Patch Adams volunteers to screen President Bush. He needs a lot of help. I'll see him for free,

[Guest guest]

http://www.mindfreedom.org/mindfreedom/bushpsychnews.shtml

 

News Release: President Bush and the Shrinking of the

USA

 

NEWS RELEASE - MindFreedom - 16 August 2004

http://www.MindFreedom.org

 

President Bush Implements Plans To Screen All

Americans for Mental Health Problems

 

Coalition of Advocacy Groups Says: " Start With the

Top. Test President Bush for 'Mental Illness' First. "

 

A plan by President Bush to screen all Americans for

mental health problems is being opposed by a coalition

of advocacy groups who say the plan was cooked up by

the drug industry.

 

" President Bush wants to test all Americans for

'mental illness,' " said David Oaks, Director of

MindFreedom International, which unites 100 advocacy

groups, " We demand that President Bush start with

himself first. We will provide the mental health

professional to do the screening. "

 

The real Patch Adams, a physician based in Arlington,

VA, has volunteered to screen President Bush. " He

needs a lot of help. I'll see him for free, " said

Patch, who has been a leader in MindFreedom since

1992, was played by Robin Williams in the film " Patch

Adams. " Patch promised that the symbolic screening of

President Bush would be done voluntarily and humanely.

 

On its face, the idea of locating people, especially

youngsters, with severe mental and emotional problems

sounds humane. But critics - including the

internationally prestigious British Medical Journal --

maintain the Bush plan originated with powerful

psychiatric drug manufacturers and could result in

many more Americans being placed on the most expensive

psychiatric drugs.

 

The Bush initiative is the outcome of a year long task

force called The President's New Freedom Commission on

Mental Health. The task force recommended a nationwide

screening program based on the Texas Medical Algorithm

Project (TMAP), which was created in 1995 while

President Bush was governor of Texas. Despite its

technical-sounding name, TMAP is simply a series of

flowcharts that directs doctors to a step by step

treatment plan for their patients. Critics maintain

that TMAP constricts doctors so that whether the

patient is diagnosed with depression or schizophrenia,

TMAP inevitably leads first to the most expensive

psychiatric drugs currently manufactured.

 

In a series of articles in summer 2004, the British

Medical Journal (BMJ) has drawn international

attention to TMAP's dangers, and its links to the

psychiatric drug industry.

 

The BMJ reported that Allen Jones, an investigator

working for the Office of Inspector General in

Pennsylvania, has claimed in court documents that

pharmaceutical companies promoting TMAP were

influencing politicians with " trips, perks, lavish

meals, transportation to and first-class

accommodations in major cities. " Jones was fired and

has filed a lawsuit against Pennsylvania maintaining

that he is a whisteblower.

 

The BMJ also reported about Psychiatrist Stefan

Kruszewski, who was fired on July 11, 2004 from his

position at the Bureau of Program Integrity in the

Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, and who is

also suing the state. Dr. Kruszewski was in charge of

the state's mental health and substance misuse

programs to protect against fraud and waste. He

maintains that TMAP has led to the death of patients,

some of whom were placed on five or more psychiatric

drugs at the same time.

 

One of the main goals of the President's New Freedom

Commission (Goal 4 of 10) is to ensure " Early mental

health screening, assessment, and referral to services

are common practice " with subsequent recommendations

" to promote the mental health of young children,

improve and expand school mental health programs,...

screen for mental disorders in primary health care,

across the life span, and connect to treatment and

supports. "

 

MindFreedom maintains that the President's New Freedom

Commission tends to promote a " biomedical " approach to

mental and emotional problems that relies on a theory

that people's problems are caused by a " chemical

imbalance. " As yet, there has been no definitive,

scientifically-valid evidence supporting the pervasive

theory that conditions labeled as " mental illnesses "

are biologically-based brain disorders treatable with

medications. MindFreedom held a hunger strike last

year demanding any evidence for a " chemical

imbalance. " Under the spotlight of national media, the

American Psychiatric Association was unable to produce

any such evidence. [see

http://www.mindfreedom.org/hungerstrike.htm]

 

Critics of mainstream psychiatry state that the

medical model tends to lead to chemical and electrical

solutions, rather than other alternatives, such as

conseling, psychosocial alternatives, peer support,

housing, jobs, etc. Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT or

shock therapy) also found its way into TMAP's

treatment plan. If drugs fail to get the expected

results, TMAP patients diagnosed with a wide range of

" disorders " can expect to receive shock treatment.

 

MindFreedom also maintains that if Americans screened

for " mental illness " refuse their drugs, they are

vulnerable to laws in 42 USA states that allow for

court ordered psychiatric drugging on an outpatient

basis. Thousands of Americans are now under these

programs, which require individuals to take

psychiatric drugs against their will, even while

living in their own homes out in the community.

 

Psychiatrist Sally Satel from the American Enterprise

Institute, appointed by President Bush to a key

federal mental health advisory committee, called for

vastly increasing the amount of forced outpatient

psychiatric drugging in the June 2004 meeting of the

National Advisory Council for the US Center for Mental

Health Services.

 

MindFreedom Support Coalition International unites 100

grassroots groups to campaign for human rights in the

mental health system. While open to the public, a

majority of members identify themselves as individuals

who have experienced human rights violations in the

mental health system. The group is the only one of its

kind to have Non Governmental Organization status from

the United Nations.

 

For more information see MindFreedom Ph: 541-345-9106.

E-mail: office.

 

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