Nancy's world

Nancy Jensen, a mental health survivor for the past 30 years, is a certified peer specialist/trainer, and advocate for those who are being abused, neglected or exploited by mental health providers. In 2006, she received the Voice Award from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services for speaking out about crimes committed against her and others by Arlen and Linda Kaufman while in residential treatment. In addition to being a key witness at their trial in federal court, Nancy successfully lobbied for the establishment of the Kansas Attorney General's Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation Unit.

March 23, 2009

I am back,

Just need to type my thoughts out so i can get them out of my head and out there.

I love being needed, yet it is very hard for me when I get my hopes up and then the plan changes. You would think by now I would learn to deal with that yet I have not yet guess i will not either. Same thing when someone says “we should do this” or “I want to help you do this” I take it in and then when it does not happen I get hurt. again after 53 years you would think I would learn not take things so serious. DAH

The other thing I am thinking a lot about is how mental illness is called that . I am starting to understand than it is usually a trauma that happens in the life. Then the person goes to get some help in understanding it. It order to be able to bill that person or insurance the mental health agency has to give the person a diagnosis. Then the person gets a treatment plan based on medical necessity which is the diagnosis. When it was just a trauma that brought them in. How the stigma of the diagnosis is such a impact on their lives. I will write about more ofthis the more i can understand and put it into words. Being in the system for more than 30 years and now being a Certified Peer Specialist really gives you a different understanding, even if I am a survivor of abuse inside the system.

I am working on my story I want it to go beyond Kaufman I want to do before during and after. Just really bring up to full circle for the goal of how recovery can happen , the tools that work, what I learned through the hard times and other things. That recovery is possible and it is a process and you have to walk through the pain.

2 years ago • Notes