'Visitweb Magazine' Empowering Communities Community Information, News and Events; Local Services; Voluntary Organisations; Self Help Groups and Counselling & Advocacy.
Somewhere to 'Think Outside the Box', or 'Get Out Your Box' entirely - Be Our Guest If you think that being 'middle of the road', part of a majority make you 'normal' think again; it makes you average - normal is the whole range of possibilities
Survivors Groups: These are a guide and an introduction and will be reviewed and updated. Get a sense of empowerment and see the impact these groups can have. Start your own on group locally, for any common problem. We will help you and publicise.
For further examples, use the reserved Search Engine below to search 'Survivor Groups' or 'Mental Health Survivors', 'Sexual Abuse Survivors', etc.
CDS Link The Criminal Defence Service (CDS) helps people who are under police investigation, or facing criminal charges.
Use our new Google Site Search to find Articles > on a subject of Your Choice. By clicking on New Window you can do a number of independent searches.
Hi, welcome to our new Magazine site.
We have separated out the Magazine Articles and Features from the other, more formal information. There is always going to be some overlap, but things should get clearer when the work of rebuilding the Websites is completed.
Listed below re some links to summaries of some main stories and features. You will find the links to the main stories at the end of the summaries and in the left and right hand columns. Please feedback by email. We value your stories and the feedback you provide.
Mental Health & Wellbeing are central to our lives - Learn to take a positive attitude towards mental health and learn to protect yourself.
Peace Campaigners Banned from Trowbridge Park! Peace women are banned from taking part in Armed Forces Day. The organisers of the family event, being held in Trowbridge Park on June 27, told them their presence could be 'inflammatory' (like war isn't?).
Anger & aggression are misunderstood in professional circles. Bad attitudes are 'maintained' and sometimes anger is induced. In mental health, this is sometimes used to 'evidence' mental breakdown. Assertions can actually be more abusive than natural human anger.
New Interactive Magazine Publish your own Stories; Set up or Join a Forum and create your own Blog Space. Read and contribute to the latest accounts of real life experience. Tell us your story (with or without your real name) and choose how you want to do this (even send articles by email).
We are interested in Professional's and Users of Service accounts of the Highs & Lows of Life, about Local Services and Voluntary & Community Experiences. We are all in the same boat. Sharing experiences is therapeutic. It informs and inspires others. It informs & challenges Service Providers:
This is VISITWEB Magazine Check out the Features via the Links on the right ->>>>>>>. The Visitweb Site is available for Community Magazines & Community Group Newsletters; informing people of the services they provide to individuals and groups in your area.
This Website is available for publishing your own article, or your own Local Community Magazine. We will help you by providing space and then help set up your own Website.
Forums & Chat Rooms:
Because of technical problems and hacking, we have had to re-start our Forum Pages. We are keeping it simple. If you want to chat about problems on-line, use our chat space. You can open your own chat-room & book counselling.
If there anyone able to help us in these areas would be appreciated. I do not have the time to keep these areas working properly on my own. Fund raising would also help.
If you prefer, you can still send us emails, in order to get your stories and issues published. Just let us know if you want it published as a story, or a Forum entry (for discussion). Also ask us if you want it 'edited' for its final presentation.
Please feel free to use our 'chat room' for keeping in touch with each other and for discussing problems with us. If it is not in use just go ahead. If it is in use, we can created a private chat room room for you. FORUM - BLOG - CHAT
TELL US YOUR STORY OR UPDATE US ON THINGS IN YOUR AREA (Email: terry@visitweb.org)
As we know, there are great variations in the level and quality of support that people get in any particular Country County, Town, Area or District (The Post Code Lottery). There will always be variations with different workers and teams at different times.
For Your Choice - Special Topic Searches: (Irrelevant items filtered out)
Are you being Bullied, Humiliated, Abused, or Prejudiced Against?
Whichever Way, Where Ever, Whatever Sex, Job, Faith, or Culture and at Whenever Age. Abuse of any kind is completely unacceptable? Stop it now!
Lots of people are abused and most just sit, or lay and take it. It causes serious mental and physical ill health, now and later. It disrupts your life and stops you progressing and thriving. Men are also abused; almost as often as women.
