Journeys Beyond the Frontier : A Rebellious Guide to Psychosis and Other Extraordinary Experiences

by Mark Ragins

How much do you know about psychosis? How comfortable are you with hallucinations and delusions? How much do you trust our current medical model mental health system? Millions of people are having psychotic experiences. Millions more care about them and share their lives, homes, and communities. Nearly all of them are in the dark—confused, scared, and overwhelmed—unfortunately, usually including the mental health workers trying to help them. Over time, many will become helpless and hopeless. They need light shined on them, not on their biology and their illnesses, but on their experiences, their lives, and their recoveries. They need understanding and compassion. They need guidance. This book is the most sensitive and comprehensive guidebook for psychosis available today. It rebels against the pervasive, simplistic, illness-centered, medical model used in our mental health system, using hundreds of touching stories to describe in everyday language the understandings, the emotional strengths, and the practical tools we need for more humane and effective approaches. Written as a “guidebook to psychosis,” the book is divided into three 1) introducing Dr. Mark, the current system he’s rebelling against, and his understanding of the mind and psychosis (including his psychosis triangle), 2) describing in depth eight journeys, each a different approach to psychosis (grief, psychotic reactions, difficulties in making sense of the world, childhood trauma, losing balance, drugs and alcohol, psychiatric illnesses, developmental, neurological and medical conditions), and 3) describing recovery plans, with lots of practical tips for facing serious everyday challenges (families, medications and psychiatrists, psychiatric hospitals, poverty, Social Security, homelessness, violence, suicide, physical health, and employment). For too long, our approach to ongoing psychosis is to describe it as hopeless, incomprehensible, unrelatable, and frightening. We need to rebel against these perspectives to appreciate psychosis as a relatively common response when someone has serious difficulty in all three dimensions of a “psychosis triangle”: experiencing reality, self-identity, and relationships. We can understand the journeys people are going through, we can relate to them and travel with them, we can make collaborative recovery plans (often including using medications more effectively), we can avoid chronicity and disability, and it’s likely we can even prevent a good deal of psychosis from emerging in the first place. Dr. Mark has written a practical and wide-ranging book about psychosis in a highly accessible and emotionally engaging way, so that everyone can benefit from his extensive experience. At times, touching or overwhelming, hopeful or discouraging, inspiring or incensing, this book will undoubtedly carry you beyond your preconceptions and fears, to a place of connection with people who have gone beyond the frontiers of ordinary mental experiences. Dr. Mark is uniquely qualified to create this guidebook, having been the founding psychiatrist and Medical Director of the MHALA Village from 1990 to 2017. During that time, the Village was hailed worldwide as one of the best programs for people with serious mental conditions. They were showered with awards. Thousands of people came from all over the world to see their work, to learn from them, and to be inspired by them. Dr. Mark, who was the leading spokesman for the Village, from Cairo to Tokyo, from Norway to New Zealand. Even LA Times journalist Steve Lopez consulted with Dr. Mark as described in the book and movie “The Soloist.” Probably the most poignant line was written by investigative reporter, Art Levine, in Newsweek, “If a doctor like Ragins was in charge of my mother's psychiatric care at that Long Island hospital ye

646 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 27, 2021

Reviews

[Roya Sodeifi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not without a few flaws but overall I think this is a great resource for people who have had psychosis, their family, medical and hospital staff & social workers. Lots of medical info while very easy to read. Dissects the wide range of people who may suffer acutely or live productively with psychosis symptoms as well as the social/economic/legal implications too. Talks about psychosis in a holistic way, isn’t a book written during the war on drugs 👍 This book is THICK and is mostly comprised (maybe of too many…) of the authors accounts of patients he’s worked with but the information is enormous and it’s entirely easy to grasp and is ultimately a really good guide for how to actually help people not just with psychosis but other mental illness, suicidality, and people struggling with substance abuse, homelessness, abusive situations, etc. Its so important that anyone working in a mental health hospital or crisis care facility reads this book. It’s also very helpful to understand the pros and cons to many diagnoses, medications, options of care, being on disability, having a psychiatric hold etc.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant psychiatrist, brilliant book. Interesting take on the complexity of the human mind, especially as it relates to those who experience psychosis. Thought-provoking and deservingly respectful approach to treatment that looks at each person as a truly unique individual, and how to best steer them to developing skills for a better life, and tailored medicines where appropriate.

[Raquel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beyond vital reading

[Gayle Costello · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is person centered, motivational, hopeful and compassionate.