Westward Union

An occasional newsletter of the National Empowerment Center on the West Coast

Vol. VI, No. 1 Summer 2000

Contents:

What Is Empowerment?

STORMING THE BASTILLE

Grief

What is Client* Culture?

Reiki, A New Alternative, Hundreds of Years Old

Conversation with a Schizophrenic

What Is Empowerment?

Empowerment is sometimes a scary term that is used in so many contexts that it can be difficult to know just what it means. When members of disadvantaged groups use the term empowerment, it can be seen as a threat to the authority of those in positions of power. On the other hand, conservative proponents of welfare reform have claimed that cutting off welfare benefits will "empower" recipients to become self-sufficient, threatening recipients by implying that financial benefits actually undermine recipients' power. Just, what does "empowerment" really mean?

Judi Chamberlin, Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation and the National Empowerment Center, is involved in research to measure empowerment in programs funded by and for mental health service users. Much of what follows is based upon the 15 criteria she has delineated for measuring empowerment in A Working Definition of Empowerment.

Being empowered means having the information, resources and skills to act on your own behalf. It means having choices and the power to make decisions, particularly those decisions that directly impact your life. An empowered person is competent and exudes confidence. And hence is a threat only to those who deal in control and intimidation. However, if we accept the mental health system's definition of recipients of mental health services as impaired, incompetent and/or unable to manage our lives, we cannot be empowered. In fact, with financial benefits that keep us below the poverty level, most of us feel anything but powerful.

Empowerment, then is the process of redefining ourselves, and obtaining information, skills and resources. Many of us begin this journey of empowerment by joining self help groups. Self help groups reinforce that we are not alone and can be places where as a group we can accomplish that which none of us can accomplish alone. Through the support of a group, we can effect change in our lives, the larger community and government.

In California, Empowerment Team Leaders have been creating Empowerment Teams in Independent Living Centers.+ These teams are people with different disabilities developing advocacy skills to advocate for their rights. To Mitch Jeserich, Team Leader in San Francisco, empowerment means he acts as a tool rather than a leader, enabling the team to do what it is they choose to do. In the process the team develops skills and confidence.

Signposts along the empowerment journey include developing assertiveness skills that can be used to speak up for ourselves and to assert our rights, and nurturing the hope that we can make a difference. Rather than accepting the limits created by society and the mental health system, we need to develop critical thinking skills to identify assumptions and unlearn the conditioning. In this way, we redefine ourselves as competent and move beyond the limited expectations we so often have internalized. Anger often accompanies this process and as c/s/x we must learn to live with it, express it responsibly and effectively while recognizing its limits.

At some point, we realize that in order to combat the stigma and to heal our own shame we must come out of the closet. As opposed to passing for normal, this requires self-confidence, high self-esteem and the knowledge we are not alone as we will be confronting the stereotypes that reinforce fear and discrimination.

As we continue to grow and develop more skills and self esteem, we find that empowerment is a journey, not a destination.

-Carol Patterson

+ For information about the nearest Empowerment Team (California only), contact: CFILC- California Foundation of Independent Living Centers (AKA CA Coalition of Independent Living Programs), 660 "J" St. Suite 270, Sacramento, CA 95814, (916) 325-1690, (916) 325-1699 FAX

STORMING THE BASTILLE

On July 14, 1789, angry citizens stormed the notorious Bastille in Paris, signaling the beginning of the French Revolution. Less well-known is the fact that there were "insane" people confined there who were released. In those times, prisons or dungeons were used to confine mentally ill people. Chains and shackles continued to be used for more than 100 years as a type of "treatment". It was only with the advent of modern medicine that the use of restraint decreased significantly, but force continues to be used.

So Bastille Day is not only a national independence day for the French, but also has more recently been celebrated as a holiday by those who receive mental health services. It is especially meaningful to those who receive involuntary services otherwise known as forced treatment. If a person has had bad experiences, being put in restraints or forcibly medicated, he will be opposed to this type of "service delivery." If a person has been humanely treated, he may not oppose treatment. However, most people with mental illness, just like most citizens, oppose forced treatment as a loss of liberty. And freedom was what storming the Bastille was all about.

Mental health treatment needs to focus on people's rights and good health and the view that most people recover from mental health problems. The idea that a severe mental illness is lifelong and at best there is remission but never recovery is outdated. Discrimination exists when mental health insurance benefits are severely restricted while health care benefits for physical illnesses are extensively covered. The community, mental health consumers, their family members and care providers need to work together toward better mental health in the spirit of "Liberty, Equality, and Brotherhood" that freed a nation from tyranny. Let's sweep away discrimination as the Bastille was swept away that July, 210 years ago.

-Randolph Hack, works for the Adult Mental Health Division, Dept. of Health in Honolulu and is a consumer of mental health services.

