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Sick Resources!
Because there are insanely good free resources out there. Thank you digital age! đ¤
đ´â ď¸đŤ Here you will find tools, techniques and perspectives that are not covered in the average training for peer supporters in mental health care. Everything to broaden your horizons and expand your minds. Let yourself be inspired and challenged to embody your authentic voice.
In Belgium
You probably know the Belgian organizations that focus on recovery and experiential expertise. You will find peer support groups, information and can go there for questions.
vzw Uilenspiegel : An association for people with mental vulnerability. They offer peer support, information and recovery-oriented activities.
Te Gek!? : This organization is committed to making mental health a topic of conversation and breaking stigmas. They organize campaigns, performances and more.
PsychoseNet Belgium : A platform that offers information, blogs and tools on psychosis, mood and recovery. They also have an eConsultation Hour for questions.
Reakiro : This is a Belgian organization that offers support to people with a euthanasia request due to unbearable psychological suffering. Reakiro works with a low threshold, you can walk in or contact them by phone.
Coconuts : Coconuts is a creative place in Leuven for young adults with a psychotic vulnerability who are looking for direction. They publish a beautiful artistic magazine.
Soteria House El Camino: Since the foundation of the non-profit organization, El Camino has set itself the goal of setting up a Soteria House. In addition to signing the Soteria manifesto, we worked hard in 2022-2023 on a file in which we collected the scientific evidence from abroad and tried to make the budgetary translation to the Flemish and Belgian context.
Inspiring visions from the peer support community (English)
Intentional Peer Support (IPS) : IPS offers an innovative framework for peer support, focused on building reciprocal relationships in which both parties learn and grow. It emphasizes social change and disrupting traditional helping patterns. Their courses and handbook for peers are practical in holding conversations in an equal way, exploring core beliefs of ourselves and others. An overview of their vision can be found here: Crisis as an opportunity for growth and change - Sherry Mead
Mad in America : This organization focuses on rethinking psychiatric care through science, social justice, and personal stories. They provide a platform for critical discussions about the current model of care and promote alternative approaches. You can take FREE courses on Mad Studies on their website!
Mad Camp Europe : Mad Camp Europe offers a creative and transformative experience with workshops, art and community building. It's a summer camp for survivors / escapees / avoiders / outsiders / overthrowers of psychiatry! Neurodivergent mad people and mad movement-curious welcome!
Self-help tools
All tools in this section were created by members of the Icarus Project. The project is a big inspiration for Inmost Cave.
"The Icarus Project imagines a new culture and language that speaks to our real experiences of 'mental illness,' rather than trying to fit our lives into a conventional framework. We see our madness as a dangerous gift to be nurtured and cared for, rather than as a disease or disorder to be 'cured' or 'overcome.'"
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Nederlandstalig:
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Psychofarmaca afbouwen - de harm reduction methode: Afbouwen van Psychofarmaca is de Nederlandse vertaling van de Harm Reduction Guide, Coming off psychiatric Drugs – een Amerikaanse gids waarin gebruikers van psychofarmaca alle informatie die ze konden vinden over het afbouwen van medicijnen bij elkaar hebben gezet om zo mensen die dat willen zo goed mogelijk te ondersteunen bij het afbouwproces. De gids is samengesteld door Will Hall, met informatie die bij elkaar is gebracht door het Icarus Project en het Freedom Center.
Engelstalig:
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Madness & Oppression - Leer bij jezelf herkennen hoe onderdrukking en waanzin hand in hand gaan en wat de effecten ervan op jou zijn.
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Mapping Our Madness
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Harm Reduction Guide to Coming Off Psychiatric Drugs and Withdrawalâ
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Navigating the space between brilliance & madness - A reader & roadmap of bipolar world
Peer Respites (English)
A peer respite is a temporary place where people with mental health challenges can find support from others who have had similar experiences. It is run by peer experts, not medical staff, and provides a safe space to heal and connect. It is about understanding, mutual support, and crisis prevention. Below you will find guides that will walk you through the process from A to Z of starting a peer respite and even making the results measurable. There are also 2 guides to implementing peer expertise in an existing healthcare organization.
A short but powerful English language video about what a peer respite is - Afiya House
Peer Respite Handbook:
A Guide to Understanding, Building, and Supporting Peer RespitesThe Provider's Handbook On Developing & Implementing Peer Roles
A Handbook for Individuals Working in Peer Roles
Guidebook for peer support program self-evaluation: practical steps and tools
Community Building (English)
Friends Make The Best Medicine - A guide to creating community mental health support networks- Icarus Project: We've put together a bunch of ideas to bring people together and begin to explore all the brilliant chaos we carry within ourselves. We hope these suggestions inspire you to talk, scream, dance, make art, and work together to change the world around you. We hope you make it a little less gray, a little less lonely, a little less cold. We hope you find words for all the pieces of yourself, even the rough, scarred parts, and put them together with the community around you. And you'll discover that you're not alone. There are so many of us here, and we're waiting for you, with your unique beauty and madness, to join us.
Events
Too Mad To Be True : This event focuses on the philosophy of madness and the intersection of psychiatry and philosophy. This conference takes place annually in the Guislain Museum in Ghent
Crazywise Conference : A conference that offers a different perspective on psychosis and extraordinary states of consciousness, with a focus on personal growth and transformation. This conference takes place every two years in Heiloo (NL).
Watch & Listen
The documentary Crazywise explores how psychological crises are approached in different cultures. It offers an alternative view of mental health, focusing on spiritual growth and personal transformation. The film shows how traditional wisdom from indigenous communities often contrasts with Western views on mental illness. An inspiring and in-depth look at the power of human resilience and meaning. Watch the film for FREE with Dutch subtitles.
This podcast gives voice to survivors of the mental health system, authors, advocates, professionals, and artists, and offers in-depth conversations about mental health, human experience, and stigma.