From Rethinking Psychiatry: “On Sunday, April 18, at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, Rethinking Psychiatry will host an online talk from the groundbreaking Soteria program. Soteria Houses are therapeutic community residences for people experiencing extreme states. Staff and former residents will discuss how Soteria House offers a complete paradigm shift to helping people experiencing what mainstream psychiatry calls ‘psychosis.’
. . . There is no doubt that we need alternatives to psychiatric hospitalization and that the status quo is not working for many people. Surveys by Mad in America and Rethinking Psychiatry have shown that many people report that hospitalization did far more harm than good, and some reported that they experience abuse, assault and other major traumas while psychiatrically hospitalized. Multiple studies have shown that patients who were discharged from psychiatric hospitalization are at higher risk of suicide. Â
While some people are helped by psychiatric hospitalization (including a small percentage of the participants in the above surveys), there is no doubt that we need alternatives to hospitalization. We know that a better way is possible. We look forward to hearing staff and former residents share the successes and challenges of Soteria Vermont.”
