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MindFreedom International: Mental Health Rights and Alternative Mental Health

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United independent activism for human rights and humane alternatives in mental health.

MFI Featured News

VICTORY: Journalist Bob Whitaker is "Re-Confirmed" as Keynote for Alternatives 2010

(Published: Jul 23, 2010 09:00 AM)
VICTORY: Journalist Bob Whitaker is "Re-Confirmed" as Keynote for Alternatives 2010
Whitaker is a critic of psychiatric drug company claims, with his new book, "Anatomy of an Epidemic." US federal government officials objected to Whitaker keynoting Alternatives 2010 conference. An MFI alert 48-hours ago is called "effective," and Whitaker is now re-confirmed as keynoter. Thank you MFI News readers!
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MindFreedom Directory of Alternatives - One Year Later

(Published: Jul 04, 2010 05:45 PM)
MindFreedom Directory of Alternatives - One Year Later
One year later, the MindFreedom International free online directory of mental health alternatives is growing. Matthew Morrissey, MFI board member, explains how you can help promote self-directed, safe, and humane healing approaches in mental health.
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MFI News

"Undue influence of pharmaceutical industry" opposed by USA mental health consumer/psychiatric survivor leaders.

(Published: Jul 14, 2010 04:54 PM)
"Undue influence of pharmaceutical industry" opposed by USA mental health consumer/psychiatric survivor leaders.
Key national mental health consumer/psychiatric survivor leaders at a national USA federal meeting on mental health consumer and psychiatric survivor inclusion issued a statement of "alarm" about the "undue influence of the psychiatric pharmaceutical industry," and the “urgent necessity for more non-drug alternatives in mental health care.” Speaking for themselves as individuals, and not on behalf of the government, 18 of the 19 participants signed the statement.
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New Hand-Made MAD JEWELRY Benefits MFI Activism, Educates Public

(Published: Jul 01, 2010 07:35 PM)
New Hand-Made MAD JEWELRY Benefits MFI Activism, Educates Public
Flying brains! MFI logo! Show your support for a nonviolent revolution in mental health! Artist Steve Omilinsky brings 25 years of experience in high-end custom jewelry work. He has created hand-made gorgeous pins to benefit MindFreedom's campaigns for human rights and alternatives in mental health. Choose from pewter or antique brass plate.
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Global News

Worst Mental Health Media: Canada's National Post Biased Coverage by Joseph Brean of PsychOUT Conference

(Published: May 17, 2010 12:13 AM)
Worst Mental Health Media: Canada's National Post Biased Coverage by Joseph Brean of PsychOUT Conference
MFI awards the Worst Media Coverage of Mental Health Month May 2010 to reporter Joseph Brean from Canada's National Post. Brean horribly mis-covered the May 2010 international PsychOUT conference of psychiatric survivors activists and allies, who gathered from five nations to resist psychiatric human rights violations.
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Dispute Goes Public: International Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology (ICSPP)

(Published: May 01, 2010 12:05 AM)
Dispute Goes Public: International Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology (ICSPP)
Update: For years, ICSPP has been one of the main networking organizations for dissident psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health professionals, allies and others to question mental health system. ICSPP is a sponsor group in MFI. Psychiatrist Peter Breggin founded ICSPP. In 2002, Dr. Breggin announced he was turning over stewardship of ICSPP to new leadership. However, apparently Dr. Breggin disagreed with a decision by the ICSPP board of directors. In April 2010 he suddenly redirected the ICSPP web site to a new, personal effort of his own. The ICSPP board of directors has issued the below public statement in response. [Updated 15 June 2010]
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USA News

Robert Whitaker's new book takes on mental health myths about psychiatric drugs.

