Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Carlton Davis, author of the memoir, "Bipolar Bare," will speak in Manchester, U.K., on June 29, at a mental health conference.

During the 13th Conference of the International Network for Philosophy and Psychiatry (INPP) at the University of Central Lancashire, Davis will present "The Bipolar Coaster: Riding the Edge of Madness with Two Minds." The theme of the INPP conference is "Real People: The Self in Mental Health and Social Care."

Davis will describe his view of bipolar disorder: It is an illness defined by having two minds or selves. Davis supports his theory with statements and illustrations from prominent thinkers in the field of mental health, such as Dr. Frederic Schiffer of Harvard and Rollo May. He also will take note of the writings about famous people who have had the disorder as well as his own experience as described in "Bipolar Bare." Davis's memoir recounts his 30-year struggle with the disorder and is the basis of his different viewpoint on the disease. Davis proposes an alternate way of looking at this mental illness -- one that sees the condition as a conflict of two selves. Resolution of the condition, he claims, comes about through making the two selves work in conjunction and harmony with one another.

The INPP Conference will bring together some of the most progressive thinkers on mental health. Speakers will come from The International School of Communities, Rights, and Inclusion (ISCRI), a school led by Lord Patel of Bradford, which aims to be the foremost international school dedicated to cross-disciplinary and multi-cultural study of the interface of individuals and society; the European Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry (ENUSP), an association charged with empowering people with mental health issues and ending stigma; and international speakers like the American author, Carlton Davis, who is a powerful voice in the movement to improve the understanding, rights, and expectations of people with mental disorders.

For more information, visit www.inpponline.org