Much of what you will read on these sites could apply to you in some way, now or later; Recognise what is happening and get it stopped. It is people with the Strongest Wills, the Most Caring, Socially Aware & Thoughtful, that often become 'victims'.
It is the self-interested, bombastic, least considerate people & the weakest willed, who become Bullies, Abusive & neglectful. Size & strength makes little difference. Stay as sweet as you are, but don't remain an easy target. We are lucky in many ways, we survived our childhoods, some didn't; the survivors have answers.
Kelsey's Law: These issues are not just responsibility of Parents. Parent have their baggage. Some were damaged, distressed and neglected. We need positive help at times in our lives. Others are just selfish and indifferent to suffering, like some people will always be.
It is too easy to assign blame and judge. In the end it is children who suffer. Some live on to suffer in adulthood. It is everybody's business to make this all work and we must regain the trust of ordinary people. Human Right bring big Responsibilities.
Nothing is as simple as it seems, Stop the cycle of neglect and abuse - listen past the anger of survivors - Videos.
Are you feeling Distressed, Depressed, Anxious, Fearful, or Paranoid?
These fears can take over and rule our lives. They are the social consequences of abuse, neglect and institutional prejudices.
These are usually quite natural reactions to distressing circumstances. Recognise these 'symptoms' are your head telling you to get something important sorted out, or that you need a break from something, before your body suffers.
Mental Health and Safety - A Serious Employment Issue; with responsibilities ignored.
'Mental Health and Safety', at work, play & just going about your business. Work Stress can be enjoyable or Disabling. Watch for the sudden switch. Sometime it can creeps up on us, especially when working under emergency conditions. Highlighting The Psychological & Emotional Components of Health & Safety
Like so often, in so many circumstances, there are many misunderstandings of issue like those of Health & Safety. In Civil Law, we all have entitlements and obligations to help ensure our own and other people's health and safety. Click of the links below to find out how to proceed.
According to Albert Einstein: "Only two things are Infinite; 'The Universe' and 'Human Stupidity'; and I am not too sure about the former". Albert Einstein developed a radically new perspective on the Universe. It revolutionised our understanding of its nature and opened the door to the new technologies we enjoy. He thought outside the box and campaigned for Human Rights.
He also unwittingly instigated a new perspective on Human Perception and Thinking: 'Relativistic Psychology'. In his lifetime he experienced the progressive undermining of Human Rights & Dignity in Nazi Germany and USA. He saw how ordinary people, doing as they were told, without question, destroyed or undermine a State and abused its people.
Two women peace campaigners have expressed their shock at being refused a stand at a flagship Wiltshire British Armed Forces and Veterans Celebration in Trowbridge this summer. The organisers of the family event, being held in Trowbridge Park on June 27, told them their presence could be inflammatory.
Retired teacher Peggy Thomas, 67, and retired social worker Catherine Willis, 64, both of Sanders Road in Trowbridge, wanted to hand out leaflets from groups that work for peace. They are both members of the Trowbridge Ad Hoc Peace Group and used to hold peace vigils in Fore Street from 2001 to 2003. . . . Wiltshire Times story
Substantial & Critical Needs and Risks - Community Care Assessments are failing.
Lets stop kidding ourselves; Social Care & Health Services are in Crisis, which is due to get worse in the next two years, whatever we do in response to the Budget Crisis. The resources are not adequate and they are often used ineffectively, with too few (and often reducing numbers of) professional staff, with increasing administrative demands, reducing admin support, less locally available services and poor transport access to these increasingly centralised services. Critical Funds are used up in Bureaucracy.
We are all in this together: Look, I am going to be as frank with 'service users' and 'Carers' as I am with Professionals. Everything looks and sounds very complicated, but it is not. It is actually quite simple. The problem is, very often, getting people to see the simple solutions. This requires us to be honest, transparent, caring, sensitive and realistic. This is true whether we are Professionals, Carers, People in receipt of services, or more importantly, trying to get properly considered for obtaining some kind of 'enabling' service. This is entirely possible in you own home, in sheltered housing, in supported living, or in a retirement / nursing home. It should remain you informed choice and the least restrictive option.
See full story on link below. More to come. . . . . .
