This is a reading of the second part of chapter 2 called ‘Violence’ in my new book Broken-heartedness: Towards love in professional practice. In the earlier part of the chapter, I explored the idea of dominance hierarchies (ie pecking orders) and how they can involve vertical and horizontal violence. This is where people hurt people in workplaces such as mental health facilities which are supposed to be about care of the patients. I now bring the focus onto what can happen to people who are mental patients in what Bloom calls trauma-organised systems of care. Again my commentary is informed by years of practice in mental health services and how I was complicit with many travesties of justice in the name of care. A different way of providing sanctuary to people experiencing mental health conditions is urgently needed. Advocates, royal commissions and people with lived experience have clearly articulated what is harmful, unjust in many public mental health services in Australia.
A turning point for me was finding a way to think differently about how violence such as seclusion and restraint occurs. It is a highly restrictive and known to be traumatising practice which is legally sanctioned and seen to be a valid form of care. The turning point was deeply understanding how individual failures of responsibility at all points and levels of service delivery can create system failures of care and love.
The commentary involves very distressing accounts of harm done to people. Please take care in listening to it.
Terrible travesties of justice undermine patient care