We have a serious practice issue in the UK whereby everyone has ‘adopted’ trauma informed working but only a handful of people actually know what that means and what it entails.

For example, lots of people think trauma informed work is compatible with psychiatry. It’s not.

I come across people who can use the words but don’t understand the philosophy of trauma informed work.

If you imagine a long line - on one side is anti-diagnosis, anti-psychiatry & trauma informed working...

riiiight on the other end is pro-meds, pro psychiatry, pro diagnosis.

The trauma informed movement and the PTMF was designed to COUNTER psychiatry and the pathologisation of trauma responses.

Not to uphold it.

If you believe that ‘trauma causes mental illnesses’ then you either don’t understand the arguments or you are not trauma informed.

And that’s okay, loads of people have different perspectives on mental health and trauma.

But please, if you believe in meds, diagnosis, ECT, PD and psychiatry - please understand that you cannot be truly trauma informed.