ON QUASI-INTELLECTUAL ELITISM (Intellectual Stigmatism we call Autism, ADHD, LD, MH, etc.):
There is still so much misunderstanding, even amongst some professionals, concerning what causes psychological and social problems. Because of a relatively small number of successful identifications of 'organic' causes (of rare conditions), the assumption is that all 'irritating' differences that people have, are the result of physical abnormalities, individual incompetence, or genetic weaknesses.
What is often not realised is; the frustrations that we feel are often repercussions of the distress we collectively generate for others, through relative ignorance and general prejudice. There are 'optimum' levels for human beings to function. Push the limits and there are social consequences.
The Environment overrules Clinical Judgments - Psychiatry has lost the plot (Click here for Full Text of Critique, in a New Window).
When will we learn to appreciate that difference is to be valued and if we interfere too much, the problems we create are often bigger than the one we started with. People then get hurt - Big Time.
IMPACT IN COMMUNITIES AROUND THE GLOBE
Minneapolis, MN., USA - "Thank you so much … I showed AUTISTIC-LIKE to about 45 of my colleagues, including early childhood special educators, social workers, physical, occupational and speech therapists and several administrators. We also presented the film to the public at a neighborhood movie theater for about 125 people from city and the suburban school systems. There was so much interest and enthusiasm! Everyone thought it was an honest and brave depiction of your family's journey. After the movie, we had a lively discussion about the issues. Thanks so much for your work…which will help many people!!"; Margie Paller, Occupational Therapist , Minneapolis (Schools).
Just another example of an intelligent recognition of the value of 'difference', without the need to disable and disempower. Still quite medical, but with recognition of the ordinary social forces which profoundly affect given genetic opportunities.
A PERSONAL STORY: ADHD, Dyslexia, Autistic Spectrum and Schizoaffective Disorders.
My son has not been diagnosed as having Autism, but he would have been, if others had their way. I strongly resisted him being statemented, because I have seen the advantages & disadvantages of this. Being Statemented can carry a very heavy price, affecting a person's entire life. Its not all positive.
I battled to resist any clinical diagnosis and refused to co-operate along that route; sometimes being criticised and accused of being negligent, or abusive. These labels were not available when I was a child, I was described as socially withdrawn and sometimes hyperactive - I was lucky. My younger Brother was also physically & sexually abused. He developed a drug habit and was later identified as schizophrenic - a sad misdiagnosis in retrospect.
Institutionalisation is still with us - In our Residential & Nursing Homes and even Families.
Since the Ann Shearer and others first started her Campaign, in the early 1970's, we have seen a serious advance in Community Care. The concept began to take root when people with learning difficulties became 'organised' and though their Advocates, Friends and directly from themselves, they spoke up at National and Local Conferences. Local Authority representatives and media were astounded at their eloquence.
It was a time of challenge and for change. Many people with learning difficulties and Autism had been incarcerated in special hospitals for many years, often for very minor problems and 'moral' issues. Some were surprisingly outspoken. Others found their voice and through the process of Self Advocacy and Advocacy, their wishes were made known. They still need to be heard. (Click Here to read a Critique in a New Window)
HUMAN RIGHTS: 'ANY' CULTURAL DISCRIMINATION IS UNLAWFUL (Article 8 esp.).
Self Willed, Tattoos, Long Hair, Outspoken, Disabled, Fiercely Independent with a healthy Kick Ass attitude to Personal Care? You may do better playing a Pathetic Victim. Read about Enablement (or is it 'Disablement') Services. Hopefully not typical, but this is Appalling, Victimising practice, which we challenge. A case of ignorant reactions producing predictable results. A Failure to recognise effects of Brain Damage. Anger is the normal expression of prolonged frustration & is not 'violence'.
The safe working policies of Health and Social Care risk being applied to the degree that people with legitimate anger & frustration, and those who have symptomatic features of diagnosed conditions, receive a reduced and poor quality service, often because of poor communication between professionals. (Click here to read the Critque in a New Window)
Let me tell you a recent story of someone who will not give in to condescension, prejudice, abuse, or neglect:
On Anger, Aggression and Assertion. (I suggest you enjoy this dissertation before I tidy it up too much)
Why are we so surprised that some people become angry, that others tend to be particularly aggressive and that still others develop a style of anger and aggression that they camouflage as 'Assertive' Behaviour. Of course, there are those other 'identified' individuals and groups who are labelled as 'passive-aggressive'.
