MindFreedom International: Win Mental Health Human Rights

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MFI vision: Unite in a spirit of mutual cooperation for a nonviolent revolution of mental health human rights and choice.

MFI is an independent nonprofit coalition defending human rights and promoting humane alternatives for mental and emotional well being. Click here to join today!

MFI Featured News

MindFreedom 2009 Membership & Fundraising Drive!

(Published: 2009-06-20 22:45)

MindFreedom International 2009 campaign to recruit new members, renew past members, and raise funds. Read a special "Troubled Times" message from David Oaks, MFI director. MFI is independently funded, and counts on your support -- as generously as you can -- to support MFI's many activities to win human rights and alternatives in the mental health system.

Report: Successful Protest of Psychiatric Meeting

(Published: 2009-05-11 11:00)

MindFreedom International and California Network of Mental Health Clients co-sponsored a peaceful protest of the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting today Sunday, 17 May 2009, in front of the Moscone Center, San Francisco.

MindFreedom Launches "Truth Injection" Campaign

(Published: 2009-02-12 12:00)

News Release: Does your mental health agency promote myths? Here's how you can bust those myths with a new free simple flyer that you can download online. Give the mental health system an injection of truth!

MFI News

MindFreedom Scientific Advisory Board Revitalized

(Published: 2009-05-27 11:00)

NEWS RELEASE: Al Galves, PhD, author, psychologist, and board member on MindFreedom International, announces the re-launch of the MindFreedom Scientific Advisory Board.

Ray Alert #20: Last minute reprieve! Ray's Forced Electroshocked for Today 13 May 2009 is POSTPONED.

(Published: 2009-05-13 10:30)

This morning, 13 May 2009, Ray Sandford was scheduled to receive another involuntary, outpatient, maintenance electroshock in Minnesota. He was escorted all the way to Mercy Hospital. He was prepped. And then literally at the last minute a psychiatrist told Ray his forced shock would be "postponed." We have another chance to help Ray find another psychiatrist. [updated 26 May]

Protest Held Inside Minnesota State Capitol Rotunda to Stop Ray's Shock

(Published: 2009-05-01 17:00)

Associated Press gave national coverage to a MindFreedom protest to support in Minnesota for the human rights of Ray Sandford: may Day for Ray. Activists from four states protested Ray Sandford's ongoing court-ordered involuntary outpatient electroshock, also known as electroconvulsive therapy or ECT. [Update: 10 May 2009.]

Global News

Laurie Ahern Named President of Mental Disability Rights International

(Published: 2009-06-27 20:22)

Mental Disability Rights International (MDRI) announces that Laurie Ahern, psychiatric survivor, has been voted by their board of directors to be MDRI President. MDRI is a sponsor group in MindFreedom International.

Successful ECT Protest Held in Ireland

(Published: 2009-06-01 14:52)

On 31 May 2009 a protest against electroshock was held by MindFreedom Ireland in Cork.

WHO's Mental Health Director Calls MindFreedom's work "remarkable, fair."

(Published: 2008-11-29 19:37)

The head of the UN's World Health Organization's mental health department is psychiatrist Dr. Benedetto Saraceno based in Geneva, Switzerland. Dr. Saraceno has issued a statement about WHO's work with MindFreedom International and MFI executive director David W. Oaks over the past few years.

USA News

MindFreedom member holding 100 day vigil in front of psychiatric facility.

(Published: 2009-06-30 17:48)

MindFreedom member Godly Mathew is vigiling at least one hour each and every day, in front of a psychiatric facility where he said he was abused, Friends Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. At this posting, Godly is half way through doing this for his pledged 100 days. He intends to end in mid-August 2009. Here is his announcement for his blog, as well as an excerpt.

News on Esmin Green Campaign 2009

(Published: 2009-06-27 19:58)

Lauren Tenney reports about the campaign in New York State to remember the life and death of Esmin Green. Ms. Green died very publicly in 2008 in a psychiatric emergency room, and the security video tape was shown to millions. One year later, on 19 June 2009, We the People, with co-sponsorship from other groups such as MindFreedom, held a vigil to remember, and educate the public. The day began with two people doing civil disobedience.

National TV Show Looks for People Going Off All Psychiatric Drugs

(Published: 2009-06-21 21:14)

A national USA television show is seeking individuals with diagnoses such as "schizophrenia" who have totally quit or are quitting all prescribed psychiatric drugs, for a show on Mad Pride.

Recently published articles of interest

Check Your Head: Examining Youth Mental Health Resources

(Published: 2009-06-30 14:27)

WireTapMag.org is doing a special on youth and mental health. This article, first in a series, quotes several MindFreedom members, including MindFreedom Committee Chair Martin Rafferty, MindFreedom director David Oaks, and several MindFreedom activists.

Hospital May Have Falsified Records Of Allegedly Neglected Patient

(Published: 2009-06-21 20:57)

NY1 News outlet cited investigators as saying that hospital authorities had falsified and lied in an effort to cover up neglect involved with the death of Esmin Green. This media report mentions the protest of Esmin Green.

Should bitterness become a mental disorder?

(Published: 2009-06-15 23:08)

In the magazine Psychology Today, Professor Christopher Lane has a brief essay skewering one of the latest misadventures of the psychiatric industry, in which the American Psychiatric Association is seriously considering adding "bitterness" to one of their so-called scientific list of labels. Why not just add "dissent" and be done with it? Professor Lane is the author of Shyness: How Normal Behavior Became a Sickness.