(Published: Jul 21, 2010 08:05 PM)
Robert Whitaker's new book takes on mental health myths about psychiatric drugs.
The new book by journalist Bob Whitaker -- Anatomy of an Epidemic -- challenges the massive psychiatric drugging inundating our society. He also spotlights MindFreedom's activism more than once as a model of effectiveness.
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An alert from family and friends of Emily Darguzhyte who is locked inside Western State Hospital

(Published: Jun 10, 2010 08:15 PM)
An alert from family and friends of Emily Darguzhyte who is locked inside Western State Hospital
A 28-year-old woman from Lithuania, who has trouble with English, is being heavily forcibly drugged while held in extended ongoing involuntary lock-ups at the notorious Western State Hospital. Her family and friends ask that she be released.
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Recently published articles of interest

Treat the cause

(Published: Jul 22, 2010 08:04 PM)
Here's a letter-to-the-editor about by MindFreedom board member Mary Maddock, founder of MindFreedom Ireland, published in the Irish Examiner. Mary's letter was part of a series of a letter and article published by the Irish Examiner highly critical of involuntary psychiatry, and psychiatric drugging.

Mental disorders - diagnoses or discriminating?

(Published: Jun 11, 2010 11:16 AM)
The Torch is the newspaper for Lane Community College in Eugene, Oregon, USA. After student columnist Haydenn Harper was widely criticized for his language in an article he wrote for the Torch about allegedly "crazy" people he saw on the bus, he investigated the topic of psychiatric labeling with several interviews, including with David Oaks, Director, MindFreedom International. Harper looks into the origins of labeling via the psychiatry's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, also known as the DSM.

Mental health hospitalizations up for troops

(Published: May 18, 2010 12:37 PM)
The number of hospitalizations of USA troops for psychiatric reasons has been climbing for years, and now exceeds any other cause.

Wall St. Journal Covers NAMI State Chapter Psychiatric Drug Money Donations

(Published: Apr 30, 2010 11:07 PM)
The Wall St. Journal blog covered the news that US Senator Grassley is focusing on NAMI state chapters, and how many have received immense pharmaceutical corporation money without adequately disclosing their source of wealth the public. Biggest recipient of drug company money: NAMI California.

Are Prozac and Other Psychiatric Drugs Causing the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America?

(Published: Apr 29, 2010 08:12 PM)
This Alternet interview with Robert Whitaker, author of the book Anatomy of an Epidemic, is by Bruce Levine. Bob's book praises MindFreedom's activism, and the interview touches on MFI's work and views.

Mind Over Meds

(Published: Apr 26, 2010 12:52 PM)
Here is an article from Sunday NY Times about regrets of a psychiatrist and author, Daniel Carlat.

Americanizing the global mind?

(Published: Mar 15, 2010 01:20 PM)
This is a review by Andrew Rasmussen of the book "Crazy Like Us: The Globalization of the American Psyche" by Ethan Watters. The review is published by STATS, affiliated with George Mason University in Virginia, USA.

It's not too late to save 'normal': Psychiatry's latest DSM goes too far in creating new mental disorders.

(Published: Mar 02, 2010 12:55 PM)
The American Psychiatric Association is trying to update their "label bible" known as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. But in this guest column op ed in the LA Times, the head of their fourth edition, psychiatrist Allen Frances, is basting the process leading to the fifth edition. He says, "This wholesale medical imperialization of normality could potentially create tens of millions of innocent bystanders who would be mislabeled as having a mental disorder. The pharmaceutical industry would have a field day -- despite the lack of solid evidence of any effective treatments for these newly proposed diagnoses." MindFreedom is calling for a halt on the flawed DSM process, and open mediated dialogue between the APA and those harmed by psychiatric labeling.

Different Paths to Mental Health: Alternatives to medication for mentally ill patients

(Published: Feb 11, 2010 08:24 PM)
The weekly newspaper for Eugene, Oregon covered the topic of alternatives to psychiatric drugs, quoting MindFreedom activists Ron Unger and David Oaks several times.

Therapy Without Force: A Treatment Model for Severe Psychiatric Problems

(Published: Jan 31, 2010 04:01 PM)
This paper offers real-world examples of how therapists can avoid resorting to coercive interventions while attempting to respectfully help those in severe distress. (Author is responsible for content.)

We are MFI



Jim Gottstein of PsychRights

Jim Gottstein is a psychiatric survivor who is also a Harvard-trained attorney, and founder of MindFreedom Sponsor Group PsychRights. Jim blew the whistle on Eli Lilly by releasing their secret documents about the psychiatric drug Zyprexa to The New York Times. Jim is also president of National Association of Rights Protection and Advocacy (NARPA) a founding Sponsor Group of MFI.