Grief

Resolution of past trauma's for me is an important factor in my recovery. In order to do this work I had to learn about acknowledging and experiencing my grief. As I have gone through life I have had many losses. I have not been open to my feelings. I went into a protective state of numbness which helped me survive through the pain. The losses were not just deaths of loved ones. In my experience as a survivor I have lost freedom, sovereignty over my body, the ability to breathe, the freedom to go to the bathroom as needed, decision making power, mind function, friends, and dignity. Until I was able to acknowledge and experience the stress which at the time was delayed, I had difficulty coping because the pain would haunt me in various ways.

Most of the time I would experience a triggering event and have flashbacks of the situation. Anybody who has gone through the pain of solitary confinement and torture or abuse of any kind might have similar reactions. I found that as I started to re-experience these situations with a supportive individual and then in my mind regain the power I had lost, the haunting slowed down and then came to a halt. I still have problems when I do trainings with the police as I recount the terrible beating I received, but I have found that I have more peace in my life now than at any other time. If I find myself in a situation that creates those feelings of utter helplessness and feel as if the world has abandoned me, I first do the things I need to do to survive. Then I take some time to experience the feelings I delayed. Then I reframe the experiences in my mind so that I come through the other side with my spiritual core in tact. There are various ways I use to accomplish this step. Most of them have to do with self guided imagery. I still get anxiety attacks. I still have a fear. But I have created some tools so that I am not consumed or totally disabled.

These experiences of loss are part of the humanity which we all share. It is possible to work through and resolve trauma. I had to be brave in order to partake in this journey. I think that is why a lot of us have the warrior spirit within. We know that we experienced horrible defeats in some of the worst battles of our lives. Some of us have had to surrender because the forces were so overwhelming. But I remember all those with whom I've served with honor and respect. Anytime I meet another POW I know that we have a deep bond. Empowerment is about coming out of the battle, healing my wounds, and going right back to doing the search and rescue work so that our comrades can acheive respite and tend to their wounds.

-Scott Snedecor <translinear@yahoo.com>

What is Client* Culture?

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*Editors Note: The terms "client", "consumer", and "c/s/x", which stands for consumer/survivor/ex-patient, are used interchanegably in this article and reflect a variety of political stances regarding mental health treatment. The intent is not to dictate the proper politics but to be inclusive of all People Who experience mood swings, fear, voices and visions.

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Mental Health consumers have a variety of similar life experiences. Experiences such as symptoms and medication responses, and shared difficulties with family, housing, employment and institutionalization unify us. It is easier to identify with someone whose experiences we share. To identify with and be part of a group creates cultural ties which gives strength because then we know we are not alone. It is shortcut to closeness.

This cultural tie has helped many of us to move forward in our recovery. Finding peers in a world of stigma helped me significantly in many ways. It helped with my self-esteem. My peers validated my experience by sharing theirs with me. Every time I reassured someone that this mental health issue was not their fault, I was also giving myself the same message.

With regard to my recovery and maintaining a level of health that allows me to accomplish things I want to do, my mental health peers, who are part of my community and sub-culture are a big factor supporting my health. As an example, they are there when I call at 6:00 in the morning in an accelerated state, they make helpful, loving, non-judgmental suggestions. When they are temporarily experiencing heightened symptoms, I want to be there for them. Both sides of this equation are good for my spirit: to know that I have friends in a sub-culture that can understand and assist me and to be able to offer support to someone else and experience the thanks and generosity of others. This sub-culture gives us a context to learn good things about ourselves and to accept without recrimination the challenges that we live with.

Advocacy and support are healthy by-products of the consumer self-help movement. When we reach a saturation point with irritations such as stigma, discrimination, shoddy treatment by some professionals and institutions we may experience hopelessness, depression and anger. Sometimes this will motivate us to make change for the improvement of our lives and for those in our consumer/survivor sub-culture, our peers.

Nothing in the consumer movement has been accomplished in a vacuum. Our cultural experience is one in which we have built upon the leadership of others. We will continue to do so. Consider how our consumer issues were first championed by people like: Howie the Harp, Sally Zinman, Jay Mahler, Roy Crew, Ron Schraiber, Corinne Camp and countless others. Our consumer sub-culture should continue to be valued and nurtured because as a whole, working together, we can accomplish much more than anyone alone on the Internet, in Washington D.C. or as the only powerful leader in a particular geographic area.

The California Network of Mental Health Clients and other c/s/x groups form a grand cultural network with a powerful role in learning about our needs, goals, and direction. It can also be a powerful advocacy vehicle. Our numbers are our strength. Our consumer/survivor culture spans across many ethnicity's and economic cultures.

