"Motivational" Amazon book author,World-renowned Benzodiazepine "expert", and self-admitted Wikipedia writer and expert, Bliss Johns/ (V. Baylissa Frederick), known for her book Recovery & Renewal: Your essential guide to overcoming dependency and withdrawal from sleeping pills, other 'benzo' tranquillisers and antidepressants, appears to have made a "joke" at the expense of others who do in fact have mental illnesses, just last week.
On November 21, 2012, Bliss Johns stated on her RecoveryRoad.org's Facebook page that she had "something funny to share" with her Facebook followers and the public. What was the ensuing hilarity? Bliss John stated, "Just something funny to share... One of our volunteers here regularly checks the Internet for links mentioning Recovery Road, the "Recovery & Renewal" book, author, etc. He's discovered websites by a few mentally challenged people who are really very unwell and spend their time writing unkind things about others...."
Is that supposed to be funny? Motivational? Kind? I didn't find it any anything of the sort. I have no idea which websites made by "mentally challenged and "really very unwell" her volunteer/web-stalker "discovered". If I had to guess, I *just* might think she was calling me "mentally challenged , as well as Mike59, owner of www.cesspoolofmadness.com, as we're the vocal only critics of Bliss Johns that I'm aware of. This is merely a guess-- I mean, what are the odds?
Let's define "mentally challenged while we're at it.
Mentally of course means "relating to the mind".
Challenged means "something or someone lacking or deficient in a specified respect", which can also be used euphemistically (substituting a mild, indirect, or vague term for one considered harsh, blunt, or offensive). Bliss Johns seems to have wanted to appear politically correct towards whomever these "mentally challenged" websites owners are. When we take out the euphemism, it means "mentally retarded", of course.
Actually, come to think of it, I suddenly recall Bliss Johns visiting my blog and commenting on what *could* be perceived as my "less than average intelligence" once before. I seem to remember this because Bliss Johns and myself apparently had different definitions for the word "blackmail". Or was it her threatening to take legal actions against me that jogged my memory? Into the Time machine we go...
Baylissa Johns claimed that she would take legal actions if her comment was not published. UH OH! As far as I know, blackmail has only ONE meaning. That's a pretty peculiar blackmail attempt. "PUBLISH MY COMMENT OR I WILL TAKE LEGAL ACTION". Cuckoo!
Robert Whitaker is a psychiatrist? Uhm, no. Try again. He is journalist who wrote/writes anti-medication books and has also appeared in Scientology's CCHR GenerationRX's propoganda video. Oh, and Wikileaks also proved that CCHR funded his book, Mad in America, along with Peter Breggin, MD, whom you claimed I could get in trouble for making "false accusations about". Are you JOKING? You had no idea that Breggin was apart of CCHR? I've heard that PAWS can possibly last for decades, so I made those links easily clickable for you, just in case.
Bliss, may I ask you something? You know these men, I would assume, at least somewhat. You were interviewed by Robert Whitaker on August 12, 2012 (3 months ago). Love the cheeky title: Recovery of an Unwitting Addict. Did you name that, or did Mr. Whitaker? Just curious... Recovery Road also links Dr. Peter Breggin's website on its website. Why don't you know these things? If I ran a charity and it had a website, I know I'd look into what sources of "helpful links" I recommend. Yep-- Better get Recovery Road's Board of Trustees and Google to look into my "libelous claims". You wouldn't want the Countess of Sandwich to think that you're supporting some cult, I'm sure. If Recovery Road promoted a book written by Deepak Chopra, I wouldn't think RR was directly liked with "Hinduism." I'd think it was pseudoscience, just because of Mr. Chopra's well-known status in that group. Don't worry, you're already in that pseudo-science-New-Age Quack group.
I'm sure you wouldn't want your "Board of Trustees" ( Mr. Ian Padwick, Dr. Leslie Ala MBCHB/ MRCP , and Melissa Thomas) to also think that Recovery Road supports CULTS. You wouldn't want some mentally challenged person saying ludicrous things about Recovery Road, I'm sure. You can call me crazy, unwell, negative-- I don't care and never did. Can anyone else see the irony of someone who is a "self-affirmation" guru say this about others?
