Rufus May

{{Infobox person

| name = Rufus May

| nationality = British

| alma_mater = University of East London

| website = [https://rufusmay.com/ rufusmay.com]

}}

Rufus May (born 1968) is a British clinical psychologist best known for using his own experiences of being a psychiatric patient to promote alternative recovery approaches for those experiencing psychotic symptoms. After formally qualifying as a clinical psychologist, he then disclosed that he had been previously detained in hospital with a diagnosis of schizophrenia.

Early life and education

May grew up in Islington, north London.{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/dr-rufus-may-one-man-and-a-bed-410698.html|title=Dr Rufus May: One man and a bed|website=Independent.co.uk |date=22 September 2011}}

May qualified from the University of East London in 1998.

Experiences of mental health

May was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1986 at age 18. May was compulsorily detained in a psychiatric hospital on three occasions.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2066378.stm |title=I survived mental illness | work= BBC News World Edition | date=25 June 2002|accessdate=23 March 2010}}{{cite book | title=They f*** you up | first= Oliver | last=James |orig-year=2002 |year=2007 | publisher=Bloomsbury}} He understands his psychotic experiences as a reaction to experiences of emotional loss and social isolation.{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/dr-rufus-may-one-man-and-a-bed-410698.html|title= Dr Rufus May: One man and a bed |work= The Independent (UK) |date = 6 August 2006|accessdate=23 March 2010}} Among other beliefs, he developed ideas he was an apprentice spy for the British secret service.{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/the-mad-doctor-the-extraordinary-story-of-dr-rufus-may-the-former-psychiatric-patient-440381.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090708120720/http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/the-mad-doctor-the-extraordinary-story-of-dr-rufus-may-the-former-psychiatric-patient-440381.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=8 July 2009 |title=The mad doctor: The extraordinary story of Dr Rufus May, the former psychiatric patient | work=The Independent (UK)|date= 18 March 2007 |accessdate=23 March 2010 | location=London}} He also experienced messages from the radio and television. This eventually led to three admissions to Hackney Hospital within 14 months.

After a year of receiving psychiatric drug treatment, Rufus May decided to stop being involved with psychiatric services and stop taking the drugs he was being prescribed; he then used exercise, creative activities, social relationships and voluntary work to regain his well-being.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2000/sep/20/publicsectorcareers.careers |title=Spying on the psychiatrists: Insider who has challenged the treatment of mental illness | work=The Guardian | date= 20 September 2000 |accessdate=23 March 2010 | location=London | first=Adam | last=James}}

Clinical approach

Rufus May has used his professional knowledge and own experiences of psychosis to focus on developing services that are more patient centered and therapeutic approaches that are more collaborative, without relying on chemical imbalance theories of mental distress. For example, he works with those experiencing auditory hallucinations by conversing directly with the voice to help discover the meaning of these dissociative experiences. He draws upon the Nonviolent Communication style developed by Marshall Rosenberg and mindfulness.

His approach received considerable publicity when it was the subject of The Doctor Who Hears Voices, a 2008 British television documentary broadcast on Channel 4 about a junior doctor helped by May to overcome her experiences of hearing voices.{{cite news |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/a-dialogue-with-myself-808941.html|title= A dialogue with myself | work = The Independent | date= 15 April 2008|accessdate=20 March 2010 | location=London}}{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1211352|title= Review of The Doctor Who Hears Voices (2008)| work = Internet Movie Database |accessdate=21 March 2010}} Directed by Leo Regan, the documentary depicts the therapy which May provided to the junior doctor, played by actress Ruth Wilson.{{cite web |url=http://www.channel4.com/health/microsites/D/dr_hears_voices/programme.html |title=Channel 4 The doctor who hears voices |accessdate=23 March 2010}} The programme created a significant reaction{{cite web |url=http://www.psychminded.co.uk/news/news2008/may08/psychologist001.htm |title=News on the film reaction |work=Psychminded |accessdate=19 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100113005535/http://www.psychminded.co.uk/news/news2008/may08/psychologist001.htm |archivedate=13 January 2010 |df=dmy-all }} with both support and criticism of May's approach{{cite web |url=http://frontierpsychiatrist.co.uk/the-doctor-who-hears-voices-again |title=Frontier Psychiatrist blog |accessdate=23 March 2010}}{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/tvandradioblog/2008/apr/22/lastnightstvthedoctorwho |title= Last night's TV: The Doctor Who Hears Voices | work = The Guardian | date= 22 April 2008 |accessdate=23 March 2010 | location=London | first=Nancy | last=Banks-Smith}}{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2008/apr/27/television.tvandradioarts |title= Hear the voices from the other side. | work = The Observer | date= 27 April 2008 |accessdate=23 March 2010 | location=London | first=Kathryn | last=Flett}}{{cite web |url=http://www.newstatesman.com/television/2008/04/hears-voices-channel-doctor |title=A dangerous experiment. | work = New Statesman | last= Cooke | first= Rachel | date = 24 April 2008 |accessdate=23 March 2010}}{{cite web |url=http://www.mindhacks.com/blog/2008/04/hearing_voices_with_.html |work=Mind Hacks | title=Hearing voices with your head in the sand |date= 22 April 2008 |accessdate=23 March 2010}}{{cite news |url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article3764148.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511160345/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article3764148.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 May 2008 |title= The dangerous methods of Leo Regan in The Doctor Who Hears Voices|work=The Times | date= 19 April 2008 |accessdate=23 March 2010 | location=London | first=Paul | last=Hoggart}} and was a 2008 finalist in the Mind Mental health media awards.{{cite web |url=http://www.mind.org.uk/mediaawards/previous_winners |title=Mind Media Awards 2009 |accessdate=23 March 2010}}

