Mental Survival

DescriptionMental Survival is a collection of articles, personal experiences, poems and songs, mostly centred around the theme of mental health. The writer draws on a wealth of experience to focus on psychiatry and counselling, the side effect of drugs and ECT, stigma and abuse, shedding light on much that is wrong with attitudes and care for the increasing numbers of people suffering debilitating mental distress. He also shows that despite an often daily battle against suicidal thoughts and chronic mood swings, it is possible to have a rewarding life, with moments of caring companionship, mostly winning the struggle to maintain a positive attitude and self-respect.About the AuthorOliver Swingler was born 10th March 1948, and is currently actively retired despite physical disability and being a mental health survivor for 55 years. His working career has included 37 f different jobs, from factory labourer to Customer Services Supervisor, Sales Manager to Hospital Porter, Shop Assistant to Volunteer Co-ordinator, barman to Adult Education Lecturer - and over the years he's done a variety of voluntary work, including VSO on island of St Helena, working with people recovering from head injuries, housing advisor with a Shelter Housing Aid Centre. Apart from 19 years semi-retreat from the world in the Emin esoteric cult, Oliver has been an active campaigner on a variety of issues, a student Socialist Society Chair, NUPE Shop Steward, Chair of Lifeboat mental health co-operative, and two Tenants' and Residents' Associations. As well as writing songs for a left/green choir, he's most recently been active against fracking and global warming, as part of White Ribbon Campaign anti-violence against women, seeking justice for families of victims of the DWP, Atos, Maximus, Capita, and most recently re-joined the Labour Party after 50 years absence to support Jeremy Corbyn. A believer in social housing, Oliver has lived in a council flat in Newcastle-upon-Tyne for 26 years; he's divorced and has one son.Book ExtractELECTRO-CONVULSIVE THERAPYHere it comes again pain, pain, pain.Elephants don't arrange to have memories wiped outLarks don't sing tunes that awaken chronic doubtElectric eels don't give shocks to others of their kindCheetahs don't advise speedy cures that damage the mindTortoises don't punish those who are a bit slowerReindeer don't stigmatise whatever they see as lowerOwls don't manufacture darkness for hunting their preyCrocodiles don't submerge animals in terror for payOysters don't clam up if treatment is put to the testNightingales don't wilfully disturb other creatures' restVoles don't produce the dependence on hibernationUnicorns don't pretend what's real is an inventionLocusts don't strip bare while announcing that it's healingSpiders don't weave to confuse other spiders' feelingIguana don't make ugly innocent hope and beliefVultures don't pick at the bones of those suffering griefEarthworms don't aim to undermine the vulnerable naïveTigers don't lurk behind caring postures that deceiveHornets don't sting to sell results in published researchEagles don't use old, weak ones to establish their perchRattlesnakes don't have hidden agendas that cause fearAnts don't build nests that alienate every ant nearPsychiatrists and their drugs often do - they've done it to meYours may be the next mind to be raped by ECT