Hope and Choice

A colleague of mine has recently passed that I would consider part of the anti-psychiatry movement.  He spoke to the horrific abuse of the system, but never spoke about when it worked right.  I guess it never worked for him and this saddens me.  I read horrific stories in the paper and I know that things can go absolutely wrong.  
At the same time, I have experienced success in my life with lots of wellness tools, which includes modern psychiatry.  When I am unmedicated, I become angry and entrenched in my trauma and the narrative becomes larger than life.  The stress is absolutely unlivable and I am sure I would have a serious physical illness.  So, I am thankful for modern medicine that includes psychiatry.  I am thankful for clinicians.  I am especially thankful for trauma-informed clinicians and they are challenging to find.
So I guess if psychiatry isn't working for you, I would encourage you to do what is right for you.  I used to believe that recovery for me would involve living without medication and I simply know that is wrong for me.  I have a high quality of life, thanks to modern psychiatry and clinicians in addition to a host of other wellness tools, like peer support.  I encourage you to keep hope alive and seek what works for you.