Cecil Andrews and I might be sisters separated at birth. I pretty much agree with everything she writes. So it’s no surprise that I loved her most recently published book, Living Room Revolution: A Handbook for Conversation, Community and the Common Good.
I mean just the title alone makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. Conversation. Community. Common Good. I like all those things! I even recommended this book as a resource in my own book before I even read it (shhh, don’t tell) because I knew it would be awesome.
Convivial Community
Andrews makes the connection between equality and happiness and community and happiness. She writes about “Convivial Community and Social Change” in chapter 3. Her point is that when we work on social change, we often forget about community. But that’s where it really must start.
I’ve experienced this with my “community mindfulness/let’s promote kids’ and teen’s mental health” group. We don’t have a name or a mission statement, but we have community. And we make positive change happen through our community connections.
Sustainability and Community
One of our most pressing social change needs is related to climate change. Andrews notes that “sustainability and community are related.” It’s no surprise that Andrews is active in the Transition Movement—a collection of grassroots initiatives focused on staying ahead of climate challenges by building resilient communities.
There is a new project called Transition Streets that I’m getting involved with. I’m hoping to start a group in my community later this month. It’s so easy to get started and great for getting to know your neighbors. Consider starting a group on your street!
If we want change, relying on the government will be too late; relying on individuals won’t be enough; community is our only hope. —In Transition 2.0 movie
How to Converse
One important aspect of Living Room Revolution is that it goes into detail about how to have good conversation. It seems like a no-brainer—you just start talking, right? Not quite. We must reclaim conversation, which Andrews calls “the sacred experience of everyday life.”
Turns out conversation is an art. But sadly, it’s an art that has been “diminished in a competitive culture.” Andrews writes, “we must learn to experience conversation as a barn raising instead of a battle.” (I can relate, as I am a recovering interrupter.) Andrews devotes several chapters to how-tos related to conversation—including a whole chapter on “Civil Discourse.” (Thank you, Cecile.)
Taking Action
I long for living room conversations. Conversations that don’t have an agenda. Conversations that transform. Conversations that are more about making connections, rather than showing off. Conversations that aren’t constantly being interrupted by mobile devices…
Andrews’s solution is study circles, “the people’s think tanks.” Originating in Sweden, where they “were used in the 19th century to create a democracy that is today admired around the world,” study circles provide a framework for conversation and social change. Chapter 9 explores study circles in detail.
Remaining chapters highlight other ways to build a convivial community, including happiness circles, dancing in the streets (community celebrations), farmer’s markets, fairs, etc.
It’s up to us to create joyful communities, ya’ll. The government isn’t going to do it for us. (Unless we elect Bernie Sanders, of course.)
Let’s do this!
“The core of this book is that if we are to survive, … we need to learn to care about each other and the common good. … We have to realize that we’re all in this together.” —Cecile Andrews
P.S. I must also mention that Living Room Revolution is dedicated to Andrews’s deceased bichon frisé, Maggie. I have a bichon frisé too! (And yes, Sophie is mentioned in the acknowledgements.) Andrews and I must be long-lost sisters.
