CRAZYWISE: A Traditional Approach to Mental Illness | Phil Borges | TEDxSanJuanIsland

When a young person experiences a frightening break from reality, Western experts usually label it a "first-episode psychosis", while many psychologists and cultures define it as a “spiritual awakening.
Through beautiful imagery and storytelling, Phil Borges explores what indigenous, survivor-led approaches can teach us about treating mental illness.
For over 25 years Phil Borges has been visiting and documenting indigenous and tribal cultures around the world. His award-winning books have been published in four languages. In 2003 Phil was honored with the Lucie Humanitarian Award at the Annual International Photography Awards in Los Angeles as well as the Purpose Prize in 2007.
Phil teaches and lectures internationally and is co-founder of Blue Earth Alliance, a non-profit organization that sponsors photographic projects focusing on endangered cultures and threatened environments.
Phil’s recent project, CRAZYWISE, explores cultural differences with respect to consciousness, mental health and the relevance of Shamanic traditional practices and beliefs to those of us living in the modern world.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx

Пікірлер: 97

  • @basecosm1739
    @basecosm17392 жыл бұрын

    I was in a very similar situation. I had a mental break at age 17 (due to drug use) while in the psychiatric facility (still on said drugs btw) they falsely diagnosed me with bipolar/manic depressive disorder. They then put me on 2 different anti psychotic drugs, and I experienced some very rough abuse in the facility. Coming down from a very intense mystical experience and being restrained and drugged is terrifying. (I was not violent, just standing still singing) I have no memory of why i am in the facility. They will not tell me. Staff in these places often treat you like you dont exist or you are somehow sub human. It is terrifying. They will hold you down and sedate you for no reason, even while you beg them not to. It is a very dark place. I then got out fortunately and managed to get off my meds after awhile. I felt a lot better until my father found out and launched into a fit, he screamed at me for awhile and threatened violently to send me back to the mental facility. At this point I was 18 and clearly not displaying any symptoms. So he was aware he couldn't just throw me in an institution. I had to leave the house as the barrage from my father became more of an issue. I have spent a lot of time trying to heal and escape the prison of western "medicine". I have not displayed any manic or bipolar symptoms since. The cops were originally called due to me trying to give a hug to an elderly man. I was clearly in an emotionally distressed state, I was lost and the man had offered to give me a ride. In my confusion I was very greatful and thought a hug was an appropriate response. If you have children please dont force medication upon them. You will do much more harm then good.

  • @maocharlisme

    @maocharlisme

    2 жыл бұрын

    I hope you fare well and will fare well! I wish you much strenght, compassion and that you may freely be your loving self. I know that that which you speak of is no joke and I hope that with this little response of good and supportive, uplifting intend and love I can inspire you to believe or start believing as much in yourself and your own great potential as I do for you! From your story I reckon that you've already showed immense strenght and power to will to demand and ensure your personal space for self-determination as you already at a young age had to learn the tough lesson that one can not ultimately depend upon others to ensure their well-being and then took that lesson to heart and applied the wisdom you gained from that to quickly after those horrid experiences make sure to command the opportunity to not be meddled with so that you could ensure the space needed for yourself to look after and caretake your own well-being without unwanted and disturbing external interferances. Keep on doing you and keep on going strong, chosing what's best for you!♡

  • @alienkaraoke9040

    @alienkaraoke9040

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thank you so much for sharing this, this really lifted me up. I'm in a psychiatric hospital coming off meds (pretty exciting!) but I went through years of torture, your words really meant a lot to me.

  • @lilyhempt515

    @lilyhempt515

    Жыл бұрын

    How are you? I understand what you are saying! I’m so sorry that happened to you. I’d love to hear from you if you get this message and feel up to it. Sending healing thoughts.

  • @lilyhempt515

    @lilyhempt515

    Жыл бұрын

    Also have you heard /read about the work of Gabor Mate?