Those may be your opinions, and if you thought for a minute that calling someone mentally challenged via finding out by a "volunteer" who looks at pages that discuss Recovery Road was funny, it's not funny. It's very unpolished, and even creepy if I may say so myself. What I think is funny is how you want to keep this image of yourself as being this positive, happy, seemingly no-flawed person. While you're maintaining this persona, you also threatened to sue me and didn't have the nerve to tell me what you were really thinking ("in my opinion"-- we wouldn't want THE Board of Trustees and Mr. Google to take away my "blogging privileges"). Fuck off. Yep, you can tell that to the Countess of Sandwich and even the Earl while you're at it.
You're happy with your voice? You just said you hated it a week ago on RR's FB page. Peace be with me/like attracts like/I must not enjoy life/I'm negative and don't have citations? You feel "sad" for me. "Healing and light" you wished for me. What the hell does any of that mean? I am sorry that not everyone receives many benefits from pictures of butterflies and flowers and inspirational quotes, but some people don't, and that's okay. I don't need to "heal" either. I'm not broken. Sarcastic? Sure. That's MY personality. It doesn't mean that I am "unwell", nor am I wasting my life with "rubbish"-- but think whatever you want.
I can't apologize for not believing in some mystical light and positive energy. That's rubbish. I know you're a woman, but seriously, grow a pair. I hope you (and those who buy your crappy book) realize that the average person doesn't enjoy being slighted in the above manner. Again-- you should have just told me to "to to hell" or "go fuck myself" instead of wishing me light and healing.
"Anyone with an average IQ" can read and see that you did not blackmail me? Here's an easy example of blackmail. If you don't do ________, I will do _____________. That was what occurred. You did not "merely ask me to retract a false statement". Sure, I accidentally said you sold vitamins, which I would have realized very soon anyways. You write for Wikipedia? Good for you, but I've gone to college. I have written so many papers-- I don't think you can help me cite sources, but umm, thanks for the offer.
*In my opinion*, your specific associations alone would stop most people from funding it.
On November 21, 2012, Bliss Johns stated on her RecoveryRoad.org's Facebook page that she had "something funny to share" with her Facebook followers and the public. What was the ensuing hilarity? Bliss John stated, "Just something funny to share... One of our volunteers here regularly checks the Internet for links mentioning Recovery Road, the "Recovery & Renewal" book, author, etc. He's discovered websites by a few mentally challenged people who are really very unwell and spend their time writing unkind things about others...."
Is that supposed to be funny? Motivational? Kind? I didn't find it any anything of the sort. I have no idea which websites made by "mentally challenged and "really very unwell" her volunteer/web-stalker "discovered". If I had to guess, I *just* might think she was calling me "mentally challenged , as well as Mike59, owner of www.cesspoolofmadness.com, as we're the vocal only critics of Bliss Johns that I'm aware of. This is merely a guess-- I mean, what are the odds?
Let's define "mentally challenged while we're at it.
Mentally of course means "relating to the mind".
Challenged means "something or someone lacking or deficient in a specified respect", which can also be used euphemistically (substituting a mild, indirect, or vague term for one considered harsh, blunt, or offensive). Bliss Johns seems to have wanted to appear politically correct towards whomever these "mentally challenged" websites owners are. When we take out the euphemism, it means "mentally retarded", of course.
Actually, come to think of it, I suddenly recall Bliss Johns visiting my blog and commenting on what *could* be perceived as my "less than average intelligence" once before. I seem to remember this because Bliss Johns and myself apparently had different definitions for the word "blackmail". Or was it her threatening to take legal actions against me that jogged my memory? Into the Time machine we go...
Baylissa Johns claimed that she would take legal actions if her comment was not published. UH OH! As far as I know, blackmail has only ONE meaning. That's a pretty peculiar blackmail attempt. "PUBLISH MY COMMENT OR I WILL TAKE LEGAL ACTION". Cuckoo!
Bliss, may I ask you something? You know these men, I would assume, at least somewhat. You were interviewed by Robert Whitaker on August 12, 2012 (3 months ago). Love the cheeky title: Recovery of an Unwitting Addict. Did you name that, or did Mr. Whitaker? Just curious... Recovery Road also links Dr. Peter Breggin's website on its website. Why don't you know these things? If I ran a charity and it had a website, I know I'd look into what sources of "helpful links" I recommend. Yep-- Better get Recovery Road's Board of Trustees and Google to look into my "libelous claims". You wouldn't want the Countess of Sandwich to think that you're supporting some cult, I'm sure. If Recovery Road promoted a book written by Deepak Chopra, I wouldn't think RR was directly liked with "Hinduism." I'd think it was pseudoscience, just because of Mr. Chopra's well-known status in that group. Don't worry, you're already in that pseudo-science-New-Age Quack group.
