Date: Sun, 2 Feb 92 01:50:09 EST From: harelb@math.cornell.edu (Harel Barzilai) To: harelb@math.cornell.edu Subject: read re psych Topic 486 BREAK THE SILENCE ABOUT PSYCHIATRIC rich misc.activism.progressive 8:44 pm Jan 31, 1992 (at pencil.cs.missouri.edu) (From News system) /** media.issues: 216.0 **/ ** Topic: Psychiatry, rights & SILENCE. ** ** Written 11:20 pm Jan 30, 1992 by chrp in cdp:media.issues ** Our newspaper, Dendron News, has just sent out 200 copies of our paper along with the following NEWS RELEASE. We need your assistance to get out the word, and get us tips about ways to do this. The fact is, we are hardly ever mentioned in any media. I have worked in the peace movement and environmental movement, and now I work full time in this issue. And I have never seen anything like it. Please help us break the silence. Here's the news release: (PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE THIS NEWS BULLETIN) NEWS BULLETIN: February 2, 1992 from: The Support-In co-coordinator, David Oaks PSYCHIATRIC SURVIVORS AND ALLIES ASK YOU TO " B R E A K T H E S I L E N C E " ABOUT PSYCHIATRIC HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS. NATIONAL COALITION PLANS TO CONFRONT PSYCHIATRISTS AT THEIR OWN ANNUAL MEETING IN MAY IN WASHINGTON, D.C. A national coalition of "psychiatric survivors" and their allies plans to gather May 1 to 5, 1992 in Washington, D.C. one block away from the huge American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting. A peaceful protest, counter-conference, festival of alternatives, and even a "Mad Celebration" of performing artists are all being planned by the 13-group coalition, which calls itself "The Support-In," as in sit-in, teach-in, etc. "In the family of social change movements, we are the cousin that's never talked about," commented Support-In co-coordinator and psychiatric survivor David Oaks. "Talk about us now. We are an 'indicator species' during authoritarian times." Electroshock has been singled out by The Support-In because shock's recent comeback has brought with it a rise in human rights violations claim coalition leaders, most of whom are shock survivors. They charge shock -- also called ECT or electroconvulsive therapy -- is increasingly given coercively, sometimes even forcibly, and always without exploring less harmful options. Though the grassroots movement of psychiatric survivors is now 20 years old, they have recently been helped by an unusual source: a psychiatrist. Dr. Peter Breggin has just authored a massive indictment of his own profession's human rights violations called "Toxic Psychiatry." Breggin will be the keynote speaker at Support-In '92. "We are counting on allies like Peter to break the silence about many stories," said Oaks. "Perhaps the most passed-over story is very, very hopeful: There are diverse, humane, empowering alternatives to psychiatric coercion working right now for people in extreme emotional distress. Some of these are model user-run residential programs and community centers that belong to The Support-In." "The other side of the story about psychiatry" is covered by the official newspaper of The Support-In, their international DENDRON NEWS. Recent news stories included: / The main family of powerful psychiatric drugs given to millions of Americans annually is now known to cause brain damage in more than half of long term users. This can include a permanent "lobotomy effect" in the very same frontal lobes of the brain targeted by that infamous surgical procedure. These lobotizing drugs, called "neuroleptics," include Thorazine, Haldol, Mellaril, Prolixin, Navane and especially the newest controversial drug, Clozapine. Brain scans have even shown brain shrinkage after prolonged neuroleptic use. Dozens of mainstream medical citations are available. / Though the death rate from neuroleptics is far higher than originally thought, they are regularly given forcibly to elderly in nursing homes, children, psychiatric inmates, etc. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled prisoners may be given forced neuroleptics without due process. Forced neuroleptics have even come outside to the community, using court orders and roving vans ("needles on wheels") in some states. / Ritalin -- a form of speed -- is now given to more than 750,000 American school kids with psychiatric labels. Asks Oaks, "If 'education-president' Bush is so anti-drug, why is his federal agency -- a key player in the supposed War on Drugs -- actually pushing more speed on children than ever before?" / Among skyrocketing health costs, it is psychiatry's costs that burst the very highest. And the cost isn't only to the pocketbook. An increase in unregulated cutthroat for-profit psychiatric institutions has infringed the Bill of Rights nationally. / While Bush recently approved more than half-a-billion dollars for psychiatric research, NONE of that money will go to the concept that community, environment, income -- in other words a person's real life -- can help hurt or heal the "biochemistry" of the mind. "Instead," said Oaks, "almost all of this tax payer money will go to the pharmaceutical industry to somehow find all of our answers in a new, expensive pill." "Dominating, mechanistic psychiatry has failed," concludes Oaks. "Our movement has carried an empowering new vision for twenty years. We take our place next to other oppressed groups calling for deep rooted social change now!" For a free copy of the coalition's newspaper, DENDRON NEWS, or for an Action Guide on the May event in Washington, D.C., write The Support-In, PO Box 11284, Eugene, OR 97440 USA. Or leave your address with zip code on their 24-hour voice mail at (503) 341-0100. NOTE: PLEASE COPY AND DISTRIBUTE this little-covered news bulletin as widely as possible!! e-mail addresses: Peacenet: CHRP. Handsnet: HN1223. PIE Online: oaksd. Ask about gateways to us via other BBS's. ** End of text from cdp:media.issues **