  • @nellen474

    @nellen474

    Жыл бұрын

    Hey brother i have alot of problems after LSD abuse ..what have you done to heal ...i feel i Will never get back to normal and Im scared ...Im sufering for Over a year..and i dont take any medications but Im despered 😔, i want to live a normal life but Im scared . What helped you heal ? Are you better 🙏 hope Soo .

  • @g1fcg
    @g1fcg2 жыл бұрын

    I'm not a young person - I'm 62, I've spent nearly my whole life trying to get the help and support that I need regarding my abusive childhood. I was recently referred to a 'consultant psychiatrist' here in the UK who is based in Bournemouth Dorset. I was referred to him for supposedly long term trauma therapy by the local psychiatrist at the CMHT in Weymouth who had already told me that in her opinion that medication doesn't 'work' for childhood trauma, (CPTSD). After 'speaking' with him a couple of times, he said that he would not even consider 'treating me' unless I was on a cocktail of toxic SSRI's - I refused the SSRI's, as in the past I've been put on these many times and they always made me ill, without any benefits to me - (they made me worse!) NOT ONE PSYCHIATRIST HAS EVER RECOGNISED THE EFFECTS CHILDHOOD ABUSE ON A PERSON!

  • @MustyUnderboob

    @MustyUnderboob

    2 жыл бұрын

    How are you doing now?

  • @springchickena1

    @springchickena1

    Жыл бұрын

    it's actual poison

  • @mirjamok8116

    @mirjamok8116

    Жыл бұрын

    I think that Bessel van der Kolk is a psychiatrist??

  • @briangrussing9327

    @briangrussing9327

    Жыл бұрын

    We've got to understand how impossible it is for them to understand, much less treat. Were all on our own, without a net, & its actually quite beautiful

  • @JB_46
    @JB_464 жыл бұрын

    Great talk. Studied psychology myself and completely agree. We put way to much emphasis on the problem instead of focussing on how the people can use their own strength in order to find a solution to their experience of malfunctioning within society.

  • @jacegroans2003

    @jacegroans2003

    Ай бұрын

    Because the gestalt academy of psychology and big pharma have a joint interest and it is not in healing the world.

  • @yabourtaipodiatatin9724
    @yabourtaipodiatatin97245 жыл бұрын

    In our tribal rule we have a ritual for these people we rejoice and welcome them. M from India the far northeast arunachal Pradesh

  • @KatelynIngle

    @KatelynIngle

    4 жыл бұрын

    I had psychosis after a deep spiritual search I had a psychic experience and began seeing visions and auras.. I panicked because no one could understand what was going on with me. But I’m working hard on self love and living simply. Within a year I paid off all my debt and strengthen some relationships.. cut off a few people. I still have visions before sleep sometimes. I still have bad anxiety but I believe that it will in time improve too. Im eating more/healthier I lost a little too much weight. But living simply has been the main thing.. and love. Love heals. I do believe within the next year I will be in such a much better place even so. It was the turning point where I began to heal

  • @trollbagginsphd1110

    @trollbagginsphd1110

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@KatelynIngle i would like to recommend a book to you: Mysticism by Evelynn Underhill. It has helped me to make a lot of sense of my experiences. She's very grounded and logical and it is in every sense of the word an actual "study" on what people like us experience

  • @thelondoners-lifeisart

    @thelondoners-lifeisart

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thank you

  • @g1fcg
    @g1fcg2 жыл бұрын

    since this is all a waste of time I started looking into alternative approach to healing. I went to a shamanic healer. So far I have got a lot more from this than any so called 'expert'!

  • @V_Hayden7
    @V_Hayden7 Жыл бұрын

    Thank you, Phil, for your excellent talk and your ongoing work. One of the paradoxes I see is that while everyone has an inner healer it takes at least one other to listen deeply enough to bring that inner healer out in another. I also see healthy, supportive community as the foundation of mental health and is something we have lost over the last 60+ years due to multiple factors. Most of us feel like we are utterly on our own now. Francis Weller in his slim but powerful book, "The Wild Edge of Sorrow," discusses this and how we can bring healing to our communities. It's a great place to start the process of rebuilding our communities.

