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Palgrave Macmillan
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Trauma and Madness in Mental Health Services

  • Book
  • © 2018

Overview

  • Represents a critical exploration of the mental health system as it pertains to individuals experiencing 'madness'

  • Is written entirely from the perspective of people with lived experience

  • Offers resources and directions for the future, as recommended by people with the experiences in consideration

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Table of contents (10 chapters)

  1. The Status Quo

  2. Part II

Keywords

About this book

How do survivors of child abuse, bullying, chronic oppression and discrimination, and other developmental traumas adapt to such unimaginable situations? It is taken for granted that experiences such as hearing voices, altered states of consciousness, dissociative states, lack of trust, and intense emotions are inherently problematic. But what does the evidence actually show? And how much do we still need to learn?



    

Reviews

“Trauma and Madness in Mental Health Services offers a great deal of practical help for both practitioners and for those in emotional turmoil. In very concrete terms, Hunter offers chapters on what is helpful and what is not.” (Bruce E. Levine, counterpunch.org, July 18, 2018)​

“Noel Hunter’s remarkable book sheds light on a new discourse around human suffering, while tying into a long history of approaches that have vacillated between attempts at categorization and an overarching view of distress on a continuum. … ‘Madness and Trauma’ is an auspicious paragon for such an ambitious project, and thus a must-read for anyone looking for a way forward in this complex field.” (Peter Stastny, Psychosis, Vol. 10 (04), 2018) “Trauma and adversity are almost universal aspects of the distress that brings people into contact with mental health services, but few people get the help they need. This book offers a comprehensive and sensitive guide to the impact of trauma, the limitations of standard medical responses, and the possible ways forward. Noël Hunter brings her clinical and personal experience to this challenging but invaluable overview.” (Lucy Johnstone, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Author, and Independent Trainer based in Bristol, UK)

“Hunter, a clinical psychologist, fearlessly punctures the pretensions of the psy-professions by examining the politics of madness and research about madness, the victim-blaming uses of psychiatric diagnoses, and the hidden vested interests of professionals who professionalize help and medicalize distress. Hunter effortlessly summarizes an enormous amount of research and perspectives to help people understand traumas and their consequences, as well as practices proffered under the guise of help that offend and dehumanize. She accompanies her searing indictment of the psychopharmaceutical-industrial complex with several liberating proposals for immediate and fundamental change.” (David Cohen, Professor of Social Welfare, University of California, Los Angeles, USA)


“I first saw this manuscript in draft form and thought it was spectacular, most importantly for the valuable information it conveys to individuals suffering from these problems, and also in how well written it is. The book will also be of great value for professionals working in the fields of psychological trauma.” (Fran Grossman, Professor Emeritus, Boston University, USA)


Authors and Affiliations

  • New York, NY, USA

    Noël Hunter

About the author

Noël Hunter is a clinical psychologist working in private practice in New York City, USA. Her work focuses on the link between trauma and altered states, human rights, and alternative approaches to healing. 

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