ASYLUM is a big fan of Madlove. Madlove is a big idea. Genuine asylum, designed by people who have experienced the mental health system, is close to our hearts and roots. So, we are delighted to feature an update about this exciting project.
As well as spreading the Madlove around, Asylum is also a space for dialogue and debate. Samei Huda has become a thorn in the side of psychiatric critics and, in this issue, he takes the critical psychiatry movement to task. To promote discussion, we invited friends of Asylum, Joanna Moncrieff and Duncan Double, who are also members of the Critical Psychiatry Network, to respond.
Meanwhile, psychiatry continues to come under scrutiny. Peter Beresford suggests there might be a disturbing alliance between right-wing populist politics and psychiatric thinking. Rupert Whitaker highlights how 18th century psychiatry still pervades 21st century services. John Zurn urges us to recognise the ‘secret suffering’ which continues to be hidden in, and by, the mental health system. At the policy level, Matt Smith makes a case for a Universal Basic Income to address structural inequalities underpinning public suffering.
In a moving personal account, Eleanor Higgins makes sense of her own experience of madness and those who supported her. In lighter pieces, regular contributors, ‘Alastor Nemesis’ and Mark Bertram pay tribute to memorable characters who feature in their own versions of ‘recovery’. Sonia Soans reflects on the teachings of a discredited psychologist and Darcy Leigh records her involvement in organising two Mad activist groups.
Whilst some people organise, others express their activism through other means. Asylum continues to be enriched by a diverse range of creative contributions, including graphics and poetry. We conclude this issue with a review of Shy Radicals, a ground-breaking book about another big idea and a new kind of politics. Asylum magazine shares its aim of creating space for a quieter, but no less radical, mental health politics.
Download Volume 27 No 1
Contents
Editorial
5 years of Madlove – The Vacuum Cleaner (AKA James Leadbitter) ***SAMPLE ARTICLE***
Critical Psychiatry – Dead Ends and Avenues of Opportunity – Ahmed Samei Huda
In Defence of Critical Psychiatry – Joanna Moncrieff and Duncan Double
A fond memory of squatter’s rights and a funny High Court Judge – Mark Bertram
Encountering the Other Side of Madness – Eleanor Higgins
The Mental Health Case for Universal Basic Income – Matt Smith ***SAMPLE ARTICLE
It snipped at my heart
The Secret Suffering of the Mentally Ill – John F Zurn
Letter – Chris Andrews
The Messiness of Mad Organising – Darcy Leigh
What is it like teaching Eysenck in 2020? – Sonia Soans
STRAIGHT JACKET – Reviewed by Dolly Sen
FROGS FOR PATTI SMITH – Reviewed by William Park
THE MAD HATTER’S TEA PARTY – Reviewed by Jeremy Spandler
The Psychiatrisation of Politics – Peter Beresford
Poems – David Icenogle, Frankie Konieczki, Mark A.Murphy and Steve Popkin
18th Century Psychiatry in 21st Century Courts: Has much really changed? – Rupert Whitaker
Dexter, the Serial Killer CPN – Alastor Nemesis
SHY RADICALS – Reviewed by Ian Parker
Sample articles
- The lunatics are taking over the . . . means of production: 5 years of Madlove – The Vacuum Cleaner (AKA James Leadbitter)
- The Mental Health Case for Universal Basic Income – Matt Smith
To read more. . . . . .