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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...
Sep 13, 2010
Should There be a Great Push BACK About Global Psychiatric Drug Industry?
The mental health nongovernmental organization World Federation for Mental Health, which sponsors World Mental Health Day (10/10), announced that their annual day will promote their new international campaign, 'THE GREAT PUSH FOR MENTAL HEALTH.' But maybe this should be, instead, "The Great Push BACK Against Psychiatric Drug Industry Abuse." read more...
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...
