Thank you for considering submitting a blog to Mad in Ireland. We welcome written blogs that align with our aim of fundamentally re-thinking mental health theory and practice, and promoting positive change. This note will give you information about our blogging process and requirements. Should you have any questions, please email us: info@madinireland.com

Mad in Ireland is intent on providing an online focal point for people interested in campaigning for a change in the professional and public discourse about emotional distress and unusual experiences; for support, both within and beyond services, which meets people’s real needs; and for social policy which addresses the causes of distress at its roots. 

We also want our site to be one that shows respect for people with different thoughts, beliefs, experiences, and opinions. We know that passions can run hot on this topic, but we are trying to foster an environment where there is a civil tone to the conversation at all times. 

Blogging overview

Tone and language of blogs 

All blogs submissions should be respectful in tone. This doesn’t mean that bloggers shouldn’t write their opinions, but blogging here is different to writing a blog on a personal website. Pieces can be funny, opinionated, etc., but must always written in a respectful way.

We encourage writers to become familiar with language guidelines which can be accessed here  or the British Psychological Society’s Division of Clinical Psychology Language Guidelines provided here. In short, we want to avoid stigmatising and medicalised terminology and to describe problems in everyday language wherever possible.

Purpose of blogs 

While your blog is a forum for making your thoughts known on this general topic of psychiatry, psychology and mental health, you should also think of it as a place to report on what you may be doing in your own sphere of involvement with this world. 

We want readers to learn about innovative projects, success stories, efforts at developing alternative therapies, peer-run initiatives, etc. So your blog might be seen as providing a mix of opinion, insight, and news. 

Writing quality 

Please review your blog for clarity, grammar, and spelling. We recognise that some people are relatively new to writing for this kind of forum, and are happy to offer support and feedback on drafts. We will sometimes edit blogs for clarity and ease of reading before publishing. We have developed a style guide can that you can access here.

Simultaneous Submissions 

We are happy to accept blogs that have been previously published elsewhere, providing that the previous publisher has no right to the blog that could prevent it from being used elsewhere.

Some submitted blogs will also feature on our sister site, Mad in America. Should you not wish your piece to appear on Mad in America, please tell us when you submit your blog. If you do not express a preference, all blogs submitted to us will be shared with Mad in America and their editors will decide which pieces to run. If your blog does run on both sites, we will aim to inform you of this.

Submitting Blogs 

Please email your blog to info@madinireland.com

Reader comments and interacting with readers  

Readers who want to comment on articles must register with MadinIreland.com, and we ask that everyone comments in a civil manner. We, of course, want to keep the comment section open for critical thoughts, but we ask our readers to do so in a respectful way, and without using language that is hateful or might be considered a personal attack. 

We have a moderator who seeks to keep comments within these guidelines. This isn’t easy, for we have to strike up a balance that allows for a free discussion of ideas and opinions, and yet keeps that discussion civil and on-topic. To begin with, all comments will be reviewed and approved before being posted.

Some of our writers will want to engage with readers, responding to their comments, and while it is up to every writer to decide whether to respond, we do encourage such interaction, as it can be so informative for everyone. We ask our bloggers to respond to commenters with the same respect that we ask our readers to give to our writers. 

What We Need From You To Create Your Account  

1. A photo (jpg) of you, at least 200×200 pixels. A headshot would be fine, and if not a headshot, a photo that we can crop for a headshot. Photos that are too large will be resized. 
2. A short biographical statement of around 40 words (see example here).
3. A short title for your blog, which describes the particular focus of your blog.
4. A longer biography that includes a description of what you will be writing about. This doesn’t mean that you will only write about that subject, but still let readers know your general focus. 
5. We hold your email address, but this is not shared with readers unless you wish to share it in your blog.

Once Your Account is Created 

Accessing the site 

Log in using the link at the top of the page. 

1. Your login name: Initial of your first name, then full last name, all lowercase. So for instance, Robert Whitaker’s login name is: rwhitaker. 
2. Your password will be emailed to you. You can change your password if you like on the dashboard. For a password reset or other technical issues please email info@madinireland.com
3. Please use your author account when commenting on articles. Do not make more than one accounT. If you were already a commenter then your existing account will be given author privileges. 

If you have a question, don’t hesitate to ask and thank you; your blog is going to be an important part of this community. 

The Mad in Ireland Team

General enquiries:  info@madinireland.com 

Blog submissions:  info@madinireland.com 

A Note on Scientology

For anyone in the critical space around psychiatry and psychology, the potential for hijacking by scientology adherents is a concern. Mad in Ireland reject Scientology and will never knowingly promote or host Scientology content. 

It is very difficult to always know the provenance of everything that may be posted on MII, so if you are aware of something that we should take action on, please let us know by emailing info@madinireland.com