none of my clients are on any psychiatric drugs. It was never an overnight event to resolvethe distress, but a gradual process where we created a common healing ground. I sought to enter their world, to embrace their experience, to use shared power and energy to resolve those things that have brought grief and distress into their lives.
In 2006, I developed the International Center for Humane Psychiatry and later I began the Northeastern Pennsylvania Autism Acceptance Project. In both of these endeavors, the goal was to promote care for persons that is dignified, respectful, promotes their self determination, and does not negate their experience. I believe this is the path we must embark upon.
Gradually, and yes, very gradually, weare seeing a movement way from categorization of persons and overmedicalization towards more humanistic approaches. I remain hopeful.