I'm sure you wouldn't want your "Board of Trustees" ( Mr. Ian Padwick, Dr. Leslie Ala MBCHB/ MRCP , and Melissa Thomas) to also think that Recovery Road supports CULTS. You wouldn't want some mentally challenged person saying ludicrous things about Recovery Road, I'm sure. You can call me crazy, unwell, negative-- I don't care and never did. Can anyone else see the irony of someone who is a "self-affirmation" guru say this about others?
Those may be your opinions, and if you thought for a minute that calling someone mentally challenged via finding out by a "volunteer" who looks at pages that discuss Recovery Road was funny, it's not funny. It's very unpolished, and even creepy if I may say so myself. What I think is funny is how you want to keep this image of yourself as being this positive, happy, seemingly no-flawed person. While you're maintaining this persona, you also threatened to sue me and didn't have the nerve to tell me what you were really thinking ("in my opinion"-- we wouldn't want THE Board of Trustees and Mr. Google to take away my "blogging privileges"). Fuck off. Yep, you can tell that to the Countess of Sandwich and even the Earl while you're at it.
You're happy with your voice? You just said you hated it a week ago on RR's FB page. Peace be with me/like attracts like/I must not enjoy life/I'm negative and don't have citations? You feel "sad" for me. "Healing and light" you wished for me. What the hell does any of that mean? I am sorry that not everyone receives many benefits from pictures of butterflies and flowers and inspirational quotes, but some people don't, and that's okay. I don't need to "heal" either. I'm not broken. Sarcastic? Sure. That's MY personality. It doesn't mean that I am "unwell", nor am I wasting my life with "rubbish"-- but think whatever you want.
I can't apologize for not believing in some mystical light and positive energy. That's rubbish. I know you're a woman, but seriously, grow a pair. I hope you (and those who buy your crappy book) realize that the average person doesn't enjoy being slighted in the above manner. Again-- you should have just told me to "to to hell" or "go fuck myself" instead of wishing me light and healing.
"Anyone with an average IQ" can read and see that you did not blackmail me? Here's an easy example of blackmail. If you don't do ________, I will do _____________. That was what occurred. You did not "merely ask me to retract a false statement". Sure, I accidentally said you sold vitamins, which I would have realized very soon anyways. You write for Wikipedia? Good for you, but I've gone to college. I have written so many papers-- I don't think you can help me cite sources, but umm, thanks for the offer.
*In my opinion*, your specific associations alone would stop most people from funding it.
Have you seen this video lately?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdOwz-LFDlo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdOwz-LFDlo
I tried, I REALLY tried. I wanted to believe in positive affirmations like you wouldn't believe!
I chanted each line:
My body is intelligent and knows how to heal itself (x6)
Like the many survivors before me, I am healing (x6)
Every day in every way, I am getting better and better (x5)
This, too, shall pass (x5)
My mind is sound and my nervous system works perfectly (x5)
I am grateful for my healing(x4)
I am completely healthy in spirit, mind, and body(x6)
And so it is! (x1)
It didn't work. Maybe I didn't count the chants properly? Also-- I just couldn't "affirm" the second to the last one-- "I am completely healthy in spirit, mind and body". I may have been told I had a mental challenge of some kind, so that affirmation was a bit shaky for me. I'm not sure if it was directed at me or not. Seems logical that it was directed at me, but I can't prove it. I hope you understand that I tried my best. My body can't heal everything, right? My nervous system doesn't work perfectly. I have a few neurological disorders. But, my body will heal them! Okay, I get the hang of it. Yes, I'm grateful! And so it is! HALLELUJAH!
I wish you would have stated who your volunteer/stalker was speaking of. I don't see you taking claim for this, ever. Some people have moxy and some people don't. I'd rather be myself and say what I mean without covering up with pretty little insults and seemingly well wishes.
I'd like to know-- WHO does this help?:
I wish you would have stated who your volunteer/stalker was speaking of. I don't see you taking claim for this, ever. Some people have moxy and some people don't. I'd rather be myself and say what I mean without covering up with pretty little insults and seemingly well wishes.