  • @brettharris635
    @brettharris635 Жыл бұрын

    How has this not got millions of views

  • @aimeejane_1

    @aimeejane_1

    10 ай бұрын

    Because society doesn’t want to listen

  • @raybankes7668
    @raybankes76688 жыл бұрын

    im very onboard with this. my Autism, im 58 and just know of it for 3 yrs is like that. i have found a huge community of those who are tolking about their exeriances and i too am now helping others just starting in this jorney.

  • @jessykapop

    @jessykapop

    4 жыл бұрын

    Ray you are beautiful. Please keep helping. You are doing amazing things. This is a gift of love and compassion. Thank you

  • @trollbagginsphd1110
    @trollbagginsphd11103 жыл бұрын

    Hahaha! I freaked out when my awakening started. I even emailed Phil Borges. Hes a nice guy, he directed me to the spiritual crisis hotline

  • @rileygraham8952

    @rileygraham8952

    3 жыл бұрын

    what is your understanding of this spiritual awakening? is it a trapped part of your brain that you need to create pathways to? connect 2 parts of yourself? i struggle to understand

  • @freya5902

    @freya5902

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@rileygraham8952 that's a good way to start thinking of it, i really think. how are you doing now?

  • @Lala-rn9it

    @Lala-rn9it

    Жыл бұрын

    What is the phone number?

  • @Lala-rn9it

    @Lala-rn9it

    Жыл бұрын

    What is the number to the hotline?

  • @cynthiahawkins2389
    @cynthiahawkins23896 жыл бұрын

    Amazingly fortunate as an older person, when my later crisis came... by that time, I was myself..mid-late 50's... I had a steadfast group of friends. I had healed some major breaches with my parents, by that time long divorced, in their 70's and living on opposite ends of the US...I was married happily to a kind, supportive man. I had a pastor who was wise, hip and oh so caring. And, I got through those dark days.. In my 20's?? No such luck. All I got back then was patronized....given a list of referral phone numbers, a pat on the arm, sympathetic clucking and cooing...as they helped me out the door...

  • @sarahszeszorak4059
    @sarahszeszorak40596 жыл бұрын

    My mother told me about this film and told me it reminded her of me. I can definitely see why she did because I cam relate to this so much.

  • @gypsylove4291

    @gypsylove4291

    2 жыл бұрын

    This documentary changed my entire perspective on mental illness. The system here in the Midwest is not good. A family member in crisis was told to go home and wait until Monday. What? How is this helpful? By the grace of God, 🙏🙏🌊

  • @chrysalis72
    @chrysalis727 жыл бұрын

    my heart broke with this.

  • @scepticrat
    @scepticrat6 жыл бұрын

    If you liked this TED Talk I highly recommend R. D. Laing's book "The Politics of Experience." He writes from what was in his time a radical perspective, and the first 1/4 of the book might seem kind of heavy. It is a beautiful and profound book on the same theme as this talk, however, and it concludes with a very powerful first-hand account of what would be termed a psychotic break. Check it out if you can find it!

  • @happygucci5094

    @happygucci5094

    2 жыл бұрын

    Thank you.

  • @troymorley272
    @troymorley2723 жыл бұрын

    THANK YOU!!!!

  • @laraja88
    @laraja883 жыл бұрын

    thank you so much Phil Borges

  • @elverchavez5776
    @elverchavez57763 жыл бұрын

    Thank you so much i love you so much.

  • @TwdlD
    @TwdlD3 жыл бұрын

    The people who work on the DSM are involved in pharmaceutical industry.

  • @paulhaywood5197
    @paulhaywood51972 жыл бұрын

    YES YES YES, I AM THEIR, Paul.

