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The Future of Mental Health: Deconstructing the Mental Disorder Paradigm
The Future of Mental Health drills to the heart of the current mental health crisis, where hundreds of millions of individuals worldwide receive unwarranted “mental disorder diagnoses." It paints a picture of how mental health providers can improve their practices to better serve individuals in distress and outlines necessary steps for a mental health revolution. Eric Maisel’s goal is to inject more human interaction into the therapeutic process.
Maisel powerfully deconstructs the “mental disorder" paradigm that is the foundation of current mental health practices. The author presents a revolutionary alternative, a “human experience"paradigm. He sheds a bright light on the differences between so-called “psychiatric medication"and mere chemicals with powerful effects, explains why the DSM-5 is silent on causes, silent on treatment, and wedded to illegitimate “symptom pictures." Maisel describes powerful helping alternatives like communities of care, and explains why one day “human experience specialists" may replace current mental health professionals.
An important book for both service providers and service users, The Future of Mental Health brilliantly unmasks current mental health practices and goes an important step further: it describes what we are obliged to do in order to secure better mental health services—and better mental health—for everyone.
“Eric Maisel's book is extraordinary. Profoundly innovative and revolutionary, it describes the Herculean but not impossible tasks facing the mental health establishment and reshuffles all the cards in psychiatry.”
—Patrick Landman, Psychiatrist, Child Psychiatrist, Chairman, STOP DSM France
“Dr. Maisel’s bold new book The Future of Mental Health is a refreshing seed in what otherwise might be considered a forlorn mental health landscape. Maisel not only paints a picture of what a new mental health countryside could look like but he also provides useful suggestions of how we might get there and why it might be important that we start heading in that direction today.”
—Tim Carey, Head of Research, Centre for Remote Health, Central Australian Health Service; Chair, Regional, Rural, and Remote Advisory Group, Australian Psychological Society
“Maisel really throws the gauntlet down with this one, and the psychiatric community will find it difficult to ignore his challenge.”
—Mark D. White, Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Philosophy at the College of Staten Island/CUNY, blogger at Psychology Today, and author of The Illusion of Well-Being
Maisel powerfully deconstructs the “mental disorder" paradigm that is the foundation of current mental health practices. The author presents a revolutionary alternative, a “human experience"paradigm. He sheds a bright light on the differences between so-called “psychiatric medication"and mere chemicals with powerful effects, explains why the DSM-5 is silent on causes, silent on treatment, and wedded to illegitimate “symptom pictures." Maisel describes powerful helping alternatives like communities of care, and explains why one day “human experience specialists" may replace current mental health professionals.
An important book for both service providers and service users, The Future of Mental Health brilliantly unmasks current mental health practices and goes an important step further: it describes what we are obliged to do in order to secure better mental health services—and better mental health—for everyone.
“Eric Maisel's book is extraordinary. Profoundly innovative and revolutionary, it describes the Herculean but not impossible tasks facing the mental health establishment and reshuffles all the cards in psychiatry.”
—Patrick Landman, Psychiatrist, Child Psychiatrist, Chairman, STOP DSM France
“Dr. Maisel’s bold new book The Future of Mental Health is a refreshing seed in what otherwise might be considered a forlorn mental health landscape. Maisel not only paints a picture of what a new mental health countryside could look like but he also provides useful suggestions of how we might get there and why it might be important that we start heading in that direction today.”
—Tim Carey, Head of Research, Centre for Remote Health, Central Australian Health Service; Chair, Regional, Rural, and Remote Advisory Group, Australian Psychological Society
“Maisel really throws the gauntlet down with this one, and the psychiatric community will find it difficult to ignore his challenge.”
—Mark D. White, Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Philosophy at the College of Staten Island/CUNY, blogger at Psychology Today, and author of The Illusion of Well-Being
- GenresPsychologyMental Health
228 pages, Paperback
First published December 31, 2015
4 people are currently reading
55 people want to read
About the author
Eric Maisel
135 books162 followersEric Maisel, Ph.D., is the author of more than 40 books in the areas of creativity, coaching, mental health, and cultural trends. He is a psychotherapist and creativity coach, and writes for Psychology Today and Professional Artist Magazine and presents workshops internationally.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 20, 2017
Finally I had searched for word "paradigm" in book search. What an idiot, distressed out from not finding new information and didn't though to search for paradigms. If it wouldn't challenge me, at least maybe I would get some confirmations from my own observations.
