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# Madical Radness Collective (MRC)
# Radical Mental Health in Richmond!
# Mission, Vision, and Values
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Who we are
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We are people who have been diagnosed, or somehow identify with, mental illness. We welcome all who resonate with madness, regardless of whether they have received a medical diagnosis. We reject the disease concept of mental illness, as we've observed positive aspects of our condition. Our "symptoms" often create behavior which medicine classifies as illness, creating illusory boundaries that set us apart from family, friends, and community. We have been forced to wear masks and hide our true nature in order to gain acceptance at work, school, or other societal institutions. Many of us have suffered abuses in the psychiatric system; committed to institutions against our will, physically restrained, forcibly medicated, and stripped of many basic human rights. Some of us find medications or other standard treatments that are helpful, but recognize that they do not meet all of our needs. We provide a supportive environment that is "beyond medical" rather than "anti-medical". We are not mental health professionals and are not providing medical care or services.


Where we stand
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We are broken, not by our condition itself, but by the outcast's loneliness and confusion. We do suffer from many uncomfortable, disruptive, or debilitating factors: disrupted or skewed sleep patterns, depression, paranoia, visual or auditory hallucinations, unhealthy extremes of eating, self medication with mood-altering drugs, manic episodes of disturbingly high energy, inaccurate delusions of ourselves or others, just to name a few. Our madness is both curse and blessing, as double-edged as any gift of nature. When we can manage our most extreme symptoms and function within safe parameters, we find within ourselves great depths of creativity, extraordinary sensitivity to the needs and pain of others, insightful visions for improving our communities, or unbounded energy to spend on any number of positive pursuits. We are as powerful, and as vulnerable, as real life superheroes. We have a responsibility to care for condition appropriately, to respect the lives and liberty of others, to support each other in our struggles, and to use our powers for good!


What we are doing
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* Our primary goal as a group is to support each other by providing a community where we can share our experiences without fear of rejection or reprimand. All are welcome to participate regardless of demographic factors, political views, religious convictions, and whether or not they take medications or receive any medical care, with or without a diagnosis. No dues or fees are required.

* We support and promote the creative expression of our mad gifts through creating and appreciating all types of art, music, film, writing. These things help us remember why we want to remain alive and free, and serve to remind ourselves and others why madness is necessary.

* We strive to inform ourselves and the public by highlighting abuses of our fellow "Mad Ones". Activism gives us a sense of solidarity, community, and compassion for all who suffer from the misperceptions surrounding madness.


Our group model is based on The Icarus Project, an international grass roots nonprofit organization. They support radical mental health by producing literature to educate support groups and the public, speaking at events and rallies, and providing advice and moral support to local groups. You can read more about the project at their website:

theicarusproject.net

Richmond's Madical Radness Collective promotes the vision of The Icarus Project in our community. We are working on securing permanent meeting space, and are asking anyone who resonates with our vision to join in this collaborative effort. We are trying to meet every week, and we can be reached directly via our email distribution list, which you can join by sending an email to: icarus-rva-subscribe@lists.riseup.net