Reframing Mental distress as a potential catalyst for positive change

Kath’s incredible poem needs no introduction; it speaks volumes for itself. The wisdom of those going through a spiritual emergence never fails to astound; prepare to hear the truth and feel shivers…

CLICK HERE FOR KATH’S BLOG PACKED FULL OF PASSION AND TALENT  

The 17th Jan is almost upon us – here is what is set to happen on the day, and how you can find out about it if you’re not able to join us in London…

This event has been planned specifically to be owned and directed by all who attend without hierarchy or ‘experts’, but a space for those passionate to see changes in mental health services to get together to envision what that change looks like…

Our day will focus on the Power Threat Meaning Framework  (PTMF) in relation to this question;

“How does the Power Threat Meaning Framework relate to those who perceive their experience in transcendent/ transformative, spiritual or spiritual emergency terms, and how could it be used to support this?”

About the PTMF

The PTMF is a co-produced document which describes an alternative to the diagnostic model of distress and ‘unusual experiences’. A brief summary of the Framework can be found here: PTM Summary 2019

Dynamic and interactive discussions will take place during the event to harvest outcomes as to what the attendees feel is needed to support the spiritual emergence process.

An overall outcomes report from the day will be produced and shared with the Lead Authors of the PTMFramework so that they can utilise the results in order to extend the PTMFrame accordingly, as they see fit.

The full report will be freely available to everyone via this blog from the 24th Jan 2020.

Please let your friends and colleagues know to sign up if they want to find out what happens!

Until Friday – what pertinent timing we have chosen to do this ❤

“The crack is where the light enters you” Rumi

It was as if Jamal’s soul was speaking to him through his profound poem before his ‘psychotic break’; preparing him with the knowledge that letting down his armour was actually enabling him to recognise the pure light he truly is at his core…

In 2017 during my last year and last term at university studying film production, I  experienced a mental health crisis. I think it was triggered by the stress of uni, the death of my estranged father at the beginning of that year, and smoking skunk more to cope with all that. There begun my road to recovery and coming to terms with this road I have found myself on. Sadly I had a psychotic episode again early last year, and I am coming back from that also. Now I am on medication and I am having therapy. I am stable and am trying to get online the psycho-social side of my recovery and life in general, which is a challenge because  I  can still feel unsafe outside the house; the much reduces voices makes me fear leaving the house when I do not really need to. But I will continue to try and create a new life that brings together all that I am and have yet to discover myself to be as I go on in my life.

The poem below, Dear Shadow of Mine, I wrote just before my first psychosis episode in the last year and term of university.

P.s. I passed my degree with a 2/1  and was able to even attend my graduation.

 

Dear Shadow of mine,

Nobody’s known of your facade

 aside from me,

not until recently at least.

The chinks in your armour

look so accustomed to.

 So much so that you’ve

forgotten who you are.

So much so that you’ve

forgotten you’re wearing armour,

 and grew accustomed to a need

 to defend your heart.

 Dear Shadow of mine,

 your light shines bright,

 brighter than you

 ever could have believed.

Just look at those around you

who yearn for your strength;

 the chinks in your armour

 have only been showing

 your true colours.

I understand you’re afraid

 of being yourself,

you put the armour on before

 you could remember.

And this love that you deserve

may seem overwhelming, but

it’s all the love in the World

that you deserve.

 You know this love all too well,

With the smile of an angel

and the eyes of God herself.

 Born and cradled by the vessel

 that could overcome,

 given nourishment by

 the mind that could overpower

and the heart that could

Over pour with love.

 My dear Shadow,

you’re so much more than

 just yourself, you are light,

you are love.

Fact of the matter is, your armour

 deserves to rest, it’s been

over-worn and over-distressed.

This light of yours deserves

 To Shine,

around the world and across

realities, multiple times.

 Embrace the love

 you’ve been blessed with,

and protect it with all your heart.

 Dear Shadow of mine,

can you finally see,

that you have been Light,

from the start.

Jamal Dijon James May 2017

We are now collecting stories for our 5th KindaProud pocket book;

#Emerging Proud through Psychosis and Schizophrenia

Do you have a story to share? Please CONTACT US HERE

I was recently guided to read this brilliant open letter to the spiritual community about psychiatry, from the fabulous holistic Psychiatrist Kelly Brogan   

and she speaks so clearly to the intention of our January event happening 2 weeks today.

Kelly says; I used to think spirituality was for the softies on the sidelines of the action.

So did I, until I really delved into the murky depths of healing that spiritual practice has to offer. I’ve recognised patterns, both within myself and between us, that the current medical model dominant in psychiatry can prevent us from healing.

As Kelly states; When we say no to our felt experience, to our bodies, we are maintaining the tension of the war.

On the 17th Jan we will consider the question;

“How does the Power Threat Meaning Framework (PTMF) relate to those who perceive their experience in transcendent/ transformative, spiritual or spiritual emergency terms, and how could it be used to support this?”

We will create space to think about how the psychiatric system poses a threat to the Spiritual Emergence process, and how the PTMF could be used support this.

Imagine if we could create a new mental health system that sees all Psychiatrists saying Kelly’s powerful words;

Falling apart; it doesn’t scare me. That’s because I know that, if I can provide a solid container for it to all fall apart, then the alchemy of the wound takes place.

It may be our job, as a community to begin, one by one, to say yes to ourselves, fully, in all ways. Yes to a high level of self-care, to devotion, to the messages our body is attempting to send, to our felt wrongness, to our wild energies, to our very souls slamming the walls of the small boxes we have stuffed them into. But we have to do this together. We have to lock eyes and say – if you do it, I’ll do it.

At our event On 17th Jan in London the intention is to lock eyes and be prepared to do it, together.

I’m going to be there, are you?

A new decade is upon us.

It’s more important now than ever before that we remember why we came here at this time; an emerging era for humanity.

With the world in crisis, our only hope of survival as a human species is to awaken spiritually – and we all hold a piece of the puzzle in creating a better future…

We have a choice; to drown in the political, societal and environmental crises now surrounding us, or to recognise these challenges as a ‘Call to Action’ – and use them as our impetus to transform ourselves and our world.

We are blessed to walk on this Earth, and we hold the wisdom of our ancestors deep within – often the emergence of this wisdom is messy; transformation takes bravery.

May we all remember that we are sacred…

In 2020, may we walk in beauty and remember our song ❤

So it happened – Britain is now amidst its own spiritual crisis…

Things really do have to fall apart to be re-created in a more adaptive order… so we find ourselves amidst this process now…

What can we do about it?

Those of you that resonate with this will have something to offer to the collective on this special visioning day– please come and flutter your wings for change with us ❤

We’re in the process of collecting stories for our 5th KindaProud Pocket Book;

#Emerging Proud through Psychosis and Schizophrenia

Did you refuse to own your label of ‘crazy’ or ‘broken’ only to use it as the catalyst for your own healing journey? If so, we’d love to hear from you!

These books are aimed at changing the narrative around so called ‘illnesses’ to show that being labelled doesn’t have to mean the end… it can be the beginning of stepping more powerfully into who you truly are.

All profits from the sale of books will go to distribute FREE books around mental health facilities in order to inject these positive messages where they may be most needed…

If you have a story of transformation that you’d like to share in our next Pocket Book of Hope, please CONTACT US HERE