Bad psychiatric experience - extremism

Mister_J wrote:Hey thank you for the great post. I really appreciate this. There is an activist in me but at the end of they day it also makes me frustrated probably because it wasn't my dream before. I have a very high IQ and I'm a creative person. I'm good at script writing, being a comedian,....just because of this whole experience, I have no network, no connections, it only isolated me. I even finished a comedy movie script on commercial psychiatry. Hilarious but in a way so very realistic as well.

My doctor can get help me finding a job, but only with the label of being handicapped. Then a boss and your colleagues know you're ill and you can do things at your own pace. I'm pretty sure that will ruin my selfesteem. Of course that's not how my doctor sees me, but it's the system over here once again.

It all happened in the early 00's. At that time patients had no access to the internet. I had "the right" to find my own shrink, to find my own lawyer, but I wasn't allowed to leave a small room. Whenever I asked to make a phonecall, they needed to know: who do you want to contact? and you got a big fat no when you revealed your plans.

On the other hand my neighbour really needs help. She's got 3 private parking spots, one car and she parks her car in front of other people's garage because she enjoys it so much.BUT she has parents taking care of her financially and making her feel like the world is all about her.
Just to show you how it often depends on your network, family,....not about how deranged you are.

Welcome Im glad you liked it. Sorry for the delay in response.

I hate to say it but High IQ people are another target for psychiatrists simply because their intelligence, imagination and what ever else they have is so well above others. Which makes them different to be blunt. Its that difference that psychiatrists use as a basis to say something is wrong. Of course that difference is great, but not a psychiatrist its one more thing to use against someone. People with very high IQs might be shunned by others as well, which makes them more prone sadness. And we all know what happens when a psychiatrist hears the words "well Ive been feeling sad lately.

Activism may not have been your goal, neither was mine however a time comes when you realize that we have no future when human life is treated as an ATM machine. In your case, a person with a high IQ who can contribute a lot, was failed. But I wouldn't let that sink in, wright a book about it if it helps. The more people speak out against abuse the more the system is forced to change. See, all other business strive to satisfy their customers and when they don't customers can walk away fro that business. But because in psychiatry that doesn't happen because regardless how the customer feels the have no input. If enough people spoke out, then they would have to change.

Thanks, the funny thing is: I wrote a book about this whole experience ( and a movie script in English based on it). Almost ten years ago, I met publishers, many of them, but all of them were like: we can't release it. Some of them kinda believed my story, others were like: he's just another patient "thinking" what happened to him was wrong but they did it for his own good.
Writing the book, I felt miserable. Talking to publishers, I felt miserable too. Just because it felt like it was happening over and over again. I also don't want to lend my name to a personal experience. A movie script based on reality: fine. But I have learnt that there's a difference between tackling an issue and getting too personal. The second thing doesn't feel okay. I wouldn't wanna become a celebrity because of a personal experience but because I have written a good movie and then you can just say: this is reality to see many people out there. I know writing dialogues is one of my main assets so if I can combine it with a personal experience and a sense of humour it would feel better than being a victim many people don't believe.
Activism didn't feel great to me so far because most of the activists here are scientologists or other kinda extremists. People claiming the alternative for psychiatry is homeopathy or quit eating sugar. Most of them don't have satisfying lifestyles and low selfesteems just because they take it to extremes and never learnt to be happy. I also feel that there's a difference between stopping psychiatry or stopping abuse in psychiatry.

The thing with the high IQ is: at the beginning I didn't say a word, just tried to analyze the situation, nurses, psychologist,....but then after a while I started to ask questions most other people didn't ask. I asked them: why am I still here, it's a crime? Then they just replied: listen to the doctor and for many other patients that was the answer. I started saying: the doctor is not right. You don't treat the disorder I have on paper, you're using it against me. I was just summing up some facts and they immediately came up with words like: paranoid. I was like: how can I be paranoid just telling them the truth? I know that after six months they told my mother: we shouldn't have extended his stay here. If only I could have taped that conversation.
It's crazy but ever since then I record job interviews and other important meetings. No one expects you to do it and many people say things and then the next time they lie.

I always record conversations with any official whom I don't trust fully.

In Belgium it's still considered something "not done" so most people don't do it and most of all: no one would expect you to do it. Over here it's only legal when you're part of the conversation but most of the time that's no problem at all.

Yes, it's the same here in Canada. As long as you are one of the parties in the conversation, recording and also distributing it is legal under most circumstances. This includes telephone conversations, interactions with police, etc. You don't have to disclose that you are recording. But the converse is that they can also record you and I always keep in mind that they might be doing so when it's something important.

Mister_J wrote:Thanks, the funny thing is: I wrote a book about this whole experience ( and a movie script in English based on it). Almost ten years ago, I met publishers, many of them, but all of them were like: we can't release it. Some of them kinda believed my story, others were like: he's just another patient "thinking" what happened to him was wrong but they did it for his own good.
Writing the book, I felt miserable. Talking to publishers, I felt miserable too. Just because it felt like it was happening over and over again. I also don't want to lend my name to a personal experience. A movie script based on reality: fine. But I have learnt that there's a difference between tackling an issue and getting too personal. The second thing doesn't feel okay. I wouldn't wanna become a celebrity because of a personal experience but because I have written a good movie and then you can just say: this is reality to see many people out there. I know writing dialogues is one of my main assets so if I can combine it with a personal experience and a sense of humour it would feel better than being a victim many people don't believe.
Activism didn't feel great to me so far because most of the activists here are scientologists or other kinda extremists. People claiming the alternative for psychiatry is homeopathy or quit eating sugar. Most of them don't have satisfying lifestyles and low selfesteems just because they take it to extremes and never learnt to be happy. I also feel that there's a difference between stopping psychiatry or stopping abuse in psychiatry.

