Welcome to Session 2 of #SocialPowerMH @CRASSHlive

The topic is Activism and Hope

I’m @JoannahDewDrop and I’ll be livetweeting today’s session.

Tweet me if you have any questions!

You can watch live here: http://YouTube.com/CRASSHCambridge 

Our first speaker on Activism and Hope is Samuel Hosking from @LifecraftCamNew

The title is:
Lessons to be Learned from the Experience of Funding Cuts to Mental Health Services at Lifecraft

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Samuel talks about how local county council funding of Lifecraft was cut and instead those funds were allocated to Mind. This led to the discontinuation of about half of their groups provided for members, including a Hearing Voices Group (now taken over by Mind).

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At this time, Mind had not got new services up and running so many people were left without support they had before. When Mind introduced new groups, people found they were not necessarily suitable for for them.

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Lifecraft found some funding to continue but has faced and continues to face a lot of uncertainty. People felt an acute sense of loss. Samuel feels that funding changes like this need to be adapted to better consider impact on people.

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Our second speaker on Activism and Hope is Keira Pratt-Boyden @KeiraPB from @UniKentSAC @APOD_UK @SOASanthro

The title is:
Stigma and Social power: Mental Health Activism in London

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Keira explores the politics of healing and how activists create spaces where people can be themselves. This is thought to be an empowering contrast to therapeutic spaces which can constrain personal and social freedom.

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Keira also talks about practices of listening. How they can act as a political & therapeutic process, challenging the limitations of mental health services’ ways of understanding people & providing the opportunity for an alternative, less judgemental & more accepting experience.

Keira also talks about the empowerment 'Disorderly Spaces' can provide for people. A challenge to many ideas about what a therapeutic space is and should be. They feature a lack of structure but allow people to feel their feelings and for conflict to occur.

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Our third speaker on Activism and Hope is Liz Rotherham

Her title is:
Building Resilience

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Liz talks about experiencing trauma, many years of covering it up and depression, followed by a psychotic episode. Sectioned and diagnosed with Bipolar, prescribed many medications Liz was discharged, then sectioned four further times.

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Liz talks about how important it for her was to understand her psychosis. She knows her triggers- lack of sleep, stress, coping mechanisms - self-care, meditation, self-belief & speaking her truth to give others hope and be seen as a human rather than a diagnosis.

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"We are all unique!" says Liz, what works for one may not work for another but we should work together and share ideas and hope!

Liz authored a book titled Life As a Rollercoaster: The Mayhem of Bipolar, check it out here https://www.amazon.co.uk/Life-As-Roller-Coaster-Bipolar/dp/1527247449

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Q&A time -

Services functioning as safe spaces with person-centred care - the speakers discuss issues of funding and how they effectively prevent this.

Most effective way service users and survivors should look to organise and mobilise

Keira - people need to connect, but consider emotional labour and time needed.

Samuel - Politics is hard work but do: vote , write to your MP/councillors, e-petitions.

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for Keira - Is there a role for Disorderly Spaces in MH services

Almost impossible to be this open and inclusive inside services. Open Dialogue is being tested in the NHS - it's about flexibility, meeting people where they're at.

We have reached the end of Session 2 and would like to extend an enthusiastic thank you to our speakers!

A video of the session will be available to view shortly at the end of this thread.

As always, any questions, tweet us @SocialPowerMH #SocialPowerMH