Mental Survival

Description Mental Survival is a collection of articles, personal experiences, poems and songs, mostly centred around the theme of mental health. The writer draws on a wealth of experience to focus on psychiatry and counselling, the side effect of drugs and ECT, stigma and abuse, shedding light on much that is wrong with attitudes and care for the increasing numbers of people suffering debilitating mental distress. He also shows that despite an often daily battle against suicidal thoughts and chronic mood swings, it is possible to have a rewarding life, with moments of caring companionship, mostly winning the struggle to maintain a positive attitude and self-respect. About the Author Oliver Swingler was born 10th March 1948, and is currently actively retired despite physical disability and being a mental health survivor for 55 years. His working career has included 37 f different jobs, from factory labourer to Customer Services Supervisor, Sales Manager to Hospital Porter, Shop Assistant to Volunteer Co-ordinator, barman to Adult Education Lecturer - and over the years he's done a variety of voluntary work, including VSO on island of St Helena, working with people recovering from head injuries, housing advisor with a Shelter Housing Aid Centre. Apart from 19 years semi-retreat from the world in the Emin esoteric cult, Oliver has been an active campaigner on a variety of issues, a student Socialist Society Chair, NUPE Shop Steward, Chair of Lifeboat mental health co-operative, and two Tenants' and Residents' Associations. As well as writing songs for a left/green choir, he's most recently been active against fracking and global warming, as part of White Ribbon Campaign anti-violence against women, seeking justice for families of victims of the DWP, Atos, Maximus, Capita, and most recently re-joined the Labour Party after 50 years absence to support Jeremy Corbyn. A believer in social housing, Oliver has lived in a council flat in Newcastle-upon-Tyne for 26 years; he's divorced and has one son. Book Extract ELECTRO-CONVULSIVE THERAPY Here it comes again pain, pain, pain. Elephants don't arrange to have memories wiped out Larks don't sing tunes that awaken chronic doubt Electric eels don't give shocks to others of their kind Cheetahs don't advise speedy cures that damage the mind Tortoises don't punish those who are a bit slower Reindeer don't stigmatise whatever they see as lower Owls don't manufacture darkness for hunting their prey Crocodiles don't submerge animals in terror for pay Oysters don't clam up if treatment is put to the test Nightingales don't wilfully disturb other creatures' rest Voles don't produce the dependence on hibernation Unicorns don't pretend what's real is an invention Locusts don't strip bare while announcing that it's healing Spiders don't weave to confuse other spiders' feeling Iguana don't make ugly innocent hope and belief Vultures don't pick at the bones of those suffering grief Earthworms don't aim to undermine the vulnerable naďve Tigers don't lurk behind caring postures that deceive Hornets don't sting to sell results in published research Eagles don't use old, weak ones to establish their perch Rattlesnakes don't have hidden agendas that cause fear Ants don't build nests that alienate every ant near Psychiatrists and their drugs often do - they've done it to me Yours may be the next mind to be raped by ECT