The tendency is to contextualise these expressions of emotion and forget that they are powerful, natural mechanisms for self protection and for advancing our species at times of personal, environmental and social need. I have experienced more personal and social distress cause by 'Intellectual Assertions' than by 'verbal or physical aggression'. Give me anger any day. (Click here to read the Critique in a New Window)
The Web Search link below will provide some good insights but you may want to take some of the basic assumptions with a pinch of salt.
Have fun but become skilful at to ducking and diving. Have a little think about it for a moment. I will be back with more.
One Size does not fit all. ; Repeated Observations lead to Consistent Conclusions ; Analogies Count as Evidence ; Why bother with all this? - Because the negative effects constrain Professional action ; It is the Good News which makes the Bad News 'Sad'! (Concerning 'Relativistic' Perspectives). LINK Below are summaries of more recent Blogs:
On Social Work & Enabling Social Care (summary): LINK Index: Details of this and other recent entries.
Part of our counselling and support role is to help people understand and reconcile the individual's unique reaction to the personal and social trauma of various kinds. It is to 'enable' them to understand the strange (but explainable) mental impact of both the most dramatic and the more subtle, pernicious influences of their physical, personal & cultural experiences. Many people in modern cultures are both over protected from distress in early years, or over exposed to this and the images of trauma, throughout their lives. Both distort 'perspective'.
We are Media Managed - fed what suits officials purpose. When people tell their real stories, they are often not listened to.
Be warned. I am now on the real mission - I will take on any intellectual challenge to any of the assertions published here, or evidence of prejudicial, or continued disempowering behaviour, by anyone, in any position, within any profession. Over 40 years of preparation is long enough for professionals and officials to have got things right in respect of Human Rights.
. . . No more excuses . . . Get sorted, or get out of the game. . . . . LINK
Please feel free to contact myself on any Health & Social Care issue, Personal, therapeutic, or counselling matter. The level of confidentiality and/or disclosure will be restricted to your choice.
We are interested in Professional's and Users of Service accounts of the Highs & Lows of Life, about Local Services and Voluntary & Community Experiences. We are all in the same boat. Sharing experiences is therapeutic. It informs and inspires others. It informs & challenges Service Providers:
Are you being Bullied, Humiliated, Abused, or Prejudiced Against?
Are you feeling Distressed, Depressed, Anxious, Fearful, or Paranoid?
'Mental Health and Safety', at work, play & just going about your business. 
According to Albert Einstein: "Only two things are Infinite; 'The Universe' and 'Human Stupidity'; and I am not too sure about the former". Albert Einstein developed a radically new perspective on the Universe. It revolutionised our understanding of its nature and opened the door to the new technologies we enjoy. He thought outside the box and campaigned for Human Rights.
Lets stop kidding ourselves; Social Care & Health Services are in Crisis, which is due to get worse in the next two years, whatever we do in response to the Budget Crisis. The resources are not adequate and they are often used ineffectively, with too few (and often reducing numbers of) professional staff, with increasing administrative demands, reducing admin support, less locally available services and poor transport access to these increasingly centralised services. Critical Funds are used up in Bureaucracy.
There is still so much misunderstanding, even amongst some professionals, concerning what causes psychological and social problems. Because of a relatively small number of successful identifications of 'organic' causes (of rare conditions), the assumption is that all 'irritating' differences that people have, are the result of physical abnormalities, individual incompetence, or genetic weaknesses. 
My son has not been diagnosed as having Autism, but he would have been, if others had their way. I strongly resisted him being statemented, because I have seen the advantages & disadvantages of this. Being Statemented can carry a very heavy price, affecting a person's entire life. Its not all positive.
Since the 
Why are we so surprised that some people become angry, that others tend to be particularly aggressive and that still others develop a style of anger and aggression that they camouflage as 'Assertive' Behaviour. Of course, there are those other 'identified' individuals and groups who are labelled as 'passive-aggressive'.