It's so sad this book has so little readers. Since some time through my long term experience in trading I came to one meta-thought - truth isn't popular. If you see something popular, like some book that is read like crazy, most probably it's fake, fluff, delusion or religion. I always found exceptional informational advantage in hidden paces that weren't popular at all. People don't like truth or don't like to challenge themselves, they like fists full of sugar or some pretty unobtainable exclusionary imaginations.
Who can tell you aren't "normal"? No one really knows what normal is anyway. And most probably those who tend to call on others (i.e. classify) are not so normal in a way they use this strategy (consciously or unconsciously) for their own evolutionary advantage. Nothing else, no real data to support their claims, it's only imagination to play the best game possible.
Book has much more.I had came to similar thoughts through probability theory and probabilistic thinking when analyzing what is said around me or in media. I also think that much more can be achieved in any field (mental health just one of them) if mathematical,probabilistic logic applied. Nothing much too complex, just you now that all possible events (or here - people) form a distribution where "non-normal" (alpha) would be left (left alpha) and right (positive alpha) tails. The thing here is that such distributions aren't discrete, and such reliable classifications cannot be formed. Moreover, "normal" (e.g. mean of distribution) is most probably complete zero. Probably meaning you should be not "normal" (or at least -> move) in some way or another to have unique, useful and great experiences.
It's so sad this book has so little readers. Since some time through my long term experience in trading I came to one meta-thought - truth isn't popular. If you see something popular, like some book that is read like crazy, most probably it's fake, fluff, delusion or religion. I always found exceptional informational advantage in hidden paces that weren't popular at all. People don't like truth or don't like to challenge themselves, they like fists full of sugar or some pretty unobtainable exclusionary imaginations.
Who can tell you aren't "normal"? No one really knows what normal is anyway. And most probably those who tend to call on others (i.e. classify) are not so normal in a way they use this strategy (consciously or unconsciously) for their own evolutionary advantage. Nothing else, no real data to support their claims, it's only imagination to play the best game possible.
Book has much more.I had came to similar thoughts through probability theory and probabilistic thinking when analyzing what is said around me or in media. I also think that much more can be achieved in any field (mental health just one of them) if mathematical,probabilistic logic applied. Nothing much too complex, just you now that all possible events (or here - people) form a distribution where "non-normal" (alpha) would be left (left alpha) and right (positive alpha) tails. The thing here is that such distributions aren't discrete, and such reliable classifications cannot be formed. Moreover, "normal" (e.g. mean of distribution) is most probably complete zero. Probably meaning you should be not "normal" (or at least -> move) in some way or another to have unique, useful and great experiences.
September 9, 2016
Even if, for any number of legitimate reasons, you can't incorporate many of these ideas into your professional practice, you can do yourself a favor and at least wrestle with them. Perhaps in that struggle there will be some shifting and change from a system that is anything but helpful in the way it is currently being promoted. While at times Maisel's urgency approaches screaming, it's difficult if not impossible to fault his passion for wanting to create a system that is no longer focused on false pretense and instead moved to an exploration of the human person and experience, worts and all.
June 17, 2017
Worthy Read here! You don't have to agree to benefit from it.
I really benefited from this book and the alternative view of the current mental health (sickness) system we have largely available to us, as well as the alternatives that might constitute our future in this area.
I especially like that he not only cited the problem but noted potentially, though seemingly impossible to realize, solutions.
The reason to act, "saving our children from all being labelled as mentally disordered and medicated" is a compelling one.
I really benefited from this book and the alternative view of the current mental health (sickness) system we have largely available to us, as well as the alternatives that might constitute our future in this area.
I especially like that he not only cited the problem but noted potentially, though seemingly impossible to realize, solutions.
The reason to act, "saving our children from all being labelled as mentally disordered and medicated" is a compelling one.
January 15, 2017
I thought I could judge a book by its cover.. turned out to be wrong. This book looks obsolete but the ideas in the book are so revolutionary and liberating. Completely mind-blowing!
May 25, 2019
Nailed it!
Just listened on audible for the 4th or 5th time!
As The Peer Movement gains traction with "Peer Recovery Specialist" (Chemical Health) & the "Peer Specialist" (Mental Heath) This Book really was ahead of its time! DHS just messes up the Names if Recovery Coach & Peer Coach to fit their billing Modal.
"Human Experience Specialist" or My Favorite "Life Experience Specialist" just didn't make the cut...
If Eric would Please Come Out with Follow Up, Part 2
Now that his Vision is Happening in Full Force.., I would appreciate it!
Create a Grateful Day!
