MEDIA: Forced Psychiatric Drug Not the Answer

December 5, 2005

Sun, 4 Dec 2005 22:19:09 -0800

mindfreedom-news

MEDIA: human rights in mental health

http://www.MindFreedom.org - 4 Dec. 2005

Richard Dean Townsend -- a long-time

client of the mental health system --

was shot four times by police in

Corvallis, Oregon, USA, and died.

TODAY the local newspaper in Corvallis

carried articles about the aftermath:

~~~~~~~~~

_Corvallis Gazette-Times_, USA

December 4, 2005

Forcing Pills on Patients is Not the

Answer

By THERESA HOGUE

When David Oaks hears someone suggest

that compulsory drug treatment is the

solution to mental illness, it

horrifies him.

Thirty years ago, while a student at

Harvard, Oaks was diagnosed with

schizophrenia and was locked up and

forcibly injected with psychiatric

drugs. The experience was so

humiliating and frightening that when

Oaks finally graduated, he dedicated

himself as a human rights advocate,

to ensure that others in the same

situation would never be forced into

medication.

Oaks is now director of MindFreedom

International, a nonprofit

organization that unites 100

different groups around the world in

speaking out for human rights in

mental health.

Speaking from his Eugene office, Oaks

talked about the questions raised

after the death of Richard Dean

Townsend last week at the hands of

Corvallis police officers. Townsend

was diagnosed with bipolar disorder,

and allegedly came at police with a

metal rod when he was shot four

times. According to relatives,

Townsend had not been taking his

prescribed medication.

" It's just a horrible nightmare, "

Oaks said of Townsend's death, but he

also viewed it as an opportunity to

explore what's going wrong with the

structure of support for people

labeled with psychiatric

disabilities. Too often, the quick

solution is to blame medication, or

the lack thereof, for the problem, he

said.

" It's reduced to a bumper sticker

approach of 'Keep them on their

drugs.' "

Forcing people to take psychiatric

drugs is actually a human rights

violation, he said, and he disagrees

that it provides any sort of solution.

" There's new evidence that the latest

neuroleptic drugs are not necessarily

any more effective than the older

neuroleptic drugs, and they're

tremendously more expensive, " Oaks

said.

And even more importantly, studies

now show that long-term use of

high-dosage neuroleptics causes the

brain's frontal lobe to shrink.

While he supports an individual's

right to choose to take medication,

he said creating a range of humane

alternatives including a network of

peer support, counseling, and

supported employment and housing

opportunities is what's really needed

to address the mental health crises

being faced by many individuals.

Marie Parcell is on the board of

directors of BEARS (Band of Empowered

Advocates Reclaiming

Self-Determination), a group that

advocates for the welfare of mental

health clients.

The group has looked to other

communities as models for how

Corvallis might respond to people in

crises.

In Eugene, the White Bird Clinic

offers a 24-hour crisis service

center, as well as something known as

the Cahoots Bus, a mobile crisis

intervention unit that is called upon

for non-criminal incidents. The

responders get involved in crises,

including intoxication,

disorientation, substance abuse,

mental illness problems and dispute

resolution, according to its Web site.

Parcell said she liked the idea of

trained responders intervening

whenever possible to de-escalate a

situation before law enforcement has

to get involved.

" If in the middle of some kind of

unusual stress, a police person is

coming towards you, it isn't

conducive to reducing that stress, "

Parcell said.

She also hopes that a community-wide

meeting will be organized to discuss

ways to address the current situation

with new ideas.

" Some people are really angry, and

others are pretty scared, " she said.

Jody Parker, who is also involved in

advocacy in Corvallis, said she's

worried that the debate over

medication is threatening to

overshadow what really happened to

Townsend.

" What's at stake here is what the

police should do in this instance,

and it's not a mental health issue.

It's the question, 'Why was he shot

four times?' " Parker said. " These are

the things people should be asking.

What strikes me most is that it has

become a mental illness issue and not

'How will the police deal with people

in the future?' Are they going to get

training so they won't do this again?

This is what the community should be

discussing. Not whether or not he

should have been on his meds. "

Corvallis community advocate Steve

Hoop has long been involved in

promoting reform of the mental health

care system and in fair treatment of

mental health clients. After news of

the death of Townsend, Hoop decided

he wanted more information.

" Gary (Boldizsar, Corvallis police

chief) needs to come forward with a

town meeting and explain what the

policy is regarding lethal force, "

Hoop said.

Hoop also would like to see the

police department go through training

that specifically addresses dealing

with people diagnosed with mental

illness.

" Someone who is traumatized isn't

necessarily going to respond in the

way (the police) expect them to

respond, " Hoop said.

Hoop said those in the mental health

system are among the most

marginalized groups in society, and

advocates are few. Without the

opportunity for employment or the

ability to support themselves, many

people spiral downward.

" This problem started 25 years ago, "

Hoop said. " There are needs in this

community that haven't been met. "

~~~~~~~~~~

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