Description

The current mainstream way of describing psychological and emotional distress assumes it is the result of medical illnesses that need diagnosing and treating. This book summarises a powerful alternative to psychiatric diagnosis that asks not ‘What’s wrong with you?’ but ‘What’s happened to you?’ The Power Threat Meaning Framework (PTMF) was co-produced by a core group of psychologists and service users and launched in 2018, prompting considerable interest in the UK and worldwide. It argues that emotional distress, unusual experiences and many forms of troubled or troubling behaviour are understandable when viewed in the context of a person’s life and circumstances, the cultural and social norms we are expected to live up to and the degree to which we are exposed to trauma, abuse, injustice and inequality. The PTMF offers all of us the tools to create new, hopeful narratives about the reasons for our distress that are not based on psychiatric diagnosis and to find ways forward as individuals, families, social groups and whole societies.

Publisher Review

'Our understanding of mental health has long been waiting for some fundamental rethinking. This book sets out a new framework that achieves the rare combination of being both revolutionary and eminently sensible. People have been complaining of 'the medical model' for years but have rarely had anything to replace it with. Now we have an approach carefully worked out over several years by a group of senior psychologists and users of psychiatric services. 'Chemical imbalances' have been replaced by a deeply social and experiential view. As the arguments about it go back and forth over the coming years, this book will be essential reading for anyone who takes a serious interest in the field.' - Richard Wilkinson, Emeritus Professor of Social Epidemiology, University of Nottingham, and co-author of The Spirit Level and The Inner Level. ---- 'We found the book to be self-explanatory, gripping and with good flow. The way in which it unravels is engaging and each paragraph leaves you wanting to know more. The added dimension of examples throughout makes this book relatable and also further supports learning. We believe that this book leaves people with no option but to think about change, not only within themselves, which in itself is empowering, but also within different cultures and the system as a whole. The knowledge it shares left us feeling empowered and we strongly believe it holds potential to have the same impact on others.' - SHIFT recovery community, Portsmouth