I'd like to know-- WHO does this help?:
I also read the introduction to the above video: "Narrated by Bliss Johns, certified and licensed Louise Hay workshop facilitator, author of "Benzo-Wise: A Recovery Companion" and founder of the Recovery Road Charity."
WOW! That sounds interesting! Is this your "mental health degree" that you talked about in your book? How exciting! Who ever could this Louise Hay woman be?
Hmm. I came across this document. Is this what you're "certified" and "licensed" in?
Whoa, this seems a bit off, but still FASCINATING! It blames bacteria and viruses on emotional problems. It's blaming Parkinson's Disease on "fear and an intense desire to control everything and everyone". "It's not worth growing up" is Muscular Dystrophy's cause? I had NO idea. Do virologists and neurologists know these causes? I think we should submit this to the CDC and WHO immediately. How in the world did we stray from the time when we thought emotional problems and "evil forces" were to blame for mental and physical conditions?
You had tics and twitches in your eye, correct? Isn't that what 'forced' you to take the SUPER-DUPER-DUPER high dosage of 1.5 mgs of Clonazapam? Hmm.
It's a shame you didn't know this "scientific information" of Hay's *before* your aunt Prudence tried to "smack the spirits" out of you for the neurological tics. How Voodoo-Woo-Woo!
What a shame. After all, Hay claims tics are caused by "Fear; A feeling of being watched by others". Ironic considering the volunteer you have searching for your critics, hehe.
It's a shame you didn't know this "scientific information" of Hay's *before* your aunt Prudence tried to "smack the spirits" out of you for the neurological tics. How Voodoo-Woo-Woo!
What a shame. After all, Hay claims tics are caused by "Fear; A feeling of being watched by others". Ironic considering the volunteer you have searching for your critics, hehe.
Oh well. Every cloud has a silver lining, right? If it weren't for the eye tics, you never would have founded Recovery Road. You wouldn't be a "renowned benzo expert". You wouldn't have been able to help so many people. You wouldn't have had that super hilarious incident when you super-glued your eyes together! I mean, with such an intoxicating dosage of Clonazepam, it's really no wonder how that didn't happen sooner. The ER said that was "common" in your book? Strange, I've never heard of such a thing except in unsupervised young children, and even then, it's still pretty damn uncommon.
It almost makes me wonder... How many milligrams of Clonazepam would it take for you to super-glue your fingers together when they get a little rude and start typing that other people are mentally challenged?
"Teehee", Bliss. Fun, indeed!
"Teehee", Bliss. Fun, indeed!
This is funny. Calling people mentally challenged is funny. Claiming that someone had NO IDEA that other people made of one's voice before they had their "volunteer" go cruising for critics is funny, especially when she's known that for, ooh-- 5 months.
"Bliss Johns has been regarded as 'a motivating writer and personal development facilitator whose gift of touching the heart as well as the mind has endeared her to the recovery community. She is the founder of Recovery Road, a withdrawal support charity registered in England and Wales. She is passionate about cats, metaphysics and nature'", according to Amazon.com's About Author description of her.
Her recent writings weren't what I'd call "motivating". Did Bliss not realize that FB and Google servers are hosted in the USA when she made these comments? The not-so-funny thing is that M59 and myself are both actually disabled. Poor Bliss. We'll let the good people here decide: http://www.dol.gov/oasam/programs/crc/ada_iia.htm#.ULf1QqyCmMc
I've had a doubtful pleasure of listening to hayradio (yes, the radio station connected with Louise Hay). I did this without any external pressure - and with the Skeptics dictionary very close at hand. I've learned a few things there: there are more quacks out there than I'd ever had expected, and they don't even take any benzos :) If they should be on something, it's definitely antipsychotics.
ReplyDeleteI followed Recovery Road for a while on FB last year, but it didn't appeal to me at all.
What I really don't understand, though, is how people like Louise Hay, who have absolutely no background in medicine ("the evil one", "the conventional one") dare to make claims about Alzheimer's, or Parkinson's being caused by bottled up emotions and what have you. I guess the scientific method is not good enough for such people?
There's Hayradio? Yikes. I should see if they have podcasts. I like to listen to ridiculous things because they crack me up. I remember the book being advertised in the mid 80's. I was a kid, I didn't have a Skep Dictionary (was there one?) but I knew when something seemed "off", strange, or nutty.
