| November 16, 2004 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Laurie Ahern International group gathers to promote non-medical approaches to treating people diagnosed with mental illness MASSACHUSETTS, US- An international summit of world renowned psychiatrists, people who have experienced psychiatric treatment, family members, psychologists, and other mental health professionals, gathered last week in the United States to counter the belief that people with diagnoses such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder can never completely recover. Practitioners from the International Network of Treatment Alternatives for Recovery (INTAR), came from Canada, Finland, Germany, Ireland, England, Austria and the United States to share data and research, which they say proves that a non-medical approach to extreme mental or emotional states helps people recover, contrary to conventional wisdom. "When you look at a person's life experiences and history - rather than looking at these problems as a disease - people get better," stated Bertram P. Karon, PhD, Professor of Psychology at Michigan State University and author of the book, Psychotherapy of Schizophrenia: The Treatment of Choice, who attended the summit. "It is our experience that even people diagnosed with the most severe mental illness can lead independent and self-directed lives without lifelong psychiatric treatment." According to INTAR members, a diagnosis of mental illness need not be permanent. The group also expressed concern over the damage caused by traditional psychiatric treatments. "We know what hurts and we know what helps people. It is our goal to let everyone else know as well," concluded Karon. INTAR
Summit Participants | |
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Laurie Ahern Michaela Amering Karyn Baker Ron Bassman Bob Clafin Oryx Cohen Sabine Dick Anne Marie DiGiacomo Jeanne Dumont Nazlim Hagmann Will Hall Michael Herrick Iris Hölling Gail A. Hornstein Roman Janda Bertam P. Karon | Anne Krauss Peter Lehmann Elaine Levin Paddy McGowan Constance Packard Darby Penney Laura Prescott Leon Redler James J. Rye Judy Schreiber Peter Statsny Chris Stevenson Philip Thomas Ann Thompson Victoria Yoshen |
| INTAR Committee member unable to attend: Celia Brown |
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