April Newsletter

Dear Friends,

Last week David Kessel, FEEL founder and harbinger of Survivors movements in London, turned 68 and he deserves to have this newsletter dedicated to him.

“Fury”, a poem David read at the meeting of the Survivors History Group in March, can be found below. Attached there is also a photo of David with fellow friend Dr Peter Barham, while visiting the Mary Barnes exhibition at the Nunnery Gallery in Bow a few weeks ago and the Schizos Care flyer for those wishing to contact him. More poems and information about David can be found in our BLOG

We wish to congratulate with Nelsy Cristancho for her work and achievement, collecting together her autobiographic example of life struggle and recaptured wellness sharing her website standinguptomadness.wordpress.com

We are two weeks away from the much awaited Open Dialogue approach event on Friday the 24th of April at the Kingsley Hall. We look forward to hear and expand our understanding of the approach and how can Service Users can influence the system when requesting the type of care received.

Would have R D Laing be pleased to be there for our event? We will certainly remember him, specially as we are celebrating the 50th anniversary since his community seeded some ideas in that same building to what is slowly germinating into a variety of opportunities.

Bring your interest and questions for Dr Russell Razzaque (Consultant Psychiatrist, North East London NHS Foundation Trust) and POD (Peer-supported Open Dialogue) Nick Putman (Open Dialogue UK, Soteria) and be prepared to meet some of the Open Dialogue Experts and Training Team from Finland opendialogueapproach.co.uk

Date: Friday 24th April 2015 Time: 7.00 – 9.00 PM (doors open 6.30 PM)
Kingsley Hall, Powis Roads, Bow, London E3 3HJ

Electronic notaking has been arranged for the evening to aid the deaf/hard of hearing audience and we might also have a BSL interpreter.

Our monthly F.E.E.L. meeting will take place on Monday the 20th as usual at LARC, 62, Fieldgate St, E1 Whitechapel, 6.30-8.30pm.

Please find to follow a series of other interesting events to take place soon, while we wish the best of luck to Nick Waller with the launch of the Lifehouse Project next Tuesday the 14th.

Lifehouse Project - Opening Night
Tuesday 14th April 2015 at St Margaret's House 17, Old Ford Road, London E2 9PJ
You are kindly invited to the opening of the Lifehouse Project on Tuesday 14th April 2015 at St Margaret's House 17, Old Ford Road, London E2 9PJ. The venue is between York Hall and the Gallery Cafe (front building, ring the meeting room (middle) bell).
The Lifehouse Project is a drop-in group for anyone experiencing mental distress. We will be open every Tuesday from 6.30pm to 8.30pm and we hope to operate a 24 hour service in the future.

The Right Honourable Jeremy Corbyn MP has agreed to be a patron and will be attending the opening ceremony.
If you would like further information please do not hesitate to get in contact.

We hope that you will be able to attend the event. Please RSVP Nick Waller on 07926 886 372.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Best Wishes,
Nick Waller


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NSUN Members' Manifesto

With the general election approaching on the 7th May, NSUN has produced a Members' Manifesto setting out what the next government should do based on what our members have told us. Our manifesto draws on feedback from our AGM (January 2015,) the top ten list of issues identified by members in our annual survey (2013 and 2014,) and responses from members to a direct request asking what should be in NSUN’s manifesto.

Mental health care accounts for only 13% of the NHS budget and despite a growing need for services funding has been cut for three years in a row. There have been many calls for the next government to increase funding for mental health services and promote "parity of esteem" – the legal principle by which mental health is given equal priority to physical health. Investment in mental health services is vital and a theme that runs throughout our manifesto. But we also believe that “parity of esteem” should not simply apply to the equal treatment of conditions but to the equal treatment of people, which means paying attention to their views.

We want to thank everyone who contributed and commented and hope that this will be a powerful tool that supports members to challenge decisions and demand changes to improve services and support.

Read the full MANIFESTO here.

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Sanity, Madness and the Family / Family Life: An Urgent Retrospective

Apr 24, 2015 1:00 PM - 9:00 PM, School of Arts, Gordon Square Cinema, 43 Gordon Square, Birkbeck, University of London. Free entry; booking required

It is just over 50 years since the publication of Sanity, Madness and the Family, R.D. Laing’s and Aaron Esterson’s groundbreaking study of 'schizophrenia' in 11 young women. Birkbeck Research in Aesthetics of Kinship and Community (BRAKC) and the Birkbeck Guilt Working Group have organized a one-day symposium to discuss the lasting impact of that book. Contact name Dr Andrew Asibong
www.bbk.ac.uk/events-calendar/sanity-madness-and-the-family-family-life-an-urgent-retrospective

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The Expert View Micro Festival 7th and 8th of May 2015
Join Bobby and the Daily Life Ltd team for a two-day East London extravaganza exploring ‘expertise’ in arts and mental health, from the perspectives of all involved.