Shock therapy forced on patients

(Published: 2009-06-05 15:13)

The Australian newspaper "The Sydney Morning Herald" investigated the doubling of forced electroshock cases in New South Wales (NSW), Australia in the past decade, and found there was a troubling lack of adequate legal representation and due process.

Family of Esmin Green Wins $2 Million Settlement

(Published: 2009-05-28 13:07)

"The Ray Sandford Story Has An Important Lesson for Us": A Psychologist Speaks Out

(Published: 2009-05-26 13:21)

Al Galves, PhD is author, mental health consumer, psychologist and on board of MindFreedom International. Al feels strongly that the ongoing, involuntary, outpatient electroshock of Ray Sandford in Minnesota is wrong. Al even flew to Minnesota to be part of MindFreedom protests for Ray. Here is an essay about Al about why he feels the Ray Campaign is a learning moment for us all.

"Minnesota mental health patient Ray Sandford forced into electro-shock therapy"

(Published: 2009-05-20 12:18)

This article, from the Minneapolis newspaper City Pages, details the ongoing forced outpatient ECT of Ray Sandford.

Minnesota patient wants right to refuse electroshocks

(Published: 2009-05-11 12:57)

The Associated Press covered MindFreedom's protests about Ray Sandford's ongoing, involuntary, outpatient electroshock. Unfortunately, the AP quotes four "experts" -- a psychiatrist, guardian, psychology professor and ethicist -- who refuse to criticize Ray's forced electroshock. MindFreedom offered AP plenty of experts who would speak against Ray's forced electroshock, but AP declined. Psychologist Al Galves was present at the protest, and gave quotes to the reporter critical of Ray's forced electroshock. But the reporter simply mentions that Al was present and does not actually quote any of his words about Ray. At bottom is how you can give feedback to AP.

"Listening to Madness: Why some mentally ill patients are rejecting their medication and making the case for 'mad pride.'"

(Published: 2009-05-06 16:42)

Longtime mental health human rights activist and MindFreedom member Will Hall was recently the subject of an article about MAD PRIDE in Newsweek magazine.

The Mother's Act - Mandatory Screening of Moms for Depression is Like a Bad Movie Rerun

(Published: 2009-04-22 13:44)

Evelyn Pringle covers the push to screen mothers for psychiatric issues in the USA. MindFreedom is mentioned as part of the network of groups fighting this. Blanket screening without adequate advocacy, information and alternatives is worse than nothing, because it marches moms to the door of a mental health system, without considering the inherent problems behind that door.

FDA Near to Closing Books on Grandfathered Medical Devices

(Published: 2009-04-22 12:50)

John Grohol of the psychology-watch web site PsychCentral.com may be a bit optimistic, but his analysis of the below MedPageToday article speculates that new FDA requirements that electroshock devices finally be tested for safety and efficacy might be more than a speed bump for manufacturers.

"Case study suggests new therapy for autism"

(Published: 2009-04-08 16:30)

The widely-respected medical center, Johns Hopkins, reports that a child diagnosed "autistic" was given electroshock (also known as electroconvulsive therapy or ECT). More young children may also be given shock for this diagnosis because psychiatrist Lee Wachtel of Baltimore's Kennedy Krieger Institute describes the results of his experiment as "the first documented case of a young autistic child who successfully improved self-injury behaviors after receiving ECT." The experimental subject was an eight-year-old boy "known as D." MindFreedom International condemns such experimentation on youth with such an intrusive and brain-damaging procedure.

by Netcorps Admin — last modified 2008-12-26 22:09

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MindFreedom International: Win Mental Health Human Rights

Document Actions

MFI Featured News

MindFreedom 2009 Membership & Fundraising Drive!

Report: Successful Protest of Psychiatric Meeting

MindFreedom Launches "Truth Injection" Campaign

MFI News

MindFreedom Scientific Advisory Board Revitalized

Ray Alert #20: Last minute reprieve! Ray's Forced Electroshocked for Today 13 May 2009 is POSTPONED.

Protest Held Inside Minnesota State Capitol Rotunda to Stop Ray's Shock

Read More MFI News ....

Global News

Laurie Ahern Named President of Mental Disability Rights International

Successful ECT Protest Held in Ireland

WHO's Mental Health Director Calls MindFreedom's work "remarkable, fair."

Read More Global News ....

USA News

MindFreedom member holding 100 day vigil in front of psychiatric facility.

News on Esmin Green Campaign 2009

National TV Show Looks for People Going Off All Psychiatric Drugs

Read More USA News ....

Recently published articles of interest

Check Your Head: Examining Youth Mental Health Resources

Hospital May Have Falsified Records Of Allegedly Neglected Patient

Should bitterness become a mental disorder?

Shock therapy forced on patients

Family of Esmin Green Wins $2 Million Settlement

"The Ray Sandford Story Has An Important Lesson for Us": A Psychologist Speaks Out

"Minnesota mental health patient Ray Sandford forced into electro-shock therapy"

Minnesota patient wants right to refuse electroshocks

"Listening to Madness: Why some mentally ill patients are rejecting their medication and making the case for 'mad pride.'"

The Mother's Act - Mandatory Screening of Moms for Depression is Like a Bad Movie Rerun

FDA Near to Closing Books on Grandfathered Medical Devices

"Case study suggests new therapy for autism"

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