Hello Ms. Green,
I read your book “The Lost Year” and after reading I am very disappointed with the conclusions you have made regarding the mental health system.I have been a mental health professional for close to 40 years.I have worked with those who have mental illness in many settings including state hospital,inpatient psychiatric units and for the last 23 years in an outpatient program.As an Occupational Therapist I have spent my entire career in mental health and have worked with people who have had serious mental illnesses. I am sorry that your daughter did not have a good experience in the mental health system and I am happy that she has recovered from what appeared to be a serious eating disorder.Over the years I have worked with many good doctors and therapists but I have also worked with many who were not very good at all.Medications do help many adults and children who have both mental and physical illnesses.There are very few cures with physical or mental illnesses but there are treatments and medications.Because the brain is the most complicated organ in our body it is very difficult to diagnose mental illness.but we are getting better.In the future DSM 6 will include genetics and brain science to help with diagnosis but that is still 15-20 years away. I thought the first part of your book was good as your described your own personal family experience with your daughter. Some people with eating disorders also have other mental health issues such as depression and anxiety and medications do help their recovery. Your criticism of NAMI is totally uncalled for as.they are the only advocacy group for people with mental illnesses. Sue Aberholden the executive director of Minnesota NAMI works tirelessly to help those with mental illnesses.I would encourage you to talk with her Sue Abderholden: 651-645-2948 x105 or sabderholden@namimn.org . I would also do some reading from two other individuals who are professional working with serious mental illnesses….Kay Redfield Jamison (Bipolar) and Elyn Saks (Schizophrenia). Both of these individuals take medication along with verbal therapy. I agree with you that DBT is helpful along with family therapy.I also know of Dr. Henry Emmons and have read both of his books and use some of his material in my education groups.Another site I would check out is the Mental Health Channel on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/MentalHealthChannel1/videos. Lastly I am going to talk about my daughter who has ADHD and Non Verbal Learning Disability.I did not appreciate what you had to say about ADHD since this is not of your experience.Many children and adults receive benefit from medications when properly diagnosed. Ido not support the use of powerful anti psychotic medication like you mentioned in your book in childhood. Our daughter had a very long road to overcome her problems. She was given a stable home environment and my wife sacrificed and worked part time to help with all the therapy she received over the years. Some of her treatment included Occupational Therapy,Family Therapy,IEP and 504 plan. Along the way she also had plenty of good people who worked with her at school through the years along with an excellent neuropsychologist.What she is best at is music and she excelled in flute performance in band and two years with the Minnesota Youth Symphony.She now is a freshman at Luther College studying her music passion and she takes medication without side effects. She acknowledged that these meds help he and she has taken them since the 2nd grade. We have taught her to advocate for herself and our very proud of her. Recovering from a mental illness is very difficult and what you have said in your book was not validating from a parent or therapist point of view. Your rants about “Big Pharma” are foolish. Remember they also make a lot of medication for physical health reasons. Your anti psychiatry rant is also not helpful. One last comment about your book is that the last part which included many social and political points of view should have been saved for another book.Please consider my thoughts as another point of view regarding mental health and psychiatry.I am very proud of the help that I have given to those suffering with serious mental illnesses over the past four decades and I will not let someone like you minimize my passion to learn about the brain as it relates to the human experience.
Hi Len, thanks for picking up a copy of “Her Lost Year.” I appreciate the work you have been doing to help others for so many years. I am well aware that there are plenty of good mental health professionals out there—we encountered several. The problem as I see it is not with individual mental health practitioners, but with the system (the institution of psychiatry, for example)—and how we live in this world. I’ll keep this short, but I do want to make a few clarifications:
– NAMI: There is no doubt that NAMI the national organization is influenced by the pharmaceutical industry. However, I do note that each local NAMI chapter is different. I have even recommended our local NAMI chapter to several folks who needed peer support. All I’m doing in the book is making readers aware of the money behind the national organization, because I think people should be informed consumers.
– I never come out and say that medication is never needed. My point is that it should be a last resort for kids, considering the accompanying side effects experienced by many and the fact that many psychiatric medications aren’t approved for children.
– I don’t appreciate my writing being called foolish (whether you agree or not). I encourage you to take a look at a book recently published based on research at Harvard’s Center for Ethics, “Psychiatry Under the Influence: Institutional Corruption, Social Injury, and Prescriptions for Reform” to learn more about the concerns I raise.
– Finally, I was compelled to include the last part of the book when I realized during my research that mental health is so dependent on social and environmental factors. Our current society is optimized for profit and greed, not for kids’ mental health. I want to change that.
I am thrilled to hear that your daughter is doing well and doesn’t experience side effects from the medication. She’s lucky to have parents advocating for her and teaching her how to advocate for herself.
All the best,
Tabita
Ms. Green….. Since you are now under the Robert Whitaker influence and his Mad in America movement no further discussion is warranted here…….