ASYLUM 1986 - 2002

In the spring of 1986 Asylum costing 50p but “Free to Inmates” was launched. The first cover announced, the highlights of the initial edition as follows: -

“Exclusive interview; R. D. Laing”
Psychiatric Democracy in Italy
The Politics of Mental Health

That captures most of the intentions of the founders. We were a group of sufferers and professionals much influenced by the “antipsychiatry” movement of the long past sixties and galvanised into action by two visits to England of Mental Health Workers from Italy who came as missionaries for Psichiatria Democratica in Italy. The University Department of Psychiatry in Sheffield had made a slight profit out of the visit and that enabled us to start publishing. Lin Bigwood and Phil Virden had similar ideas about a magazine as we did in Sheffield. . For several years Phil did much of the work almost in the way in which Terry McLaughlin does now. Neither has been significantly rewarded. Over the years and despite several crises we have gradually become more sophisticated, and realistic money-wisely, but never secure.

Our aim was and is to struggle towards achieving what we thought was the best of the system in Trieste in the late eighties. There the great ASYLUM San Giovanni was now a complex of apartments for ex patients, of art studios for everyone, space for theatres and cinema performances and a perpetual discussion of what more could be done to humanise mental health services. There were co-operatives and a restaurant in town as well as well as small friendly units with a few beds for short stay during crises as well as facilities to sit together to eat and to chat and to see the mental health workers. We liked the realisation that the total ambience of everyone’s’ life is of central importance to their mentality. They had realised that much that is therapeutic comes from the arts, from sharing good things, from eating, drinking and laughing together. Our central aim in encouraging those who felt hurt by the system to write was the hope that it would help, them to express their views, which would also be discussed. So we tried to offer them "a proper place at the table". There they would be given as good a chance as is possible to be taken seriously. That was also very much to set mental health and those thought to lack it in their true political and economic setting. Sometimes when angry one can write what one might be frightened to say and we accepted the need at times to do so anonymously. We have also an urge and a tradition to accept articles by allowing space for what is sent to us. Reality limits complete freedom!

We have remained independent of financial support from anyone other than subscribers and workers and we have no overwhelming allegiances except to the right to express one’s own opinion, and for others to have the right to challenge it, and certainly a duty to listen.

Many people have worked voluntarily for us Peter Good did with our first cooperative printer in Huddersfield. Then we moved to Monteney Press in Sheffield a part of a workshop set up by among others David Blunkett. There unemployed workers printed ASYLUM for the cost of the paper and ink, but we did make good will donations to them. Then a group from Manchester, especially Nigel Rose, Paul Baker, Mark Greenwood and AnnWalton played central roles. Throughout Mark Hinchliffe has our been our poetry editor, and for most of our existence aided at different periods by Jane Paffey and Paula Quick. Helen Spandler has also helped us over several years, as has Philip Hutchinson. Stephen Ticktin has been our London agent, and very involved since the early days, so too was Tim Kendall. We are indebted to all these people and to so many others - some of whom are mentioned in our current list of the collective’s members.

We chose the title ASYLUM for its original etymological meanings through Latin from Greek to English. That is of a refuge, and also of there being a right not to be seized. We were influenced too by knowing that ASYLUM was the original title of what became the British Journal of Psychiatry!

After a quarter of a century, of inevitable inefficiencies, disasters and chaos, we are proudly struggling on. It should not be surprising that an amateur outfit of volunteers, many with their own problems should have had several severe hiccoughs, for which many have kindly forgiven us. We do hope much of that may now be behind us. We still hope to be able to continue to make a significant contribution to understanding and ameliorating mental suffering of so many people. We do certainly want to be among those giving them a voice, and an attentive audience, and when and where possible a sympathetic response.

Alec Jenner. Founding Editor of Asylum

2000 On IN THE SERVICE OF A REVOLUTION IN MENTAL HEALTH

We will never have recourse to drug companies or sell out the principles of the radical democratic movement within and against psychiatry. Please support this movement by subscribing to Asylum.

Terence McLaughlin. Executive Editor of Asylum

Watch this space for more developments