From Mad in Finland: Heidi asked in her last blog post, if we could stop and listen to people damaged by psychiatry. I was left thinking about it, and I decided to comment a little on Heidi’s thoughts in this text.
When a listener is needed, the first questions that come to my mind are where it is hoped for, who should listen and why. If there should be a space for telling, where should it primarily be? Telling friends and peers can bring an experience of relief, if you can feel that you have been understood, but such private conversations hardly have a wider effect. In order for telling and being heard to have more weight, which I believe Heidi is calling for here, the listening party should also be found somewhere else.