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The experience of " integrating/meshing into the very system that oppress is a repeated experience by all member's of minority groups one begin with good initiations, but as a survival tactic, to be accepted respected by colleagues one "melts" into it often without knowing. That is why integration is not a valuable goal for change. Unless there is a large enough group doing it at the same time. This appears to be a repeated experience by women, members of other minority etc. that try to change the very system that stand as a barrier for change, I suspect that in the psychiatric milieu in particular, people / workers have restrictive rules particularly with regard to "patient and medication" Maria ----- Original Message ----- From: "LILITH Finkler" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Sunday, June 16, 2002 12:27 AM Subject: Re: Mental health surviours becoming professionals? > I am the "respected colleague" to whom Philip refers in his earlier inquiry. > I would like to elaborate upon my remarks simply for the purposes of > clarification. [As a caveat, I must emphasize that I live in Canada and > hence, the majority of my experiences and remarks pertain to Canada.] I > commented specifically about psychiatric survivors becoming psychiatric > nurses. The psychiatric survivor movement has taken a number of political > positions that would make it difficult (if not impossible) for survivors in > good conscience to perform what are essential duties for psychiatric nurses. > For example, the survivor movement has taken a stand against forced > treatment but nurses on psychiatric wards forcibly drug patients every day. > Psychiatric survivor activists argue against the use of chemical and > physical use of restaint but nurses restrain patients every day. Psychiatric > survivors demand fully informed consent but nurses routinely impose > medications upon patients. Forced drugging, restaint and administration of > drugs without informed consent, are in my mind, human rights violations. Why > would a psychiatric survivor who had endured such experiences wish to impose > them on others who are equally or more vulnerable than they once were? It > seems to me that they would simply become part of the very system that once > oppressed them. > > I know many psychiatric survivors who became nurses in hopes of changing the > psychiatric system. Significantly, most have left psychiatric nursing > because their attempts to humanize their work environment was unsuccessful. > Some practice nursing, but not on psychiatric wards, others made transitions > to other medical related fields and some left their work entirely. I suspect > that qualitative research in this area would yield rich data. I also suspect > that notions of social change would become much more complex. Placing > psychiatric survivors in the role of psychiatric nurses does NOT in and of > itself change values associated with medical model approaches to emotional > distress. Lilith > > > > > Philip Scullion <[log in to unmask]> > >Reply-To: Philip Scullion <[log in to unmask]> > >To: [log in to unmask] > >Subject: Mental health surviours becoming professionals? > >Date: Sat, 15 Jun 2002 09:59:00 +0100 > > > >Dear Colleagues > > > >Would any care to explore this issue with me? > >At last weeks SDS conference in Oakland I discussed > >the issue of people with mental health problems / > >experience moving on to joining one of the health care > >professions e.g. Psychiatric nursing. > > > >In UK the Department of Health are likely to publish a > >positive statement encouraging this on the grounds of > >equal opportunity in employment and the positive > >contribution such experiences may bring to a role as a > >health professional. > > > >The RCN (London 3rd July) conference, in a few weeks > >will be examining the role of health professionals in > >the disability rights agenda- in essence I will argue > >that one way of being with disable people on this > >agenda is to open the way for them to become health > >professionals. > > > >One respected colleague at the SDS however was fairly > >adamant that the effect of a mental health survivor > >becoming a psychiatric nurse for instance would be for > >them to simply take on an oppressive role seen as > >characteristic of the so-called 'helping profession' > >as whole. > > > >View, experiences and research welcome. > > > > > > > > > >===== > >Philip Scullion > >Senior Lecturer > >Health and Social Sciences > >Coventry University > >UK > > > >__________________________________________________ > >Do You Yahoo!? > >Everything you'll ever need on one web page > >from News and Sport to Email and Music Charts > >http://uk.my.yahoo.com > > > >________________End of message______________________ > > > >Archives and tools for the Disability-Research Discussion List > >are now located at: > > > >www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/disability-research.html > > > >You can JOIN or LEAVE the list from this web page. > > > _________________________________________________________________ > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp. > > ________________End of message______________________ > > Archives and tools for the Disability-Research Discussion List > are now located at: > > www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/disability-research.html > > You can JOIN or LEAVE the list from this web page. > ________________End of message______________________ Archives and tools for the Disability-Research Discussion List are now located at: www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/disability-research.html You can JOIN or LEAVE the list from this web page.