ReplyDeleteI know, there are quacks everywhere! I don't think they need any meds. They're greedy, and they don't care who they hurt (or do think that they're actually helping others?). I have no idea.
I just found this link: https://spiritualityisnoexcuse.wordpress.com/2012/06/27/anonymous-lectures-you-about-louise-hay/#more-3490
It's a blogger who mentioned L. Hay in a negative way, and someone attacked the blogger. It's SO strange how the commentator's response to the blogger was eerily similar to Bliss Johns'. Here's a comment (about the comment) from the link:
"It cracks me up how these people end their rants with 'have a nice day' or 'God bless' or 'I’m off to follow my bliss' or my favorite, 'I wish you well on your journey'– gag me with a spoon! And you’re right, signing off that way does not transform their kindly-worded (usually) negative rant into something positive. A clue to their delusion, perhaps." (Ha ha. That happened to me, too!)
What's *scarier* is this:
"With an astounding 35 million copies sold worldwide..."
via http://books.google.com/books/about/You_Can_Heal_Your_Life.html?id=uclaMAEACAAJ
35 million people went bonkers in 30 years? Most humans are rational. I don't get it either. There's a legal disclaimer in Hay's book: "In the event you use any information from this book, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions".
I read some Hay's (horrifying) "reasons" for diseases. I SO wish I could email Stephen Hawking and ask him what he thinks of Hay's reason(s) for ALS: "Unwillingness to accept self- worth. Denial of success."
I was/am actually making a blog about Hay, as well as Bliss Johns promoting her own benzo book for Xmas. Charity funding is decreasing in the UK; they're "running out of money". This money is spent to "train counselors" that help people (for free) at Recovery Road. What KIND of training? Hay's-type training? Eek, I hope not. The mula is also used for the bandwidth needed to run RR's page. I wanted to make it a special "Christmas" blog, full of RR's charity financials, as well as bandwidth data/price that RR uses per year. I did some "self-affirmations" and my mental retardation and "challenges" went away, which allowed me to find info, do some math, and ask questions. Mind over matter, right? It was magic. I was FURIOUS at Hay's "causes" for AIDS and I LOVED what a gay, HIV+ blogger had to say about her.
The Scientific Method? That would mean developing a (more than likely LOGICAL) theory, testing it, and having your theory be able to be re-tested/ have it be able to create reproducible data. It would totally throw a HUGE screw in their woo money-making machine.
It's a shame Hay couldn't get a better plastic surgeon/surgery/surgeries-- she looks like a super-glue experiment gone terribly wrong. What about the whole feeling "self-affirmed, positive, and accepting" of one's appearance? Ironic.
Oh, you bet there's hayradio. Yes, they do have podcasts; they're better than any 24-hour news station and much more entertaining than "Godchannel" or "Hope Channel" (if you're in the right frame of mind to listen to all the gibberish for more than, say, 15 minutes).
ReplyDeleteAs for the number of books sold all over the world, 35 million is actually not that much (0.5% of the world population, compare that with 14% that is Catholic). I still think, although I can't find any references, that "the benighted" "Brief History of Time" has scored much higher. Yes, definitely, Professor Hawking is in denial about success. And you know why? Because, apparently, Physics is too vague, especially Physics on the level of QFT (Quantum Field Theory). Ironically, it was during the stage when Hawking couldn't move hands anymore that he managed to learn this elusive subject (reference: Carroll, Sean "From Eternity to Here") and move forward our understanding of black holes.
Anyway, if medicine were that simple, why would people even bother with I don't know how many years of studies, internships, residencies? They'd just read a few books by those "enlightened" authors and they'd be ready to treat the patients. Heck, I could read them and open a healing clinic next week.
As for the affirmations, I tried some as well. But I couldn't get past "I'm healthy in my mind, body and spirit", as I'm a monoist - no spirit in this body, except for occasional (C2H5OH)2. (I didn't mind so much 'I'm healthy in my mind", though this might be a symptom of a psychosis).
Turns out positive thinking is not all what it's cracked up to be. On the contrary, it's negative thinking that seems to be healthier, according to the newest studies: http://www.amazon.com/Positive-Power-Negative-Thinking-Defensive/dp/0465051391 I don't mean "devouring you whole negative thinking" characteristic of Major Depression or severe cases of anxiety.
Looking forward to your Xmas blog!