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Lived Experience Reflection
Lived Experience Reflection
We do know understand the magnitude of reality until we have experienced it. We do not learn lessons best until we've experienced them. We are guided on what experiences are like and thus shall share our lived experiences. It is only with lived experience that we learn and listen.
I resonated with this week's lived experience sharers. Though the medical model hasn't acknowledged my mental health difficulties, I know my experiences are valid and true to be struggling. I will share some moments that resonated with me from this week's speakers.
My family story
In the Mental Health History of Ireland I though about my uncle who has Down Syndrome. He was born in 1970 in Switzerland right after de-institutionalization and my grandparents would reject "congratulation" cards and remarks after his birth and would respond with "no, he has down sydrome". As a family we never talked about it, perhaps because my grandparents died before I was born. My mom helped raise my uncle but she passed away before I could ask too many questions. I should have asked questions and listened.
In reflection I agree with our speaker that you "can't cure being human". Humans experience trauma and our coping mechanisms developed from that incident will forever change our behaviors to protect ourselves.
In my experience I have found that having a supportive group of people who have experience similar incidents leads to recovery. Eoin said that the focus for occupational therapy shouldn't be on independence but on interdependence. I see the value of promoting interdependence through the therapeutic relationship of working for my client and helping them build their network of supports in order to be independent. In many other cultures than in the United States the societal focus is on community rather than the individual. This is an example of cultural competency in various cultures and understanding the values of a community and it's contextual impact on someone.
I found support from peers and comedy to have a power of coping with my mental health. Comedy resonated with another lived experience advocate. This person found hat through comedy he could "share private thoughts" and if people laughed they resonated with the content and made him feel part of community.
Site Visits
Site Visits
Sli Eile
Sli Eile
An organic farm, bakery and cattle raiser create a farmers market every Saturday morning. They've won the organic produce award of 2018. The workers are in a transitional role between psychiatric or medical model institutions. Sli Eile offers up to 18 month stay for individuals. The tenants pay a reduced rent and are part of a community, gain skills on agriculture and baking. These skills are also intended to support them as they transition to other roles and responsibilities. In some cases, people have to regain life skills due to occupational deprivation and learned helplessness that is highly prevalent in acute and sub acute psychiatric and medical model settings. the workers- tenets have free Sundays to spend with family and friends and are unrestricted in communication throughout their daily lives.
The program director seemed like they were doing OT without an OT on staff but wouldn't admit that. It also seemed that perhaps their knowledge of OT is solely unimportant, meaningless tasks such as sorting buttons and thus, they do not understand the value OT could add to their team. This problem unfortunately a common problem that people do not know or understand the value of OT. During the presentation, I kept having the feeling that they were trying so hard to be in the recovery model and client centered yet was not listening to the clients' needs and wants. The director said something about "realistic aspiration" for the residents which felt insulting because the residents are able and willing to put the effort and motivation but the system is oppressing them. He also shared that since they "haven't mastered the skills in the farm they are not paid yet". He stated that they needed to be "competent" in order to make money. I reflected back to Karen's lecture on prison and how they also have to put in manual labor but they are paid (poorly but better than nothing).
Sli Eile Presentation.pdfReflection from meeting with OT students
They have similar challenges as we do. Their program is similar to ours as they have theoretical learning and then fieldwork. It was interesting to learn that my class is more outspoken and will criticize assessments and systems more than the Irish student's class. The two professors, Karen and Eoin have similar viewpoints and are close thus the teaching of the course is similar but the students' response to the material is different. I am enthusiastic about one student from UCC went to Denmark for one of her level 2 fieldwork which is a goal of mine to complete a fieldwork abroad. I wish we had more time to talk to them.
Mind Freedom & Mary Maddock's
Mind Freedom & Mary Maddock's
Mary Maddock was admitted into Sarsfield Court Psychiatric Hospital just two days after giving birth to her eldest daughter. There she was "drugged" and on a electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) treatment without her informed consent and was admitted to 3 other psychiatry hospitals in Ireland: the GF wing of Cork University Hospital, St. Anne's in Cork and St. Patrick's in Dublin. She was given a stigmatized label of "bipolar" and was instructed to take lithium, tablets for the rest of her life. They did not mention the devastating side effects on her quality of life. In 1993, Mary had a lifechanging experience when being exposed to a non medical model care through Mind Freedom. She rediscovered water, musics, exercise, and relaxation which to her make her "live again"- (Maddock, 2006)
"OT would have been great if I wasn't so drugged" - Mary Maddock
"OT would have been great if I wasn't so drugged" - Mary Maddock
"I was deprived of my own humanity"- Mary Maddock
"I was deprived of my own humanity"- Mary Maddock
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