  • @chinookvalley
    @chinookvalley3 жыл бұрын

    There are comments from people who just don't hear the message. Please, listen. From beginning to end, just stop whatever else it is you are doing, and listen.

  • @msjulicious
    @msjulicious4 жыл бұрын

    i just watched this documentary yesterday and it was amazing. I am so curious what my ancestors did to treat mental illness.

  • @trollbagginsphd1110

    @trollbagginsphd1110

    3 жыл бұрын

    This is not the same thing as mental illness

  • @rileygraham8952

    @rileygraham8952

    3 жыл бұрын

    they definitely didn’t go “i guess i’m crazy” and go die in a hole. they must have learned to live with it.

  • @maocharlisme
    @maocharlisme2 жыл бұрын

    What year was this talk? ...I think it's great!

  • @michaelenelmar
    @michaelenelmar5 жыл бұрын

    Could you please public the web of the recovery movement?

  • @aliciaroubicek9397
    @aliciaroubicek93972 жыл бұрын

    So sad it´s not translated into spanish. Hope you traduce it to include other languages. Please.

  • @martyrytlewski7081
    @martyrytlewski70815 ай бұрын

    I am here

  • @tanjahe7562
    @tanjahe75627 жыл бұрын

    Trying to heal somebody with psychotropic drugs is like trying to repair a cobweb with a thread of wool.

  • @cindieduncan1100

    @cindieduncan1100

    3 жыл бұрын

    Not always, I have known many people that have been helped and became active & responsible. When these people went off the meds they lost everything" homeless, prison, drugs " & either died at an early age or killed them selves. I do believe in miracles and have experienced them personally. My point is not one size fits all. I pray for my loved one to seek help & have a wonderful life. Yet she refuses even when several people tell her she isn't making any sense and "please" talk to a professional and or support group. I will never give up on her yet I must protect myself and the children, so after many years I must move away and allow her to find what she is looking for in her life. I can honestly say I have done all that I can without success. I must allow myself the burdens of guilt to be healed in my soul. I ask God through Jesus to help my family & we need a miracle for healing. God Bless us all.

  • @Berserk1776
    @Berserk17764 жыл бұрын

    I consider myself a semi genius. Thank you very much =)

  • @gena137
    @gena1373 жыл бұрын

    So what happened to Adam in the end.

  • @nellen474
    @nellen474 Жыл бұрын

    Can someone heal from LSD damage without medications ? I need Help Soo much but if medications are bad what can i do ? Can someone Help ..? What about homeopátich medications?

  • @blahblahblah6590
    @blahblahblah6590 Жыл бұрын

    The guy with 8 of the 12 😂👍 for it be a true PD doesn't it have to be consistent over time in all senarios? Wow and he's got 8 of 12 busy dude. If he has multiple personality disorders. One of them must be multiple-personality-disorder. Thanks. I learned something. 👍

  • @xRiPw0lFx
    @xRiPw0lFx Жыл бұрын

    Hmmm I thought Crazywise was the guy in the thumbnail's rap name or something

  • @martyrytlewski7081
    @martyrytlewski70815 ай бұрын

    AI will he helping with this process.

  • @paingoingcrazy6997
    @paingoingcrazy6997 Жыл бұрын

    About halfway through this video, when he starts talking about the time when Adam confronted the relative, lost his job, became homeless. I'm hesitant to continue watching, because I sure as hope this man doesn't start dismissing Adam's childhood traumas. Dismissing peoples' childhood traumas is part of the problem and falls within the domain of psychiatry/the conventional system.

  • @SaccidanandaSadasiva
    @SaccidanandaSadasiva4 жыл бұрын

    So we have no schizophrenia but we're shamans? I wish it's true. I have tried 8 Antipsychotics, but still have visions and voices. Lol

  • @chinookvalley

    @chinookvalley

    3 жыл бұрын

    Listen to this again.

