Mad World
The Politics of Mental Health
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Pluto Press
Published:5th Jul '23
Should be back in stock very soon
Micha Frazer-Carroll's Mad World examines mental health as a political issue, urging a deeper understanding beyond personal experiences and societal constraints.
In Mad World, Micha Frazer-Carroll explores the intricate relationship between mental health and societal structures, emphasizing that mental health is not merely a personal issue but a pressing political one. She delves into how capitalism, racism, and various social injustices contribute to the current mental health crisis. The book challenges readers to rethink conventional views on mental health, urging a transformation in our understanding of diagnosis and treatment in a world that often overlooks the systemic roots of these issues.
Frazer-Carroll takes readers on a journey through the history of asylums and psychiatry, shedding light on how past practices continue to influence modern mental health discourse. She highlights the intersections of disability justice, queer liberation, and mental health, demonstrating how these movements can inform more inclusive and compassionate approaches to care. By examining the roles of art, creativity, and the prison system, the author presents a comprehensive view of mental health that extends beyond traditional frameworks.
Mad World serves as a radical and hopeful antidote to the prevailing narratives that pathologize individuals and restrict their potential. It advocates for alternative models of care that prioritize understanding and empathy over gatekeeping and judgment. Through her insightful analysis, Frazer-Carroll encourages readers to envision a future where mental health is approached with the seriousness and depth it deserves, fostering a more just and equitable society for all.
‘An inquisitive and nuanced look at a topic that we talk so much about and yet still don’t really have much of a holistic grasp on’
-- ‘gal dem’‘A radical antidote to the constraints of our current conceptualisation of mental health’
-- ‘Dazed’'Really brilliant...this is by far the best introduction to mad politics I've ever read.'
-- Robert Chapman, Senior Lecturer in Education at Sheffield Hallam University'In these urgent times, activists are often seeking guidance on radical approaches to mental health. Mad World offers a welcome and refreshing guide to a progressive politics of mental health – an indispensable resource for activists today'
-- Hel Spandler, Editor, 'Asylum: the radical mental health magazine''Wow! An honest, urgent and lovingly researched invitation to rethink our assumptions about madness. 'Mad World' is an invaluable toolkit, not just for dismantling oppressive health structures, but for building the systems of care we desperately need. This book is a gift and that gift is hope.'
-- Aisha Mirza, founder of Misery mental health collective'An urgent introduction to a new radical politics of mental health which embraces the messy, unruly nature of our collective vulnerability and interdependence. Frazer-Carroll exposes the underlying truth that capitalism is fundamentally incompatible with our wellbeing. Mad World teaches us how to transform the ways we understand madness, illness, and disability to build a better world.'
-- Beatrice Adler-Bolton, co-author of 'Health Communism'‘Frazer-Carroll takes on the politics of mental health with accessibility, compassion and curiosity. She calls for critical, progressive thinking and radical change to systems that have been tools of oppression for far too long’
-- ‘Ms. Magazine’‘Frazer-Carroll takes aim at the individualisation of mental health, arguing for radical, political change’
-- ‘Huck’‘This incredibly thought-provoking debut shows the need for new, deeper, and more radical mental health conversations. This book doesn’t just think outside the box, it rips the box wide open'
-- Rhys Thomas, Woo‘An accessible and in-depth tool for thinking radically and politically about mental health in the 21st century’
-- Adele Walton, journalist and Dazed book columnist‘An incredibly well-written and clear-thinking introduction to the issues at stake in the mad movement. It offers a contemporary and forward-thinking analysis of how mental well-being is both damaged and politicised in capitalist society’
-- ‘National Survivor User NetworISBN: 9780745346717
Dimensions: 198mm x 129mm x 13mm
Weight: unknown
192 pages