Christopher.Lee.Falck@gmail.com
AllRecoveryCoaching@gmail.com
www.AllRecoveryCoaching.com
www.AllRecoveryRings.com
Just listened on audible for the 4th or 5th time!
As The Peer Movement gains traction with "Peer Recovery Specialist" (Chemical Health) & the "Peer Specialist" (Mental Heath) This Book really was ahead of its time! DHS just messes up the Names if Recovery Coach & Peer Coach to fit their billing Modal.
"Human Experience Specialist" or My Favorite "Life Experience Specialist" just didn't make the cut...
If Eric would Please Come Out with Follow Up, Part 2
Now that his Vision is Happening in Full Force.., I would appreciate it!
Create a Grateful Day!
Christopher.Lee.Falck@gmail.com
AllRecoveryCoaching@gmail.com
www.AllRecoveryCoaching.com
www.AllRecoveryRings.com
Read
April 9, 20202017.01.27–2017.01.29
Contents
Maisel E (2015) (10:26) Future of Mental Health, The - Deconstructing the Mental Disorder Paradigm
Introduction
01. Our Human Experience
• Holding Her Breath
• Genuine Not Knowing
02. The Naturalness of Distress
03. Jettisoning Normal
• The Twenty-Nine Senses of Normal
• A New Normal
• Upgrading Normal
04. Rethinking Diagnosis
• Jim’s Week
• Not Diagnosing at All
05. What Shall We Call You?
• If Not “Patient,” Will “Client” Do?
• The Unwilling and The Unhelpful
06. The Mental Disorder Labeling Fraud
• Defining a Mental Disorder Does Not Make it Exist
• The Folly of “Mental Disorder” Symptom Pictures
• Manual or Catalogue?
07. Chemicals versus Medication
• Walking a Line
08. On Meds
• Barbara
• Jules
• Jeanette
• Tina
• Rachel
• Sharon
• Jennifer
09. On Cause and Effect
• Simple Inquiry
10. Life Purpose, Meaning, and Value
11. Setting the Bar
• Nature’s Method is Our Madness
• Executive Awareness
• Free Will and Determinism
12. The Human Experience Specialist
• The “No Labeling” Alternative
• Training the Human Experience Specialist
• Twelve Shifts for Professionals
13. Twelve Shifts for Professionals
14. Institutions and Communities of Care
15. The “Mental Disorders” of Childhood
• Angry Johnny
• The Penalty for Squirming
• A Nine-Point Checklist for Parents
16. Understanding “Madness”
17. Alternatives to Diagnosis
• Introducing a “Life Formulation Model”
• Life Formulation Model Pluses
• Technological Support
18. The Brooklyn Project
19. Twenty Keys to a Mental Health Revolution
20. The Future of Your Mental Health
Suggested Reading
Index
Contents
Maisel E (2015) (10:26) Future of Mental Health, The - Deconstructing the Mental Disorder Paradigm
Introduction
01. Our Human Experience
• Holding Her Breath
• Genuine Not Knowing
02. The Naturalness of Distress
03. Jettisoning Normal
• The Twenty-Nine Senses of Normal
• A New Normal
• Upgrading Normal
04. Rethinking Diagnosis
• Jim’s Week
• Not Diagnosing at All
05. What Shall We Call You?
• If Not “Patient,” Will “Client” Do?
• The Unwilling and The Unhelpful
06. The Mental Disorder Labeling Fraud
• Defining a Mental Disorder Does Not Make it Exist
• The Folly of “Mental Disorder” Symptom Pictures
• Manual or Catalogue?
07. Chemicals versus Medication
• Walking a Line
08. On Meds
• Barbara
• Jules
• Jeanette
• Tina
• Rachel
• Sharon
• Jennifer
09. On Cause and Effect
• Simple Inquiry
10. Life Purpose, Meaning, and Value
11. Setting the Bar
• Nature’s Method is Our Madness
• Executive Awareness
• Free Will and Determinism
12. The Human Experience Specialist
• The “No Labeling” Alternative
• Training the Human Experience Specialist
• Twelve Shifts for Professionals
13. Twelve Shifts for Professionals
14. Institutions and Communities of Care
15. The “Mental Disorders” of Childhood
• Angry Johnny
• The Penalty for Squirming
• A Nine-Point Checklist for Parents
16. Understanding “Madness”
17. Alternatives to Diagnosis
• Introducing a “Life Formulation Model”
• Life Formulation Model Pluses
• Technological Support
18. The Brooklyn Project
19. Twenty Keys to a Mental Health Revolution
20. The Future of Your Mental Health
Suggested Reading
Index
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews