tw: psychiatric hospital/emergency experiences and brainstorming how to do better
not from me, but from a friend—which is why I think I have the space from it to think of the what-ifs, the what if we made something better. what if we used recent neuroscience and design an experience that cultivates autonomy and a feeling of safety. I know things are fucked right now just about everywhere and please don’t hear me downplay that, but I do also think we’ve got all the science. we’ve got all the ingredients to make something better happen.
brains are like climate right? And I know what it’s like to be dysregulated. I’ve got several different possible explanations for when it happens, and likely it’s a combination of multiple things cumulating. Like carbon dioxide, water vapour, methane, nitrous oxide, and CFCs in the atmosphere. I know I’m a danger to myself just a little bit and I have learned how to compromise for myself and minimise that. I know can’t be touched or it’ll tip me over. I’m lucky enough to be able to look after myself in this time. It’s taken a lot of work to get where I am. I’m lucky enough to have not gone through what from nearly everyone I’ve talked to is a traumatising experience for themselves and those who love them. And I’m grateful especially because autonomy is a major trigger of mine. I need it to feel safe more than I need anything else. And not everyone is as extreme as me, but it’s a fact that autonomy makes people in general feel safe, valued, capable. Even neurotypicals. Especially trauma survivors (for the most part at least).
it’d be interesting to create an environment that prioritises and facilities the feeling of autonomy and safety and empowerment. It’s interesting because my professional field is miles away from that and yet when it comes to designing equity into cities this underpins every part of that work. And i honestly think I could train people in this new paradigm. It’d be interesting to see the differences in treatment outcomes. Just to have someone there who is understanding makes all the difference. Surely. We’re a society starved for empathetic witness. What place needs it more? So let’s create it and make it a priority.
