About the Book
This is a unique collection of poems written by and for people who have survived our mental health system and the diagnostic process that is used to categorise and treat mental and emotional distress. In October 2016, Jo Watson launched A Disorder for Everyone (AD4E) - an international campaign to challenge the culture of psychiatric diagnosis and the labelling of expressions of emotional distress as medical disorders. Since then hundreds of people have attended AD4E events all over the UK, and thousands have joined the campaign Facebook group 'Drop the Disorder!' What began as a shout of protest has become an international roar. Poetry has long been used to give voice to resistance and to drive change in all kinds of social movements, and it is a central aspect of this campaign as well. It has been at the heart of every AD4E event and, more recently, several online poetry events have brought together poets and poetry-lovers from across the globe under the Drop the Disorder! banner. We Are the Change-Makers is a collection of these and other poems that seek to describe the otherwise inexpressible and challenge the power of psychiatry that misrepresents and medicates what it does not understand.
Table of Contents:
Introduction by Jo Watson, Decolonising distress - Sanah Ahsan, Fuck the DSM - Jyl Anais, Burgundy - Jasmine Gardosi, I work within the crisis team - Amanda Bueno de Mesquita, Nocebo effect - Dr Julie Carter, Tilt - Ruth E. Dixon, More and less all of this - Lydia Daisy, Self-discovery - Mica Gray, Drop the disorder! - Jo Watson, Act of war - Jyl Anais, On the Inside - Martha Enticott, Open the can of worms - Tracey Farrell, The Killing of Susan Kelly - Dorothy Dundas, Crazier than me - Ruth E. Dixon, Everyday magic - Dr Julie Carter, I mistook myself for a scientific label - Dr Peter Gordon, Dis-ease - Kathleen Halley Angus, No apology in pathology - Sally Fox, Six verses - Viv Gordon, A penny dropped - Ruth E. Dixon, When daisies talk - Mica Gray, Jump start - Jyl Anais, I remember - Wendy Badger, They think - Toni Hurford, All of this disorder stuff - Jo Watson, Look into my eyes - Sue Irwin, Smart move - Jackie Hagan, It could have been me - Jen Yates, Drop the disorder haiku - Amanda Bueno de Mesquita, I can see you (but you are so very far away) - Ruth Jackson, Let's stop pretending - Brian E. Levitt, I'm gonna run - Viv Gordon, In this moment - Mitzy Sky, Empire - Jo McFarlane, Your chemical embrace - James Moore, The object of my hate - Anonymous, Battle weary - Sally Fox, Dignity cannot be taken four times a day - Dolly Sen, Don't blame the canaries - Matthew Morris, A million conversations about 'ECT' - Jo Watson, Other than personality disorder, what term could you use to describe these people? - Clare Shaw, Labels - Jacky Power, Text book - Dr Peter Gordon, Manipulation - Jo McFarlane, I am a storm - Erin Stevens, What if psychiatry has got it all wrong? - Dr Jessica Taylor, Revenge of the crazy wimmin - Leah Harris, Watching the sun rise from her chair - Ruth E. Dixon, Everything you have ever lost - Joelle Taylor, Trauma-reducing not trauma-inducing - Dr Karen Treisman, Unlabelled - Jo McFarlane, I do not believe in silence - Clare Shaw, Fuck you - T.O. Walker, I'm with her - Jo Watson.
About the Author :
Jo Watson is a psychotherapist, trainer, speaker and activist. Her activism is motivated by a belief that emotional distress is caused by what is experienced and largely rooted in social factors. Jo founded the Facebook group 'Drop The Disorder!' in September 2016. She is part of the madintheuk.com team and editor of Drop the Disorder! Challenging the culture of psychiatric diagnosis (PCCS Books, 2019). Jo is the organiser of the A Disorder For Everyone events (adisorder4everyone.com) and can be found on Twitter @dropthedisorder
Review :
'What a rollercoaster of emotions! These are poems of truth, pain and power reclaimed. I salute the poets for their courage.' Deborah Alma, Emergency Poet and founder of the Poetry Pharmacy; 'These are the voices of the rebel souls, the truth tellers, the defiant and the righteous...This book is rich, full and will take you on a journey with no turning back. You will be transformed forever.' Akima Thomas, OBE, founder and clinical director, Women and Girls Network. / 'What a rollercoaster of emotions! These are poems of truth, pain and power reclaimed. I salute the poets for their courage.' Deborah Alma, Emergency Poet and founder of the Poetry Pharmacy.
