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MFI Blog
Welcome to a blog by MindFreedom International's executive director David W. Oaks about campaigns for human rights and alternatives in the mental health system. David is a psychiatric survivor who has been a community organizer for major mental health system change since 1976.
Jan 15, 2012
Filmmaker Daniel Mackler, Critic of Psychiatric Drugging, Visits Lithuanian Mental Health System
Daniel Mackler is a therapist in the New York State, USA who has made several films about the effectiveness of non-drug alternatives in helping people diagnosed with what are considered serious psychiatric disorders. In a blog entry on Robert Whitaker's web site this week, Daniel has written an essay exposing problems and opportunities in the Lithuanian mental health system, which he had the opportunity to visit for two weeks in November 2011. read more...
Jan 13, 2012
One Year After Publishing of "Coercive Treatment in Psychiatry"
An open letter by David W. Oaks, MFI Director, to those who created the book "Coercive Treatment in Psychiatry" that was released one year ago. The "psychosocial and moral illness" of the power imbalance between psychiatric survivors and the mental health industry is witnessed. read more...
Jan 01, 2012
Mental Health and Harvard
A volunteer agency at Harvard featured my story. Here are a few reflections about Harvard grad psychiatric survivors (see photo of four of us). Can reach more members of the Harvard community? read more...
Dec 20, 2011
When will society look back on today's chemical lobotomy?
The NY Times published an interesting article about how Eva Peron -- first lady of Peru in the 1940's -- apparently received a lobotomy. When will society look back at today's 'chemical lobotomy' with neuroleptic antipsychotic drugs? read more...
Oct 12, 2011
Faith based communities and mental health
I heard of a faith-based group that had an individual who was disruptive... and somehow this led to discussions about "mental health." But let's slow down for a moment... there are more complex issues involved. "Boycott normal" also means being more conscious about who and how the boundaries of "normal" are set. read more...
Aug 25, 2011
"Peacefully Push Back" on World Mental Health Day, October 10, 2011
It's time to peacefully push back against the "label, label, label, drug, drug, drug" bullying of the mental health system, that is globalizing as never before. A good day to do that is October 10, which is World Mental Health Day. read more...
Aug 17, 2011
After a disaster, a second disaster can hit those labeled 'mentally disabled'
Leaders in the disability field asked for advice about how to help people diagnosed with a disability after any major disaster in empowering and knowledgeable ways. David Oaks, MFI director, responded with a warning that after a disaster, many of those diagnosed with 'serious' psychiatric disabilities can be in for a second wave of trauma in a flawed mental health system. read more...
Jul 02, 2011
The many "mad movement" islands need bridges and canoes.
Reflecting back on 35 years of activism in what is called the "mad movement," David Oaks suggests the various fragmented groups and communities need to connect more for emergent activism. [revised 8/7/11 and 1/17/12] read more...
May 14, 2011
Report from opening of Rethinking Psychiatry
Earlier tonight, on Friday, 13 May 2011, the two-day symposium Rethinking Psychiatry began. There was some big news: Some of the participants had started a new foundation that won a $2 million dollar grant, to create information and research examples of model alternatives in mental health. read more...
May 06, 2011
The Sting of Psychiatry's DSM Label Bible is Unfair Power
The American Psychiatric Association "label bible" -- known as Diagnostic and Statistical Manual -- is up for revision. The APA has delayed the process because of intense criticism including from APA leaders themselves. So to try to address this public relations disaster, the APA held another teleconference for "stakeholders" and invited MindFreedom. This time, MFI had a three-person delegation on the call, and challenged the APA about the harm caused by DSM. read more...
Apr 27, 2011
Visit to MindFreedom Ghana has many lessons for us all
In April 2011, a delegation from MindFreedom International visited MindFreedom Ghana in Accra, Ghana, Africa. Celia Brown (MFI Board President) and David Oaks (MFI director) gave a workshop about how those using the mental health system, and those who have survived psychiatric abuse, can work more closely with the general cross-disability movement to amplify their voices. read more...
Feb 16, 2011
Top Ten: How Mental Health System Can Have EGYPTIAN Moment!
Can the mental health system have the kind of revolt we've seen in Egypt? Mental health consumers and psychiatric survivors are leading an international social change movement for major change in mental health care today. How can such activism and advocacy be supported by agencies and programs that are funded by scarce taxpayer funds? Here are David's "Top Ten Tips" to help the mental health system experience an "Egyptian" moment. read more...
Feb 11, 2011
MindFreedom Ireland speaks out on electroshock
Congratulations to MindFreedom Ireland for speaking out against involuntary electroshock. read more...
Jan 26, 2011
After Arizona: Media Still Ignoring Viewpoint of Mental Health Consumers and Psychiatric Survivors
The horrible attacks on innocent people in Tucson by Jared Lee Loughner has resulted in a flood of media about the topic of mental health. The mainstream media have given a lot of coverage to the views of an organization promoting more forced psychiatric drugs. At the same time the media have largely ignored representatives of groups composed of mental health consumers and psychiatric survivors, with very few exceptions. read more...
Jan 22, 2011
After Tucson: Mainstream Media Pushes Forced Psychiatric Drugging, Ignores Consumer/Survivor Perspective
Since the Tucson catastrophe, the mass media have largely been ignoring the perspective of groups run by mental health consumers and psychiatric survivors, despite many news articles and opinion pieces discussing mental health. Meanwhile, these same media have quoted extremist E. Fuller Torrey and supporters of his group Treatment Advocacy Center, the main organization promoting more forced psychiatric drugging as the main solution for mental and emotional problems in the USA. read more...
Jan 17, 2011
What creative responses can prevent future tragedies like the Tucson, Arizona shooting?
The MindFreedom community sends our heartfelt support to everyone impacted by the mass shooting in Tucson, Arizona on 8 January 2011. Unfortunately, those who push more forced psychiatric drugging are using this opportunity to advertise their agenda. In the spirit of Martin Luther King, a question needs to be asked, "What creative peaceful approaches might be used in the future to help avoid atrocities like this?" read more...
Dec 10, 2010
State of Oregon pays $2 mil to ask, "How do we fix psychiatric institution culture?"
We ask, "Why zero?" For eight years - since Sept. 2002 - the State of Oregon has spent zero (0) for the state-wide voice of mental health consumers and psychiatric survivors. Now the State announced they will pay a consulting firm $2 million to find out what is wrong with the "culture" at its large, troubled psychiatric institution, Oregon State Hospital. How about supporting the organized state-wide voice of the customer? read more...
Oct 02, 2010
My Comment to The Huffington Post about Bias in Mental Health
The Huffington Post once more is turning their blog over to an extremist attack on the human rights of people in mental health, while not giving a voice to organizations of, by and for mental health consumers. Here's my comment I submitted to The Huffington Post on 1 Oct. [Update 5 Oct. 2010] read more...
Oct 01, 2010
Live report from Alternatives 2010 Conference: D. J. Jaffe Attacks
The first full day of Alternatives 2010 is over, and MindFreedom's director David Oaks has reports some of the news, including about another political attack from the extremist promoter of more forced psychiatric drugging, D. J. Jaffe. [Updated.] read more...
Sep 27, 2010
Message to Participants at Alternatives 2010
Since the 1980's, the USA federal government has done something decent in mental health: Each year, the feds fund a conference gathering together leaders in services directed by mental health consumers and psychiatric survivors. This year's in California - one mile from Disneyland - promises to have more than 1,000 participants. MFI director David Oaks plans to attend. Here's his message to participants that is being distributed. read more...