Religion and culture

May has expressed sympathy for individuals who come from various cultural backgrounds or those who hold specific religious beliefs in regards to proper treatment.

He has stated that "...for many people their voices are spiritual entities...we are working alongside traditional spiritual healers to create healing workshops that will help people deal with negative spirits. To insist on medicalizing this experience is now being recognized as culturally oppressive and colonial."{{cite book |last1=Hewis |first1=Elaine |last2=Knight |first2=Tamasin |title=Beyond Belief: Alternative Ways of Working with Delusions, Obsessions and Unusual Experiences |date=2013 |publisher=Peter Lehmann Publishing}}

Professional career

May has worked as a clinical psychologist in Tower Hamlets, East London, England. He currently works as a clinical psychologist in an assertive outreach team in Bradford, England. He is actively involved in consumer recovery groups such as the hearing voices network and a Bradford mental health discussion and campaign group, Evolving Minds.{{cite web |url=http://www.rufusmay.com |title=Rufus May website |accessdate=24 March 2010}}{{cite web |url=http://www.evolving-minds.co.uk/Frameset-2.htm |title=Evolving Minds website |accessdate=24 March 2010}}

He often provides comments in the British media against the use of compulsory detention and the forcibly use of medications legislation.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2000/dec/21/socialcare.mentalhealth1|title=Mental health proposals flawed, says ex-psychiatric patient | work= The Guardian | date = 21 December 2000|accessdate=23 March 2010 | location=London | first=Clare | last=Horton}}

His story has received a number of awards, including a Mental Health Media Survivor and Factual Radio awards in October 2001 for Fergal Keane's show Taking a Stand on Radio Four.{{cite web |url=http://www.critpsynet.freeuk.com/MINDlecture.htm|title=Critical thinking in psychiatry: A positive agenda for change | last= Double | first = D. B. | work=Lecture for the Mind Conference |date=November 2002 |accessdate=23 March 2010}}{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2001/oct/24/broadcasting.society |title= Society Role models. Praise for mental health media images | work = The Guardian |date=24 October 2001|accessdate=24 March 2010 | location=London | first=John | last=James}} and a 2008 award for the TV documentary.

Publications

May, R. (2000) "Routes to recovery from psychosis: The roots of a clinical psychologist", Clinical Psychology Forum 146: 6–10.
May, R. (2004) "Making sense of psychotic experiences and working towards recovery". In J. Gleeson & P. McGorry, (eds.) Psychological interventions in early psychosis. Chichester: Wiley.
May, R. (2007) [http://www.thepsychologist.org.uk/archive/archive_home.cfm?volumeID=20&editionID=147&ArticleID=1187 "Working outside the diagnostic frame"]. The Psychologist Vol 20, No 5, pp. 300–301.
May, R. (2007) "Reclaiming mad experience: Establishing Unusual Belief Groups and Evolving Minds public meetings"'. In Peter Stastny & Peter Lehmann (eds.), Alternatives Beyond Psychiatry (pp. 117–127). Berlin / Eugene / Shrewsbury: Peter Lehmann Publishing. {{ISBN|978-0-9545428-1-8}} (UK), {{ISBN|978-0-9788399-1-8}} (USA). (E-Book 2018)
May, R. (2007) "Zur Wiederaneignung verrückter Erfahrungen. Gruppen für Menschen mit außergewöhnlichen Überzeugungen". In Peter Lehmann & Peter Stastny (eds.), Statt Psychiatrie 2 (pp. 119–130). Berlin / Eugene / Shrewsbury: Antipsychiatrieverlag. {{ISBN|978-3-925931-38-3}}. (E-Book 2018)
May, R. (2009) personal story of recovery in Living with Voices: 50 Stories of Recovery by Marius Romme, Sandra Escher, Jacqui Dillon, Dirk Corstens, Mervyn Morris. {{ISBN|978-1-906254-22-3}}
May, R. (2023) "Die Stimmen aller". In Will Hall, Jenseits der Psychiatrie – Stimmen und Visionen des Wahnsinns im Madness Radio. Berlin & Lancaster: Peter Lehmann Publishing, pp. 283–285. {{ISBN|978-3-910546-23-3}} (paperback), {{ISBN|978-3-910546-26-4}} (e-book)