Thursday 7th May: Evening performance double bill at Queen Mary University, London: book
Friday 8th May: The Expert View Symposium Day at Bromley By Bow Centre: book
Friday 8th May: Cabaret evening at Kingsley Hall: book

dailylifeltd.co.uk/the-expert-view-a-micro-festival-save-the-dates/

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The Gandhi Foundation is proud to present

"An Evening with Muriel Lester" Wednesday

13th May 2015, 6 pm
Kingsley Hall, Powis Roads, Bow, London E3 3HJ

PROGRAMME

-6pm Guided tours of Kingsley Hall, Three Bees Cafe, Stalls, BOOKSALES

-7.30pm Distinguished historian Seth Koven will discuss his latest book “The Match Girl and the Heiress”· -8pm Three Bees Cafe, Stalls, BOOKSALES

-8.30pm A rehearsed reading of “Stone Hands”play based on the life of Muriel Lester, by Alexandra Carey

For more information contact: william@gandhifoundation.org or 07910215651

FREE tickets need to be booked via www.eventbrite.co.uk/muriellesterevening

Donations welcome on the evening.

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52ND MAUDSLEY DEBATE 13 May 2015
Does long-term use of psychiatric medications cause more harm than good?

The Maudsley Debates take place three times a year at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience in Denmark Hill, London.

Topics generally focus on issues that have a direct impact on mental health services, service users and mental health professionals.

These interactive, popular and exciting debates attract well known speakers and are attended by service users, carers, professionals, journalists and members of the public. The debates are free but booking is essential.

Find out more about the next Maudsley Debate www.kcl.ac.uk/ioppn/news/special-events/maudsley-debates/index.aspx

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ECT protest press release

Activists Launch a Worldwide Call to Action to Stop Psychiatric Electroshock - Electroconvulsive Therapy – ECT.

A worldwide campaign kicks off on Saturday 16th May against psychiatric electroshock. This campaign was started by Debra Schwartzkopff in Oregon US.

List of protests can be found here: ectjustice.com/protest.php

Blog about the protest from Ted Chabasinski who was given a course of electroshock when he was 6 years old www.madinamerica.com/2015/04/ect-day-protest-progress-report-time-take-leadership/

Peter R Breggin MD says:
‘ECT (electroconvulsive therapy) involves the application of two electrodes to the head to pass electricity through the brain with the goal of causing an intense seizure or convulsion. The process always damages the brain, resulting each time in a temporary coma and often a flat-lining of the brain waves, which is a sign of impending brain death. After one, two or three ECTs, the trauma causes typical symptoms of severe head trauma or injury including headache, nausea, memory loss, disorientation, confusion, impaired judgement, loss of personality, and emotional instability. These harmful effects worsen and some become permanent as routine treatment progresses.’

WHO: ‘Speak Out Against Psychiatry’
WHAT: Worldwide protest against the use of Psychiatric Electroshock
WHEN: Saturday 16th May 2015, 2pm – 6pm
WHERE: London protest – The Houses of Parliament (Old Palace Yard - behind Westminster Abbey) London SW1P 3JY
NOTES: ‘Speak Out Against Psychiatry’ are a campaign group, started in July 2011, that believes psychiatry does more harm than good.

Website: speakoutagainstpsychiatry.org/
Email: speakoutagainstpsychiatry@gmail.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/speakoutagainstpsychiatry/

Twitter: @soapgroup

Part of www.networkagainstpsychiatricassault.org/

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The London Launch of Bonnie Burstow's book 'Psychiatry and the Business of Madness'

12th June 2015, Palgrave Macmillan, The Stables Building, 2 Trematon Walk (near Kings Cross Station), London, N1 9FN

‘The most hard-hitting and comprehensive critique of institutional psychiatry that has come out in decades’.
You will not be allowed to enter if you are not on the confirmed guest list so please RSVP to lauren8spring@gmail.com

Please forward to interested parties. Thanks.

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Westminster Health Forum Keynote Seminar
Thursday, 9th July 2015 Central London

Next steps for public health and Health and Wellbeing Boards: priorities, funding and integration with Robert White, Director, Health Value for Money Audit, National Audit Office; Abdul Razzaq, Director of Public Health, Trafford Council and Chair, North West Directors of Public Health; Professor Rosalind Smyth, Director, Institute of Child Health, University College London and Jeremy Hughes, Chief Executive, Alzheimer’s Society and Dr Jessica Allen, UCL Institute of Health Equity; Lara Carmona, Rethink Mental Illness; Steve Ford, Parkinson’s UK; Andrew Forth, Royal Institute of British Architects; Scott Matthewman, Barnsley Council; John Nawrockyi, Bracknell Forest Council; Dr Josephine Sauvage, Islington Clinical Commissioning Group and Robbie Turner, Community Pharmacy West Yorkshire

Chaired by:
Baroness Gould of Potternewton and Rt Hon the Baroness Jay of Paddington
This event is CPD certified Our Website | Book Online | Live Agenda

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Fury

There was a time when I was young
when I first learnt to face the sun

Grew in me a burning sight
bitter and lonely as the night

Held a girl in sweet embrace
and made her memory my life

Suffered patriarch's contempt
futility split my mind

Bore a son upon my back
and his sorrow broke my heart

Came to love London streets
and hummed an anarchist's lament

At heart-rending Peckham Rye
ask What, How and Why?

The kingdom of the dead
or living commonwealth?

David Kessel (Aldgate 2013)