Supporting Extreme States, Psychosis and Dissociation

An introduction and webinar review

Photo by Duy Pham on Unsplash

I have always found myself hanging out with people who have either one or both feet out of mainstream. In high school it was the art room and behind the stage in drama where I felt most comfortable. In college, my friend group was art school students, Deadheads and Metalheads where we explored live music and creative ways of being. (Well, in between partying, to be honest.) In short, I’ve always been a curious seeker so it’s kind of no surprise that I’d end up going to a webinar about how to support people who live in extreme states by traditional standards.

How I got into this special club of friends was not planned. My son experienced an extreme state lost to psychosis for almost 3 years during his informative adolescent years between ages 14-17. This was not experimental drug induced nor does it run in our family. He has been in his version of recovery and stable for almost 5 years now. Thus, as a parent who would walk through fire for her child like many would do, I investigate and learn. I have found a friend group with Mad in America where I have reported on others experiences and attend parent support groups.

I will be writing more of this very personal story and sharing with readers who upgrade to paid on this platform so if you are interested in being part of that development and exchange, I’d be honored. Some of these stories may just make it in to a book!

Photo by Vero Manrique on Unsplash

This past weekend, I attended a webinar hosted by Mad in America board members and therapists, Louisa Putnam and Kermit Cole, where we heard from Olga Runciman and Cindy Hodge who live in recovery with voices and with Sam Ruck who is a caregiver to his wife, Ka’ryn, who lives with DID, (dissociative identity disorder). This group of brave and compassionate individuals shared some of their stories and provided participants concrete ways to help their loved ones or how to help themselves. There was a mixture of parents and individuals who live with these extreme states who attended the webinar.