As a Mexican-American (first generation born in America), coming from a poor fruit-picking family, I learned about discrimination at an early age, long before I started having mental health problems. You can only "turn the other cheek" for so long before you get angry. I made a decision to channel my energy into starting self-help groups.

I couldn't understand or accept shoddy treatment by temperamental staff members while in psychiatric hospitals. I remember a few, very painful instances of isolation in psychiatric hospitals that seemed to last for tortuous days which were anything but therapeutic. Now I'm at a point where I feel the necessity to work with our local Jr. College Psychiatric Technician Program and I am on their advisory committee. My goal is to make changes. Anger can motivate an individual to do positive things if it is harnessed and correctly directed.

More than anything the consumer cultural experience has prevented me from turning that anger inward. Instead it has helped me to channel my anger into a positive force for change to better the situation for my cultural peers and myself.

I would like to share this simple message: if some issue bothers you enough to make you angry or worse, depressed about yourself, work at changing it. Try to find people to help you. They don't have to be someone of your same sub-culture but they must believe in what you want to accomplish and unite the group that is your sub-culture. Part of being a sub-culture is that we are a resource for each other.

-Maria Mar

Reiki, A New Alternative, Hundreds of Years Old

The word Reiki pronounced (Ray Key), is made up of two Japanese words, Rei and Ki. Rei means "universal" and has also been interpreted to mean knowledge or wisdom. This universal wisdom is of spirit knowledge not book knowledge. Ki is equivalent to Prana or what many people know as Chi. Ki is the UNIVERSAL LIFE FORCE ENERGY that is the foundation for life in all living things.

What happens in a Reiki session is simple, the Reiki practitioner places his/her hands on or just above the body and turns on the energy (Ki). The energy begins to flow and (Rei) the universal wisdom takes over and delivers the Ki to its needed location.

Reiki is used by the recipient in a number of ways. Some people experience physical healing, some have spiritual awakening, some experience psychic healing while others experience a deep meditative state of relief. All people who receive Reiki achieve a state of peace which is becoming harder to accomplish in this day and age. Most people describe feeling either heat or a tingling sensation at the place where the practitioner's hands are placed. Others say they don't feel anything but then call back the next day to describe something wonderful that has happened.

Reiki can be used to promote mental health, but as a Reiki Master and as a Self Help Provider, I quickly learned that the normal hand positions took too much time and frightened some consumers/survivors/ex-patients. So, I began channeling by placing my hands over the Crown Chakra (at the crown of the head), and on the shoulders. In this way, I can give a simple, fast treatment and charge people up even while in a crowded airport or a hotel lobby. Along with Reiki Master Carol Patterson and our students, we've provided Reiki on inpatient units, at conferences, and at Oasis (Drop-In) Center. I've provided Reiki to people with a variety of ailments from simple colds to back pain to rape trauma and assisted people who are ready to make their transition to the other side. Reiki is truly universal in it's use and in its healing compassion.

You too, can become a Reiki Practitioner. Reiki is a simple process that anyone can learn. In approximately six to eight hours a Reiki Master goes over a brief history of the rediscovery of Reiki, how it has been traditionally used, the hand positions for channeling the energy and provides the necessary attunement to allow the practitioner channel.

Practitioners can also Reiki themselves. I have found Reiki provides me a moment of peace when I'm stressed in a meeting and helps me sleep when I'm a little too close to mania. I have HIV and HCV and I attribute my 15 plus years of good health after infection to Reiki, Acupuncture and a good diet. I want to stress, that all we, as practitioners, do is turn on the Reiki. We don't control it. It is not our energy, but energy from the great compassion of the universe we live in. Reiki is a spiritual path but not a religion. It will compliment your own deep personal faith and increase your awareness.

For more information about Reiki and Reiki classes call me at the Oasis Center at (415)-575-1400.

-Reiki Master Manuel (Roy) Crew

Conversation with a Schizophrenic

-Joanna Freeman Bragen

NEW!!!! NEC-West has been having teleconferences on different topics of interest to consumers/survivors/ex-patients. Packets from our first two teleconferences are available to c/s/x on Involuntary Outpatient Commitment and What Do You Say When NAMI/TAC Says....? Call NEC-West at 1-888-746-4463 PIN 9378 to find out about the next teleconference or to order a packet.

Editor: Carol Patterson

Contributors: Scott Snedecor, M. Roy Crew, Maria Mar, Joanna Freeman Bragen, Carol Patterson

Layout: Carol Patterson

Deadline for submissions (particularly articles about self help and recovery issues) for next newsletter: September 1, 2000

Send submissions to Carol Patterson, MHCC, 1420 Willow Pass Rd. Suite 120, Concord, CA 94520 or e-mail to: carol@necwest.org

toll free: 1-888-746-4463 PIN 9378