Bulletin: Tips to learn, teach, advocate and create a less hostile and more inclusive world for ourselves.

Radical Abolitionist – Full Article

By Kazimir DeWolfe, Emily Sheera Cutler, Matt Perry, Jess Stohlmann-Rainey, and Andy Collings

…MNPD = Mad, neurodivergent, and psychiatrically disabled people

1, 19. Learn about MNPD culture. Support and share it.

2. Shift your understanding of psychiatric disability away from medical models and towards the social model of disability. edical models to social models of disability.

4,5. Notice your judgements about MNPD people. Understand how MNPD people are distrusted and dismissed.

6. “Remember that abuse is upheld and perpetuated by oppressive systems like patriarchy, racism, cisheterosexism, ableism, sanism, classism, adultism…”

9. Meds are complicated: some benefit. Some do not.  ‘”We need to work to address the stigmatizing narrative of the dangerous “untreated mental illness” or the Mad person who has “gone off their meds.” You can research harm reduction guides to coming off of psych drugs safely”‘

16, 17 Advocate for policies that increase resources for MNPD folks. Respect levels of dependence/paternalism and indepence/self-determination.

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22-24 Employers, educators have special abilities and responsibilities

KEY Tips for liberation

26) Believe MNPD people’s experiences of abuse and mistreatment within the psychiatric system. That includes experiences of harmful or inaccurate diagnoses, neglect, hostility, and infantilization as well as forced institutionalization and drugging.

27) Assume that intense emotions are coming from a reasonable, valid place. Although intense panic, elation, sadness, and anger are often labeled as irrational by society and dismissed, these emotions often exist for a reason. Just because you personally cannot understand why someone is reacting so intensely to a particular situation does not mean that reaction is irrational.

28) Reject the moral imperative to be “healthy,” physically, mentally, or emotionally.

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