Delusions, Meaning and Transformation - Paperback

by Milt Greek (Author)

Delusions, Meaning and Transformation, a follow up and companion to Schizophrenia: A Blueprint for Recovery, deeply explores psychosis and merges modern treatment approaches into a step-by-step, person-centered "Combined Toolkit". The Combined Toolkit builds on numerous approaches-including the Hearing Voices Movement, LEAP, Personal Medicine, WRAP and different ways to heal trauma-to create a variety of options tailored to meet the person's individual needs. At the same time, Delusions, Meaning and Transformation gives insight into the experience of psychosis as both a dangerous series of misperceptions and a deeply personal symbolic journey that can be the catalyst for life-changing spiritual renewal. Following the stories of five people whose journeys led to transcendence of their personal challenges, Delusions, Meaning and Transformation seeks to offer hope and concrete techniques to help professionals, family members and those struggling to recover and transform their lives. "Delusions, Meaning, and Transformation is a ground breaking book that is accessible, hopeful, and immensely useful. I have waited a long time for a book that provides such in depth yet accessible knowledge about the experience of psychosis as well as powerful strategies that can be utilized in a helping role." - Sharon Young, Ph.D., CooperRiis Institute Director, CooperRiis Healing Community "Milt Greek has produced an inspiring and inspired piece of work that that allows the reader the privilege to 'hear' the voices and 'read' the minds of individuals who often become relegated to the margins of society due to their mental afflictions. It is evident that the author writes from the heart and has made an invaluable and timely contribution that benefits scholars, mental health practitioners and the consumers of mental health services." - Yegan Pillay Ph.D., P.C.C.-S "In this book Milt provides valuable insight and practical guidance to those who experience psychosis and delusional states and to professionals, family members and others who seek to provide help and support- an important contribution to the field." -Steven G. Stone, Executive Director, Mental Health and Recovery Board of Ashland County "This important work by mental health expert, Milt Greek, is a must read for those with mental illness embarking on their recovery journey and the people who love them. Through the sharing of personal stories involving psychosis, we are reminded of the vast differences that exist from one person's experience of mental illness to another. It behooves us all to learn from these experiences so we can better advocate for a system of care that meets the needs of everyone along the spectrum if or when they need it." - NAMI Ohio "Offering the reader an excellent overview of treatment methods (even tackling the medication vs. non-medication debate), a wealth of resources like none other (for those with lived experience and for families), and a compendium of "tools" for the practitioner and non-practitioner alike, Greek provides a truly balanced, distinctly non-agenda-driven book that is a must for all with an interest in the topic." - Lois Oppenheim, Ph.D. "Milt has a unique ability to describe the experience of hallucinations and delusions in a way that helps family, friends and professionals better understand, empathize and respect this condition." -- Diane Pfaff, LISW "Milt has demystified the experience of psychosis into understandable concepts to help engage clients and families while they are navigating through this process... I found it refreshing how Milt uses examples of real life people who have been able to use adversity as a gift; to find positive meaning and growth from their life as a result of their psychosis." - Lisa Adler Bacon, MS PCC-S, LSW

Author Biography

Milt Greek is a husband and stepfather of adult children and has worked as a computer programmer since the fall of 1989. When he was in college as a psychology major and sociology graduate student, Milt developed psychosis, resulting in repeated hospitalizations and severe damage to his academic work. After returning to sanity through the help of friends, family, professionals and medication, Milt finished his degrees but retrained to find work. Milt has had a very fortunate and full life, with a happy marriage and a quiet life in a small college town. Beginning in the mid-1990s, Milt volunteered with a few people in acute psychosis as well as founding a peer early recovery group for people with schizophrenia. In the late 1990s, Milt began to speak at conferences on schizophrenia and recovery, as well as initiating research into psychosis through subject-participant groups and a small survey of people in post-psychosis. Beginning in 2007, Milt began workshops training professionals in understanding and working with people in psychosis and post-psychosis. In 2009, Milt recorded DVDs and created a website to host them. His first book, Schizophrenia: A Blueprint for Recovery was published in 2011, with a revised edition published in 2012. In 2014, after nearly 20 years of volunteering and working in the area of psychosis and recovery while maintaining a full-time job and pursuing several other outside projects, Milt began a lengthy sabbatical from mental health work to spend more time with his wife and family and pursue other projects. Though the website hosting his material was discontinued, the material on the website is contained in the two books Milt has written on this topic. Though the sabbatical is planned for an indefinite length of time, Milt wishes the best to all people affected by the hardships of life: "Regardless of the nature of our challenges, we are all united in our struggle to celebrate life in the face of the deaths of those we love, including ourselves. May we all experience the joy of being loved and being able to love in this hard and wonderful world."