Emancipatory Perspectives on Madness: Psychological, Social, and Spiritual Dimensions

This collection explores a variety of perspectives on finding inherent meaning in madness and extreme states, challenging causal-reductivism and emphasizing the role of trauma and environmental stress. Contributors from diverse fields offer insights into depth psychology, psychoanalysis, creativity, Indigenous and postcolonial approaches, neurodiversity, mad studies, and mysticism and spirituality. The book is relevant to mental health professionals, students, scholars, and people with lived experience of madness and extreme states, promoting a deeper understanding of these experiences and their potential for healing.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 182 pages
Publication date: 29 December 2020
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This collection presents a wide array of viewpoints that aim to uncover significance within the realm of madness. Conventional biomedical approaches often view experiences commonly categorized as psychotic as indicative of a biological illness that can be effectively treated through the prescription of medication. In contrast, psychosocial perspectives primarily emphasize the role of trauma and environmental stress. While recognizing the importance of trauma in broadening our understanding of madness, a sole emphasis on this factor may inadvertently perpetuate a subtle form of reductivism, where madness is still perceived as solely the result of a deficiency. To transcend causal-reductivism, this book explores a diverse range of perspectives on the quest for inherent meaning in madness and extreme states.

Contributors to this book hail from various international and interdisciplinary backgrounds, bringing forth a wealth of knowledge and expertise. The topics covered span the fields of depth psychology and psychoanalysis, creativity, Indigenous and postcolonial approaches, neurodiversity, mad studies, and mysticism and spirituality.

This collection holds immense interest for mental health professionals, students, scholars of the humanities and social sciences, as well as individuals with firsthand experiences of madness and extreme states. By delving into these perspectives, readers will gain a deeper appreciation for the more constructive aspects of madness, recognizing its potential for personal and collective healing.

Weight: 302g
Dimension: 234 x 154 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367360160