Madness Monday

When I saw the blogging prompt Madness Monday I thought, this is one for me. Having spent a great part of my life with mental illness and working to improve mental health services I thought this is a heavensent opportunity to share some stories. 

Where to start? Well, why not at the beginning of madness. In his seminal 1961 work, Madness and Civilisation: A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason, Michel Foucault confronts the reader and changes way you think about society.

Think of all the words used to describe madness: insane, insanity, craziness, crackers, loopy, mad, crazy, crackpot, possessed, mentally ill, abnormal, schizo, batty, deranged, nuts, psycho, psychotic, paranoid, raving, unhinged, loony..... Can you think of more?

Then what about 'normal people? What is - or is not - 'normal' may have much to do with the labels that are applied to people in particular settings. 

I will further explore madness, asylums and my family in later Madness Monday posts. 

To be continued...