| Dear Lane County MFI supporters: We are facing unprecedented times. We are being asked to refrain from close contact with strangers and disrupt our normal routines. At MindFreedom, we are tasked with responding to a higher than normal call volume, while spending less time in the office and watching children who are out of school. Our response time may be slower than usual. Please be patient with us. Many people are not going to work. Social service agencies are not responding to all calls. Many people are experiencing anxiety and fear on a level they never have before. Isolation can be tough. Our Executive Ron Bassman, recommends this article written by an astronaut, Scott Kelly, describing how he dealt with the isolation of living on the space station for a year. HERE In times like these, we hear how it important it is to support one together. But others in the medical system may not understand our fears. We may have emergency needs but we are afraid to let people know. One way to deal with fear and anxiety is to know your rights. We have the right to be treated in a compassionate manner that is in alignment with our values and preferences, regardless if we have been given a psychiatric diagnosis in the past. Please consider filling out a Psychiatric Advance Directive to increase the likelihood that your rights are honored. To find the PAD in your state click HERE. Please consider enrolling in the Shield to leverage people power if you are at risk of psychiatric harm or abuse. Click HERE to read about MindFreedom’s Shield program and enroll in the Shield HERE. If you would like to be added to the list of people who receive alerts when others ‘activate’ their Shield, please send an email to office@mindfreedom.org with ‘Add to me the Alert list’ in the subject heading! If you cannot leave your place and you have access to the internet, please consider that activism, even activism from the privacy of your own computer is needed! One for all and all for one! We are being asked to follow directives from medical ‘experts’ who have not always told us the truth about ‘treatment’ and public health agencies that have not ‘had our backs’. But coronavirus is real. It is important to listen to medical providers who want us to be well. To deal with coronavirus fear and anxiety, here is a helpful article Click HERE Below, is a link that psychiatric survivors can use to request help from Lane County during the Coronavirus. If you need food or other emergency supplies dropped off where you are staying, please use this form. Lane County is prioritizing folks who are sick, disabled, quarantined without pay, elderly, undocumented, homeless, queer, trans, Black, Indigenous, and/or people of color LINK TO REQUEST FOR HELP If you want to volunteer to help, click VOLUNTEER TO HELP Note: You have a right to receive help in a way that does not diminish you. Be well |
