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Mad in America: Rethinking Mental Health

The Mad in America podcast, hosted by James Moore, examines mental health with a critical eye by speaking with psychologists, psychiatrists and people with lived experience.

When you hear such conversations, you realise that much of what is believed to be settled in mental health is actually up for debate. Is mental health a matter of faulty biology or is there more to it? Are the treatments used in psychiatry helpful or harmful in the long term? Are psychiatric diagnoses reliable? With the help of our guests, we examine these questions and so much more. 

This podcast is part of Mad in America’s mission to serve as a catalyst for rethinking psychiatric care and mental health. We believe that the current drug-based paradigm of care has failed our society and that scientific research, as well as the lived experience of those who have been diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder, calls for profound change. 

On the podcast over the coming weeks, we will have interviews with experts and those with lived experience of the psychiatric system. Thank you for joining us as we discuss the many issues around rethinking mental health around the world.

For more information visit madinamerica.com

 

  1. All Episodes
  2. Episode 9 Christopher Jump talks about his transformational journey from psychiatric hospital to woking in peer support and wellness

Episode 9 Christopher Jump talks about his transformational journey from psychiatric hospital to woking in peer support and wellness

Apr 11, 2017

This week, we have an interview with Christopher Jump. Christopher describes his transformational journey starting with a very difficult childhood which led him to be treated for many years with various psychiatric medications. After successfully withdrawing, he now works a Program Manager for Heart & Soul inc in California, an organisation which offers a variety of mental health recovery-oriented and wellness support opportunities for people in need of mental health support. 

In this episode we discuss:

  • How Christopher was hospitalised with Major Depressive Disorder and was medicated
  • How his very difficult childhood led to more than 15 years of treatment with various psychiatric medications
  • That his Psychiatrist did no physical examination but concluded in 5 minutes that he had a brain abnormality
  • How he had to agree to take the medications to get released from hospital
  • That the side effects of the drugs were very troublesome and made him more anxious and agitated
  • That the medication led to an increase in self harming and suicidal thinking
  • The doctors advice was always to increase dosages or to add additional drugs
  • How long terms usage of psychiatric medications leads to psychological and physical problems
  • How he had previously tried to quit his drugs cold turkey but always ended up back in hospital
  • How Christopher stopped his drugs by tapering and what therapies helped him during withdrawal
  • How looking back, Christopher feels that stopping the drugs was the best thing he ever did
  • How he now works in peer wellness and support for Heart & Soul Inc, an organisation staffed by people with lived experience of mental healthcare
  • How, when he was first struggling, Christopher needed someone to listen to him and a supportive environment rather than a diagnosis and medication
  • That people should rule out any physical reason for depression or anxiety before resorting to medications

Shownotes: http://www.jfmoore.co.uk/LTW_episode_9.html

To give me your feedback please email me on feedback@jfmoore.co.uk 

© James Moore 2017