Questioning Everything Propaganda
Originally published July 2nd, 2025
In a compelling episode of Chicago Writes, hosted by the Chicago Writers Association, W.C. Turck sat down with Jason Page, author of the Mental Hospital Survival Guide: How to Protect Yourself and Others from Abuse, now in its fourth edition. For my blog, dedicated to exposing propaganda and championing truth, this interview is a powerful exploration of how systemic narratives in mental health care obscure the realities of hospitalization and disempower patients. Page, a diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic, transforms his experiences into a vital resource for navigating the often hostile landscape of mental health institutions. This article delves into the nuances of his guide, the systemic challenges within these facilities, and the critical role of self-advocacy and empathy in countering institutional propaganda.
Page’s Mental Hospital Survival Guide is not a typical self-help book. As Turck notes, it is written in the “language of the schizophrenic,” with a unique vocabulary, structure, and cultural context that may seem opaque to outsiders but serves as a lifeline for those experiencing psychosis or their loved ones. Unlike mainstream mental health resources that often sanitize or oversimplify the patient experience, Page’s guide is designed for patients, not hospital staff, empowering them to navigate the confusion, chaos, and potential hostility of mental health facilities.
The guide offers practical strategies for managing behavior and attitudes to de-escalate crises and expedite release, whether hospitalization is voluntary or involuntary. Drawing from his over 20 hospitalizations, Page candidly shares that he witnessed abuse in approximately half, exposing the propaganda of mental health institutions as safe havens. His work challenges the narrative that patients are powerless, emphasizing empowerment through self-awareness and strategic action.
Page and Turck highlight systemic issues that perpetuate a culture of control and neglect in mental health institutions, a form of institutional propaganda that masks inadequate care as necessary oversight:
Understaffing and Underfunding: Chronic resource shortages lead to inadequate oversight and unchecked staff authority. Page notes that some staff, particularly those with ex-military backgrounds, may bring complexities like PTSD, amplifying their responses in high-stress environments. This creates a “sensitivity gap” where empathy is lacking, a reality obscured by institutional claims of compassionate care.
Staff Misconduct: Page recounts witnessing abuse by staff with military training, whose restraint techniques make them desirable hires but contribute to a culture of disregard for patients’ humanity. Predatory staff further exploit vulnerable patients, a problem hidden by the lack of live monitoring and privacy-driven camera restrictions in rooms.
Profit Over Patients: The pressure to prioritize the bottom line compromises patient safety, a truth glossed over by narratives of institutional benevolence. The absence of robust oversight allows abuse to go undetected, reinforcing the need for Page’s guide to empower patients against systemic failures.
Page’s guide counters the propaganda of patient helplessness by emphasizing self-advocacy, a cornerstone of my blog’s mission to empower individuals against manipulative systems:
Recognizing the Problem: For those in psychosis, personal insight is rare. Page advocates validating patients’ experiences while gently introducing alternative perspectives, helping them recognize issues without dismissing their reality—a direct challenge to the institutional tendency to invalidate patient perceptions.
Strategic Behaviors: Page highlights small actions, like making one’s bed daily, which signal organization and well-being to staff, potentially expediting discharge. This act also fosters therapeutic self-care, countering the narrative that patients lack agency.
Documenting Incidents: Keeping a detailed log of abuse or concerning events—without interpretation—builds a case for legal action. Page also advises maintaining a written list of critical contacts (loved ones, doctors), as access to phones or computers is often restricted, empowering patients to navigate institutional barriers.
Page’s experiences with psychosis—hallucinating alternate realities like being followed or seeing helicopters—provide a poignant backdrop. He stresses validation as a tool to empower patients, countering the dismissive attitudes often embedded in institutional propaganda. His guide distinguishes between voluntary and involuntary hospitalization, noting that patients bear the burden of crisis management once admitted. For those in crisis—whether from stress, suicidal ideation, or justice system encounters—the guide offers a roadmap to navigate and emerge stabilized.
Turck highlights a key quote: “If you feel targeted, whether by a conspiracy or poised to expose perceived gang stalking, gaslighting, or other forces you believe imperil you to others, hospitalization can be a lifeline.” Page advises calling 911 with specific phrasing—“I believe what I’m experiencing puts me in immediate danger to myself”—to align with crisis protocols, ensuring help regardless of whether threats are real or tied to psychosis. This practical advice challenges the stigma that portrays mental health crises as shameful or unmanageable.
Page exposes broader societal and political issues that perpetuate mental health propaganda:
Funding and Oversight Risks: Reduced funding and oversight under certain political climates could worsen institutional shortcomings, institutionalizing capable individuals against their consent—a practice Page sees as antithetical to American values and my blog’s advocacy for individual autonomy.
Shrinking Facilities: The reduction of facilities like Reed Hospital to serve only the criminally insane leaves few options for others in crisis. Page shares the tragic story of a friend who, unable to find care, jumped in front of a train, highlighting the consequences of systemic neglect obscured by narratives of adequate care.
Drop-In Centers as Alternatives: Page advocates for drop-in centers, like one near his home funded by Cook County Health, offering meetings, meals, and safe spaces for personal development. These centers address universal needs (e.g., Maslow’s hierarchy) and foster insight, providing a model for care that prioritizes empowerment over incarceration.
Writing the Mental Hospital Survival Guide faced resistance from within the mental health community. A fellow author declined to review it, citing concerns about its potential to harm the mental health system. Page counters that addressing root causes—like societal empathy and oversight—is critical, aligning with my blog’s mission to challenge sanitized narratives. The fourth edition includes a new chapter on medically induced psychosis, inspired by a friend’s delusional symptoms from medication, underscoring the guide