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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.
Jul 23, 2010
I'm very glad to be proven wrong by organizers of Alternatives 2010!
Today, maybe because of a MindFreedom International public campaign, it looks like the federal funders of Alternatives 2010 will allow author/journalist Bob Whitaker keynote and criticize the claims of psychiatric drug companies. A month ago, I was skeptical if this important conference would include such criticism -- I'm very glad to be proven wrong! read more...
Jul 02, 2010
Psychiatrist Alan Stone Complains About Term "Psychiatric Torture"
The Judge Rotenberg Center (JRC) in Massachusetts uses pain to try to change behavior of young people in Massachusetts diagnosed with mental disabilities. Mental Disability Rights International (MDRI) investigated, and told the UN it's "torture." ABC-TV reports that a UN representative agreed it's "torture." MindFreedom International called it "psychiatric torture." But psychiatrist and Harvard law professor Alan Stone has complained to MindFreedom about this phrase, arguing no psychiatrists are involved. read more...
Jun 11, 2010
We Are Our Own Media! Making News to Change Mental Health in Spring 2010
Tomorrow is another MindFreedom Web Radio Show, this time with authors Robert Whitaker and Linda Andre, who are reaching thousands of people about changing mental health care. It's a good time to reflect on "being our own media." This Spring 2010, we've had terrible media and good media, ranging from a professional reporter who called a psychiatric survivor a "crackpot," in print... to a student journalist struggling with the controversy of psychiatric labeling... read more...
Jun 08, 2010
San Francisco Chronicle's Chemical Crusade: Pushing "Laura's Law" Involuntary Outpatient Commitment
I challenge the editors of The San Francisco Chronicle to voluntarily try taking a strong dose of an antipsychotic psychiatric medication, also known as a neuroleptic. See what it's like. The Chronicle editors has been spending Spring 2010 promoting and pushing laws to make it easier to forcibly give psychiatric drugs to people living outside of institutions, out in the community. The Chronicle has run columns, editorials and news articles. It's time to speak out. read more...
May 29, 2010
Massachusetts Comment on Rotenberg Torture? Silence.
MFI Sponsor Mental Disability Rights International (MDRI) proved that a mental disability facility in Massachusetts, the Judge Rotenberg Center, is torturing young people diagnosed with psychiatric and other mental disabilities using extreme and repeated pain from electrical jolts. So what is the response from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, via their Dept. of Mental Health General Counsel Lester Blumberg? Silence. But why? read more...
May 25, 2010
Another phone call to the office - family says father threatened with forced electroshock.
We are contacted all the time by people experiencing human rights violations in mental health. But it really stands out when there's a threat of involuntary electroconvulsive therapy, also known as ECT or electroshock. read more...
May 03, 2010
On "witch hunts," and unity for human rights in psychiatry
Working for human rights in mental health can have a lot of side effects. For instance, you can be named a "witch" publicly on a strange web site! read more...
May 01, 2010
Dissident psychiatrist Peter Breggin splits with group he founded.
The International Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology (ICSPP) has been one of the main organizations to bring together concerned mental health professionals who seek to signifiant change. Apparently their founder, Peter Breggin, has a dispute with ICSPP, and redirected their web site to his own. read more...
Apr 23, 2010
MindFreedom plan for skit at Sarah Palin event gets national publicity
Today, MindFreedom plans a skit because Sarah Palin is speaking at a hotel one block from our office in Eugene, Oregon. Just the plan itself is getting national publicty! read more...
Apr 15, 2010
Ray Sandford One Year Later: "Absolutely okay without the electroshock."
One year ago today, on 15 April 2009, Ray Sandford of Minnesota received what we at MindFreedom hope will be his last involuntary electroshock over his expressed wishes, on an outpatient basis. We asked Ray today how his one year victory anniversary feels. Ray said, "It feels great! I'm absolutely okay without the electroshock." read more...
Apr 01, 2010
I attended a meeting about an individual's forced psychiatric drugging
Yesterday, I was invited by a psychiatric survivor to attend her meeting with mental health workers about her complaint that she was being forcibly drugged on an outpatient basis. We had some good conclusions from the meeting... now the evidence will be in the results. read more...
Mar 11, 2010
Position filled in MindFreedom Office
UPDATE: 3 April 2010 -- The following position has been filled. After 30 months -- two and a half years -- Jeremy in the office is moving on to another job of out town. Thanks so much for your service and dedication Jeremy! Welcome aboard Shasta! read more...
Jan 05, 2010
Delay DSM Forever: Problems With Psychiatry's Label Bible May Unite Left and Right
Recently, the American Psychiatric Association announced a one year delay in publishing the next version of their "label bible." Good, let this delay be extended forever. In fact, concern about psychiatry's bullying labeling of people is uniting both the right wing and the left wing! read more...
Oct 09, 2009
10/10: World Mental Health Day or World Psychiatric Drugging Day?
The psychiatric industry named 10 October as "World Mental Health Day." But is it really World Psychiatric Drugging Day? Maybe we need a World Mental Health Revolution day, and that ought to be every day... until victory day? Included here is an open letter I've written to one of the promoters of World Mental Health Day, the US federal mental health system. read more...
Sep 07, 2009
Open letter to Ia Robinson, producer of ABC-TV piece on MAD PRIDE: Why the Over Emphasis on Violence?
On 25 August 2009, ABC-TV's show Primetime Outsider ran a piece on Mad Pride that included an interview with David W. Oaks, Director, MindFreedom International. Here is an open letter from David to the producer of the ABC-TV piece, Ia A. Robinson. read more...
Aug 25, 2009
Musings on Mass Media and Mad Pride
Tonight, ABC-TV intends to air its piece about MAD PRIDE. There's good news, and bad news. read more...
Jul 17, 2009
I'm back from being taped for a national tv news show.
Keep your fingers crossed. read more...
May 12, 2009
San Francisco protest shows: Corporate media is often part of the problem in mental health reform.
Educating the public is a key goal of the "mad pride" movement. But the mainstream corporate media is part of the problem. We are protesting in San Francisco, and once more the media is showing the same signs. read more...
May 03, 2009
Reporting Live from Minneapolis: Community Organizing in Mental Health
I'm blogging this one early on a Sunday morning from a Motel 6 room in the Twin Cities, Minnesota area, where MindFreedom is having several actions to support the human right of Ray Sandford to say "no" to his involuntary electroshock. read more...
Apr 20, 2009
On mental health change and money: Oregon's Medicaid Advisory Committee
While the following is about an event in Oregon, it applies to Medicaid funding throughout the USA... and really to government-funded mental health system internationally. How can the public influence government-funded mental health services for deep change, so that people helped are empowered, so that there is real choice, so that people are helped more than hurt? read more...
