Elyn R. Saks, The Center Cannot Hold

Excerpt

As mental health clinicians our vocation is to facilitate the recovery of individuals with mental illness. We often read biographies or autobiographies of the struggles of specific individuals with their disorders, with the mental health system, and with the therapists charged with their care and well being (Jamison 1995; North 2002; McLean 2003; Nasar 1998; Schiller and Bennett 1994). We are amazed at what we read, particularly of our failure to understand the inner experiences of these individuals, with the often-inhumane “treatments” that they have received, and their strength in overcoming many of the barriers to recovery. We admire their persistence in getting better, in having a life, in their hope of a better lifestyle. We applaud them when they have succeeded, often in spite of our best intentions, but most often we fail to learn the lessons that could help us do our jobs in a more effective, loving and compassionate manner. …