the icarus project

since i've budded a newfound interest in mental health due to acute psychiatric clinicals, i decided to attend the campus icarus meeting. it is a gallatin club for activists in alternative health care for mental issues or psychic differences. basically, they are against meds and about embracing the madness. what the hell is normal anyway? we're in such a rush to medicate. i think the united states is one of the only countries that allows pharmaceutical companies to advertise. being diagnosed with one of these conditions puts you sort of in this box and you're forced to wonder what it means to you and how it will shape your life and alter your perceptions of yourself.

however, out of the group, some were a little wary of having nurses in their midst and expressed similar wariness when social workers were brought up. if you didn't already know, gallatin's the school in nyu that lets you make up your own major. i rarely get riled up, but i don't know how they expect changes in health care to be made if they are too unwilling to believe it wants to change. yes, i'm going to be a nurse, part of the system you don't seem to agree with, but i'm at this meeting for a reason. i think what you're doing is good and i want to be a part of it. how are you going to turn me away then complain when things stay the same? yea you need leaders with radical ideas, but progress takes collaboration. you're going to have to work with me, doctors, and social workers if you want your ideas to create more than just buzz, beyond interesting articles and hype, if you want them to go into clinical practice outside the limited areas you can reach with your alternative care.

but anyway, the point here is i agree that we're too keen to correct every little deficit. the american health care system needs to get better at embracing the range of human existence.