The thing with the high IQ is: at the beginning I didn't say a word, just tried to analyze the situation, nurses, psychologist,....but then after a while I started to ask questions most other people didn't ask. I asked them: why am I still here, it's a crime? Then they just replied: listen to the doctor and for many other patients that was the answer. I started saying: the doctor is not right. You don't treat the disorder I have on paper, you're using it against me. I was just summing up some facts and they immediately came up with words like: paranoid. I was like: how can I be paranoid just telling them the truth? I know that after six months they told my mother: we shouldn't have extended his stay here. If only I could have taped that conversation.
It's crazy but ever since then I record job interviews and other important meetings. No one expects you to do it and many people say things and then the next time they lie.

Publishers generally look for something that will sell fast, with much of. The general public just isn't interested as much in non-fiction. However, if you don't mind, you can certainly upload the book as a pdf or publish it yourself. Your book, will definitely be useful in the realm of anti psychiatry. Every story is worth it, every. I can understand not wanting to be well known, but you can edit out the names that give you away if you see it.


Scientology isn't for everyone, and I would say it wouldn't cure the traumatic aftermath of psychiatry. While I cant speak for everyone, some people are so extreme (such as anti psych all the way) because they have been so badly hurt. Anything remotely associated with it becomes a painful trigger. Hence the strong feelings and I don't blame them.


The good that I see in all this is now we know what doesn't work in psychiatry. Its this that will begin to lead change. Just like if enough customers complain the food at a restaurant doent taste good or its to cold for the A/C cranked up all the way, owner of said restaurant will change. Same with psychiatry.

I still like you original comment "probably 90% of the people in psychiatry don't get the help they need" CCHR: "its 100% percent" Of course I do believe some are helped, and some good intuitions do exist. But that number is to small.

90 percent makes you feel more relaxed. Saying: I know some people not being helped and their problems getting worse or: pills do not make them better and the side effects were bad. When you talk like that, you can start a conversation.
I know a CCHR member blaming a young mother for claiming she suffered from a postnatal depression. She must have done something wrong.
I don't have my book anymore. One day I was so tired of reading my own story. I didn't save it and then my computer crashed. There's someone having saved it for me but she's a scientology member.
I also wrote too much about my childhood and not enough about my stay at the hospital. At the time I wanted to explain what went wrong before. Because I wanted to assure people that it shouldn't have happened.
I'm more proud of my movie script. It's about doctors starting a private hospital, hiring a promotion team and looking for patients out in the streets. Just to prove that anyone is a potential patient. It's also written in English. A scientology member read it and wanted to get me in touch with an American director ( another scientology member). But at the time I was already so sick of scientology that I was like: I don't want scientology to use my material. I didn't want to lose my dignity and have that scientology label. It's a good and creative story - a bit hilarious - but so true. I don't want to give them the promotion they don't deserve.

Mister_J wrote:90 percent makes you feel more relaxed. Saying: I know some people not being helped and their problems getting worse or: pills do not make them better and the side effects were bad. When you talk like that, you can start a conversation.
I know a CCHR member blaming a young mother for claiming she suffered from a postnatal depression. She must have done something wrong.
I don't have my book anymore. One day I was so tired of reading my own story. I didn't save it and then my computer crashed. There's someone having saved it for me but she's a scientology member.
I also wrote too much about my childhood and not enough about my stay at the hospital. At the time I wanted to explain what went wrong before. Because I wanted to assure people that it shouldn't have happened.
I'm more proud of my movie script. It's about doctors starting a private hospital, hiring a promotion team and looking for patients out in the streets. Just to prove that anyone is a potential patient. It's also written in English. A scientology member read it and wanted to get me in touch with an American director ( another scientology member). But at the time I was already so sick of scientology that I was like: I don't want scientology to use my material. I didn't want to lose my dignity and have that scientology label. It's a good and creative story - a bit hilarious - but so true. I don't want to give them the promotion they don't deserve.

Never bow down to a group, sell your own ideas as you see them right. Scientology IMO isnt anti psychiatry or a better term, psychiatry reform.

What happened in your stay is key. Its this that will show where the system failed. What is so fascinating (in a really bad way) is that it seems like the experience of many people is the same all over the world in regards to treatment. That is a big base to reach people.

Some parts of the establishment are even aware that the current policies are having the perverse effect of actively preventing people from seeking treatment, or even telling anyone else in case it gets to the wrong ears. I feel like a Soviet dissident.

Also, the average normal person is completely shocked and appalled at what is demonstrably standard operating procedure worldwide, once you show them. They are all totally supportive of my decision to take only minimal medications and NO antipsychotics, and leave the rest up to my coping skills. It's only the vested interests that start the dissembling justifications for that kind of casual inhumanity.

If anyone could recommend me a good website and-or blog to tell my story, just let me know. I can explain everything in just a couple of pages to tackle the issue and show people things can go wrong in psychiatry.
Any advice on working my movie script would be great as well. Would be great if it could be a real movie one day but I'm just a writer not a director.