8 ALERTS on Psychiatric Drugs, Abuse, Media & More

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Tue, 24 Jan 2006 22:38:34 -0800

mindfreedom-news

8 ALERTS on Psychiatric Drugs, Abuse, Media & More

 

 

MindFreedom News - 24 January 2006

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

 

 

 

BELOW are 8 brief news alerts about human

rights and alternatives in mental health:

 

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(1) Generation: Poisoned?

 

An 18 Year Old Speaks Out About Psychiatric Drugs

 

" Happy Pills Don't Make Me Happy "

 

by Amber Smidebush

 

New America Media, Youth Commentary

 

LIVERMORE, Calif. -- I've been on

psychiatric medications since I was 10

years old. Today, I take six prescribed

medications a day, plus three

over-the-counter pills. Doctors seem to

think that medications are the cure for

everything, and because of that, I am

stuck in a trap.

 

A lot of people use drugs recreationally

to feel better. I do that every day with

my meds and hate it. ...

 

[To read Amber's whole essay go to:]

 

http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?

article_id=8ede50179d1b40629a6e5a3518931fef

 

or use this smaller url http://tinyurl.com/ab9k9

 

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(2) Journalist Searches for IOC Survivors

 

Have you or someone you know experienced

court-ordered psychiatric drugging while

living out in the community? Involuntary

outpatient commitment (IOC) laws allow a

judge to enforce a doctor's order for

you to take dangerous psychiatric drugs

against your will even while living

peacefully in your own home.

 

A journalist for a major newspaper

wishes to interview individuals who have

personally experienced IOC in the USA,

especially in Michigan, Florida or New

York in the last few years. Forty-two

USA states have IOC laws. Potential

interview subjects should e-mail

MindFreedom at office

with a brief description of your

experience including location,

approximate dates, and contact

information.

 

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(3) Radio Show Features Janet Foner

 

Janet Foner will be a guest on Barry

Shainbaum's radio show, Sunday January

29, 2006 from 11:00 to 11:30 am EST. The

show can be heard worldwide through the

internet: http://www.barryshainbaum.com.

In Kitchener, Ontario, Canada the show is

on 94.3 FM.

 

Janet co-founded MindFreedom

International and is on its board of

directors. Janet Foner is a psychiatric

survivor with a master's degree

(M.P.S.SC. in community psychology) who

wrote her thesis on creating

alternatives to the psychiatric system.

Janet co-wrote the policy booklet:

" What's Wrong with the Mental Health

System, and What Can Be Done about It. "

 

Barry Shainbaum says, " I was 18 years

old in 1970 when I suffered a nervous

breakdown. After having a manic attack 4

years later, I was diagnosed as manic

depressive, and was told that I would be

ill and require medication for the rest

of my life. " Today, Barry reports he is

fully recovered and has been free of

psychiatric drugs since 1989. " My road

to mental well-being encompassed

psychotherapy, medication,

self-education, prayer, visualization,

exercise and the growth that came from

suffering. "

 

Barry lives in Toronto, Canada and is a

professional photographer and author of

_Hope & Heroes_ an inspirational coffee

table book of photographs and

biographies of 47 people who have

changed society for the better. Many

have overcome adversity. They include:

Nelson Mandela, Dr. Maya Angelou, Dr.

Wayne Dyer, Arun Gandhi, Dr. Jane

Goodall, Julia Butterfly Hill and many

more. Barry hosts his radio talk show

each Sunday morning, and one of the

show's mandates is mental health.

 

~~~~~~~~~

 

(4) Mini-Grants Help Psychiatric Survivors Thrive

 

MindFreedom member Oryx Cohen is quoted

in a news article about helping people

in Massachusetts with psychiatric labels

with small grants for businesses, such as

sustainable permaculture.

 

http://www.masslive.com/hampfrankplus/republican/index.ssf?/base/news

-1/1137747061233720.xml & coll=1

 

or use this smaller url: http://tinyurl.com/9ezsm

 

~~~~~~~~~

 

(5) WID Seeks Stories & Art Re: Abuse

 

The World Institute on Disability is

seeking brief stories, quotes, humor,

poetry, artwork and cartoons about

people with disabilities who have faced

abuse. Pieces will be compiled and

issued as: CAPE, Curriculum on Abuse

Prevention and Empowerment, a training

guide for disabled people, family

members and services providers.

