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   Writing: Jim Walsh
 

The Big Alternative Conference (In London)

Three delegates from the Mental Health Alliance, Jim Downey, Trish Burns and myself attended this 2-day conference on 14th and 15th March 2001 in our role as survivor/volunteers. The Mental Health Foundation organized it.

The first speaker was introduced: she immediately broke into an African tribal dance in time to an African chant which she taught us to sing! She then contrasted her rich Afro-Caribbean culture with our Western one. In her culture, a mentally ill person remains part of a supportive community (including an extended family). The medicine woman will prepare an individualised prescription for her, prepared according to ancient traditional rituals, and will provide counseling and advice.

In contrast, in our Western society, she says, "someone who is supposedly not functioning the way they should, we shut them away from their friends and family and all that is familiar".

Hair dressing is central to African Culture. It is an intimate thing, and only done by your family or close friends. She told us how a black Caribbean woman in a mental hospital became very angry with a nurse who tried to comb her hair. The nurse did not understand until it was explained that she was violating her culture and personal space. Also a Caribbean mental patient refused to eat hospital food. Food in her culture needs to be eaten in a place of comfort, cooked by friends in a special way - not in a hostile environment where she does not fit in as a black person. As a Caribbean, she regarded the hospital cooks as accomplices in her oppression.

During a tea break I compared notes with someone who had attended the 'Food and Mood' workshop. It seems that a low fat diet is as dangerous as a high fat diet for people suffering from depression. Also oily fish eaten twice a week helps ward off depression. After this I attended a workshop on spirituality and meditation and visualisation techniques.

On the second day we had a talk on a creative living centre - an alternative to traditional day centres, focusing on complimentary therapies like acupuncture, yoga and befriending.

A benefits workshop followed, with useful advice on filling in DLA forms and taking medical assessments. Then a speaker from Mad Pride told us about his campaigning for civil liberties for people with mental health problems, and played music by Mad Pride rock bands.

All the delegates were entitled to one free complimentary therapy session. Jim and myself chose an Indian Head Massage which was so relaxing that we almost fell asleep! Trish was so busy talking to other survivors that she completely forget about her reflexology session.

The last item of the conference was a survivors poetry session, featuring survivor poet, Peter Campbell. The conference closed with a personal testimony of recovery by Jim Doorly. We stayed overnight and had the opportunity to look round London in the evening. If you get the chance to be a delegate at the next Big Alternative Conference, my advice is - go for it!!