  • @turquoiseafro1520

    @turquoiseafro1520

    2 жыл бұрын

    Please look up Elanor Longden and hearing voices network. They found that listening to the voices to profile & decipher them and try to piece together what trauma they came from helps resolve them so that you can stop being terrorized by them. My best to you.

  • @turquoiseafro1520

    @turquoiseafro1520

    2 жыл бұрын

    Also EMDR, as you resolve your traumas, your symptoms resolve too.

  • @Steve303.
    @Steve303.4 жыл бұрын

    Dont read the the one under neath first start with the one 3rd down thanks.

  • @KatJ3st
    @KatJ3st2 жыл бұрын

    I guess the medical experts are drinking the Kool-aid...

  • @rebecca7671
    @rebecca76712 жыл бұрын

    Personally, I think childhood trauma - such is its damaging effects , causes the changes of biochemistry in the brain and that is why medication can and is helpful in treating the condition of psychosis . However it is certainly not the whole story . If the person with the medical condition can explain how they think they came to be sick ( not sure if "sick " is the correct word ) - it could be a history of one or more abuses / trauma in childhood as explained in the talk OR they may not have experienced any of that - and there are people like that - nothing psycho social about it - as long as a Psychiatrist/ Psychologist is willing to listen and take on board WHY the person thinks they are sick ( the expert may not agree with it - it doesn't matter ) and the person has a say about how they think they could be helped - then you are half way there. I am a practicing Speech Pathologist interested in mental health. My job is to help people write their narrative if they have no idea. I have had 6 psychotic breakdowns in my life and have been stable for 15 years .I became stable when I worked out what caused it - childhood abuse and trauma. The person must have a story about HOW they got sick - even if not technically correct. My son who has Schizophrenia Simplex and has experienced no childhood traumas or abuses has a different cause - that is genetic. My husband + my son's father has the same condition but to a lesser degree . So my son's narrative/ story is different - but he has one. In this instance, long term medication is imperative. My advise is WRITE YOUR STORY

  • @angelacasein7059
    @angelacasein70592 жыл бұрын

    Mental illness can be genetic or it can happen due to psychological trauma

  • @aimeejane_1

    @aimeejane_1

    10 ай бұрын

    But even a child with say a family member who has a mental illness is most likely going to be traumatised from or pick up the same behaviours copied from that person which means it ‘passes down’

  • @precognation
    @precognation6 жыл бұрын

    People who need to be on meds are going to listen to this and stop taking their meds and be a danger to themselves or others.

  • @chinookvalley

    @chinookvalley

    3 жыл бұрын

    You missed the point. Please listen again. Listen this time.

  • @Lenoxygen

    @Lenoxygen

    2 жыл бұрын

    Liiiisten

  • @tentbub
    @tentbub3 жыл бұрын

    I can't help but wonder if "Adam" in these talks has been dis-served by being documented, not medicated. It really seems so. Perhaps Mr. Borges should be encouraging medication, not documenting an un-medicated person.

  • @chinookvalley

    @chinookvalley

    3 жыл бұрын

    I hope you haven't missed the point of this presentation.

  • @tentbub

    @tentbub

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@chinookvalley "I watched my research subject end up homeless, beaten up and missing teeth."

  • @tentbub

    @tentbub

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@soupey its ethical to medicate him, not interview him. I would be lost without my medication. I thought I was having a spiritual awakening and dragged out not getting treatment, and I just got into trouble.

  • @tentbub

    @tentbub

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@soupey The level of inflation of Adam is a concern. The grounds for interviewing him contribute.

  • @and__lam1152

    @and__lam1152

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@tentbub No offence my man, but how is it ethical to force someone to take medication which made him worse, than just accept him for who he is and just listen to him. Great to hear meds worked for you, they don't for 60% of people. Adam like others working through trauma was homeless for exactly as long as he needed to be.

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