Submissions of written pieces may be up

to 750 words in length, and should

include a biography. The deadline is

March 15, 2006. For more info e-mail

Marsha Saxton at marsax.

 

~~~~~~~~~

 

(6) Filmmaker Seeks Footage of Abuse

 

A professional filmmaker has asked

MindFreedom to help locate video and

film images that expose psychiatric

facilities, including the growing use of

smaller facilities, foster care

facilities, etc. The filmmaker says he

wants, " any footage taken by a group or

individual that shows current conditions

inside any mental facility in the US such

as forced drugging and forced restraints

or other physical or mental type

abuses. " Any footage is welcome,

including training films. E-mail the

description of your footage and contact

info to office. Because

the filmmaker is visiting psychiatric

institutions to expose abuse he asks that

his identity be kept anonymous for now.

 

~~~~~~~~

 

(7) APA Invites Comments on Next DSM

 

But actions by a DSM leader show the

APA is not as open as they claim.

 

The American Psychiatric Association is

using a web site to invite comments

about the next version of their " label

bible, " the Diagnostic and Statistical

Manual 5 (DSM 5). To submit civil

comments go to:

 

http://www.dsm5.org/suggestions.cfm

 

But how open is the APA, really?

 

Unfortunately, Dr. Darrel Regier,

Executive Director of the APA's research

arm, APIRE, has refused to respond to

three inquiries about his international

closed-door meetings about the future of

psychiatric diagnoses globally. For a

background on Dr. Regier's silence see:

 

http://www.intenex.net/pipermail/mindfreedom-news/2006-January/

000022.html

 

or use this smaller url http://tinyurl.com/8d4w2

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

(8) UPDATE: MindFreedom Delegation in UN Makes

Progress in Networking, Building Unity

 

A MindFreedom International delegation is

inside the United Nations until 3 Feb. as

part of the 7th meeting about forming an

international treaty on disability rights.

 

The delegation reports solid progress

in networking with other delegates,

educating participants about our issues,

and building unity for change in the

mental health system.

 

For background on their UN activity see:

 

http://www.intenex.net/lists/private/mindfreedom-news/2006-January/

000023.html

 

or use this smaller url http://tinyurl.com/a8psk

 

The NGO Inclusion International is posting

frequent updates about these UN meetings here:

 

http://www.inclusion-international.org/

 

- end -

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

The above news alerts are forwarded as a free

public service by the nonprofit human rights

organization MindFreedom International.

 

* Win human rights campaigns in mental health.

* End abuse by the psychiatric drug industry.

* Support the voices of psychiatric survivors.

* Promote safe and humane options in mental health.

 

MindFreedom International unites 100 sponsor

and affiliate groups with individual members,

and is accredited by the United Nations as

a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) with

Consultative Roster Status.

 

MindFreedom is one of the very few totally

independent groups in the mental health

field with no funding from governments,

drug companies, religions, corporations,

or the mental health system.

 

JOIN, DONATE, or give GIFT MEMBERSHIPS

to MindFreedom International today:

 

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

 

For a MAD MARKET of books and other

products to support human rights campaigns

in mental health: http://www.madmarket.org

 

MindFreedom International

454 Willamette, Suite 216 - POB 11284

Eugene, OR 97440-3484 USA

 

http://www.mindfreedom.org

email: office at mindfreedom.org fax: (541) 345-3737

office phone: (541) 345-9106

USA toll free: 1-877-MAD-PRIDE / 1-877-623-7743

 

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Please forward this to all appropriate

places on and off the Internet. Thank you!

 

 

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