NEWS: Bush, Forced Psychiatry, and Mental Health in USA

[Guest guest]

" David Oaks - www.MindFreedom.org " <oaks

Tue, 26 Oct 2004 12:16:51 -0700

 

Subject:NEWS: Bush, Forced Psychiatry, and Mental Health in USA

 

 

NEWS: Your Mind & Freedom - 26 October 2004

http://www.MindFreedom.org - please forward

 

" Whatcha Gonna Do When They Screen For You? "

 

Warning: Bush administration pushes for

more US citizens to be forcibly drugged,

even on outpatient basis.

 

by David Oaks, Director,

MindFreedom International

 

What would a second term by President George

W. Bush look like for the increasing number

of US citizens who are being " screened " by

the mental health system?

 

For some it may look like " One Flew Over

the Cuckoo's Nest " has landed in their homes.

 

A Bush appointee to a key federal mental health

advisory council is pushing for more coerced

and involuntary outpatient commitment as a

central USA goal over the next few years.

 

Forty-two US states have passed outpatient

commitment laws in the last 15 years, allowing

citizens to be court ordered to take psychiatric

drugs against their will even while living

peacefully in their own homes.

 

The official minutes from the meeting reveal

that psychiatrist Sally L. Satel -- in her

own words -- called for the federal government to

encourage the States to use more " coercive, "

" intrusive, highly paternalistic " and

" involuntary care. " A federal employee confirmed

to MindFreedom that Satel used these exact words.

 

Since the Bush Administration is also calling

for screening of all US citizens for mental

health problems, Dr. Satel's crusade for more

coercion could potentially impact any American.

 

The President's Psychiatrist: Dr. Satel

 

President Bush appointed psychiatrist Sally

Satel to the National Advisory Council (NAC)

for the US Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS).

 

CMHS oversees hundreds of millions of federal

money for mental health care, and the NAC must

approve all grants.

 

This Fall the official minutes were released for

the 16 June 2004 NAC meeting in Rockville, MD:

 

http://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/cmhs/AdvisoryCouncil/minutes/

min0904.asp

 

Dr. Satel, according to the minutes, stated her

goals for the important " State Incentive Grants "

(SIGs) that the federal government uses to impact

mental health policy and practice in the States.

 

The official minutes reported Dr. Satel's comments

about goals for the future of USA mental health:

 

" She recommended that SIGs address whether States

provide assisted outpatient treatment. Acknowledging

her controversial view, she noted that stigma

regarding severe mental illness may be addressed

by early coercive care that then migrates into

other, less coercive systems. She asserted that

some people need intrusive, highly paternalistic,

life-saving care....Dr. Satel offered to provide

contacts for a discussion on involuntary care. "

 

Dr. Satel also challenged the concept of

" recovery " for people diagnosed with

psychiatric disabilities.

 

Dr. Satel's comments will come as no surprise to

those familiar with her work. Dr. Satel wrote the

book _PC MD_ that devotes a chapter called " Inmates

Take Over the Asylum " to denouncing the social

change movement led by psychiatric survivors and

mental health consumers.

 

Dr. Satel works for the American Enterprise

Institute (AEI), which is one of the best-funded

corporate think tanks in Washington, D.C. AEI is

widely acknowledged to have some of the closest

ties to the Bush Administration of any think tank,

especially to the Cheney's.

 

As an example of their influence, an investigation by

_Mother Jones Magazine_ credits AEI with laying the

groundwork for the war in Iraq. AEI, which is partly

funded by pharmaceutical corporations and has a

pharmaceutical company CEO on its board, also held an

all-day gathering to promote more forced psychiatry.

 

Enforcement Arm for Screening?

 

Concern is rapidly spreading among both conservative

and progressive circles about Bush administration

announced plans -- directly created by the pharmaceutical

industry -- to screen each and every American for mental

health problems.

 

The President's New Freedom Commission called for this

widespread screening, which is already being put into

effect in a number of schools in the US. Adults would

also be screened during routine visits to their general

practitioner for annual exams and common ailments.

 

But what if a US citizen says " No! " to mental health

screening, for their child or themselves?

 

In a 21 October 2004 letter in the _Washington Times_,

Michael F. Hogan, chair of the President's Commission

defended it from charges, saying, " The commission did

not call for mandatory universal mental-health screening

for all children. "

 

But many in the public are still very concerned. Rep.

Ron Paul, a Republican congressperson from Texas,

has proposed a bill from the floor of the House on

6 Oct. called " Let Parents Raise Their Kids Act, " to

try to prevent any coerced screening of children.

 

And what about adults?

 

The President's New Freedom Commission did not oppose

forced outpatient commitment and other forms of

psychiatric coercion being promoted by Dr. Satel.

 

The fact is the MindFreedom office regularly receives

phone calls, e-mail and letters from US citizens who

are already under a wide range of coercion in their

own homes and out in their own neighborhoods to force

them to take psychiatric drugs, drugs that can cause

brain damage, addiction and death. While MindFreedom

is pro-choice about taking prescribed psychiatric

drugs, to be forced to take them is a profound

violation of fundamental human rights.

 

When the President's New Freedom Commission's vision

of widespread screening is combined with Dr. Satel's

vision of even more " intrusive, highly paternalistic...

coercive... involuntary care, " we're left with

" more of the same " by the mental health system:

 

A chemical crusade backed up by government coercion.

 

- end -

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

For more information about mental health screening:

 

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

 

For more information about Dr. Sally Satel:

 

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

 

http://www.aei.org/scholars/scholarID.69/scholar.asp

 

For Michael Hogan's letter to the _Washington Times_:

 

http://washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20041020-092931-2216r.htm

 

For information on Rep. Ron Paul's new bill:

 

http://www.house.gov/paul/congrec/congrec2004/cr100604.htm

 

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NEW ISSUE OF MINDFREEDOM NEWSJOURNAL IS OUT

 

A new issue of _MindFreedom Journal_ is now out, featuring

articles about mental health screening, the globalization

of mental health human rights violations and much more. Join!

 

To get your copy and support human rights campaigns, join

here: http://www.mindfreedom.org/join.shtml

 

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Please forward.

 

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