Tales from the Madhouse

Gary Sidley worked within NHS mental health services for 33 years in a variety of nursing, psychological and managerial roles. In the 1980s he was employed as a psychiatric nurse a large asylum in Manchester, commencing his clinical psychology training in 1989. Subsequently, he worked as a clinical psychologist in community mental health services, inpatient units and GP practices. Gary opted for early retirement in 2013 and currently is a freelance writer and trainer with an interest in promoting alternatives to bio-medical psychiatry as ways of responding to human suffering.

1. The Psychiatric Asylum Part I: The doctors assume control of the mentally disordered Part II: Routine and conformity 2. An Illness Like Any Other Part I: Where it all went wrong Part II: The pernicious assumption of underlying deficits 3. Witches of the Twenty-First Century Part I: The stigma of being a psychiatric patient Part II: Discrimination in action 4. The Witch-Finder Generals Part I: Psychiatry and the misuse of power Part II: Who is in charge here? 5. Let the Doctors and Nurses Treat You Part I: Passivity and submissiveness Part II: The debilitated must take it easy and follow instructions 6. Risk Distortion and Risk Aversion Part I: Bureaucracy and defensive practice Part II: Action plans, policies and sharp edges 7. There is No Hope for the Brain-Diseased Part I: Pessimism and low expectation Part II: We shouldn't expect too much 8. An Unholy Alliance Part I: Psychiatry and the pharmaceutical industry Part II: Currying favour 9. A Basic Lack of Compassion Part I: Coldness and spite Part II: If I don't think you're mad, you must be bad 10. How Can We Improve the Mental Health of the Population?