This Wednesday, 1 August 2007, at 4 pm ET, hear a live interview with Ron Bassman, a psychiatric survivor psychologist who has published a brand new book about his “Fight to Be.” You may phone in with your questions & comments toll free. Host: David Oaks.
Ron Bassman on MindFreedom Free Live Internet Radio
Listen and phone in to the free LIVE MindFreedom News Internet Radio Show by clicking on http://prncomm.net/ this Wednesday, 1 August 2007 at 4 pm ET. Phone numbers to call in live are announced during the show. [Please note the show sometimes starts a few minutes late.]
This week’s guest:
Ron Bassman is author of the new book, A Fight to Be: A Psychologist’s Experience from Both Sides of the Locked Door.
Ron Bassman as a young person was a survivor of horrendous abuse by the psychiatric institution, including multiple lock-ups, forced electroshock, forced insulin coma shock, and forced drugging.
Ron Bassman went on to become a psychologist.
Ron Bassman went on to become an leader challenging the mental health system that traumatized him.
Ron Bassman is now an author.
Ron describes himself in his own words:
“In 1969, at the age of 25, I was admitted to a psychiatric hospitalfor the second time in three years. The first diagnosis, schizophrenia,paranoid type was followed by a second hospitalization and thediagnosis schizophrenia, chronic type. My treatments includedelectro-shock, insulin comas and massive doses of medication.
“After Irecovered from my ‘treatments’ and began addressing the identity issuesthat had triggered my excursion into ‘madness,’ I entered graduateschool, earned my doctorate and have worked as a licensed psychologistin a state hospital, in private practice, been a consultant to schoolsand state agencies and have been the executive director of a 7-countycomprehensive mental health center. During that time I worked as aclinician and an advocate and did not reveal my psychiatric history fortwenty years.
“More than a decade ago I chose to identify myself as a psychiatricsurvivor in order to draw from all of my experience and to be fullygenuine in my relationships and work. Currently I work as apsychotherapist with Behavioral Health Specialists (BHS), a privatepsychotherapy group. I also teach Community Mental Health in thegraduate school at Sage Colleges. Prior to joining BHS, I worked for 9years at the New York State Office of Mental Health Bureau of RecipientAffairs doing self-help project development, education and technicalassistance.
“I am a former two-term president of the NationalAssociation for Rights Protection and Advocacy (NARPA) and I continueto serve on the Board of Directors. I have been an elected member ofthe American Psychological Association’s Expert Taskforce on SeriousMental Illness.
“With other ex-patients and allies, I was a co-founderof the International Network Towards Alternatives for Recovery (INTAR),which held its first meeting of alternative practitioners andpsychiatric survivors in 2004. Currently I am chair of The CommunityConsortium, an organization created to promote the civil and humanrights of people with psychiatric disabilities, and to provide thetools to facilitate genuine community integration for people who usemental health services.”
Ironically, Ron Bassman is a New York State resident, and shock survivor and has worked in the past for the infamous New York State Office of Mental Health. We will therefore ask Ron to comment on the “Simone D.” campaign. The NY Office of Mental Health has won in court to give “Simone D.” more forced electroshock, and MindFreedom is encouraging people to contact New York State officials to demand the OMH stop.
You can read about the background of the Simone D. Campaign and how you can easily speak out, go to:
https://mindfreedom.org/kb/mental-health-abuse/electroshock/simone-d
So remember to listen and phone in to the free LIVE MindFreedom News Internet Radio Show by clicking on http://prncomm.net/ this Wednesday, 1 August 2007 at 4:00 pm ET.
More info on Ron Bassman is at:
The Story of MindFreedom Free Live Internet Radio
This is radio for a nonviolent revolution in the mental health system, hosted bypsychiatric rights activist David Oaks, director of MindFreedom. David also experienced the mental health system as a youth when he was institutionalized five times and diagnosed”schizophrenic.” For a brief bio about David click here.
The Progressive Radio Network produces the show. PRN was founded by radio personality and health leader Gary Null.
If you miss the live show this Wednesday at 4 pm ET at http://prncomm.net/, the MindFreedom News Hour is once more being archived by Progressive Radio Network on an all new web site.
If you listen LIVE to the MindFreedom News Hour jot down the toll free call-in number for the USA or the special call-in number for outside the USA as it is announced during the show. Please keep trying, sometimes it takes more than once to get through.
You may e-mail at any time before or during the show to radio@mindfreedom.org and your comment or question may be read on the air.
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Please help spread the word about the show with this public service announcement:
TheMindFreedom News Hour is part of a diverse array of shows onProgressive Radio Network.
On each MindFreedom News Hour you’llhear hear news, resources, and an interview about changing the system of care for mental and emotional well being. Shows have covered thehistory of the psychiatric survivor movement, how psychiatric survivorsand concerned mental health professionals are working together on humanrights campaigns, and more.
Regular features include updates about breaking stories and networking announcements about successful activism and alternatives.
It’s your mind! It’s your freedom! Free your mind with theMindFreedom News Hour hosted by David Oaks.
Just click on http://prncomm.net Wednesday at 4 pmeastern time!
If you have show suggestions, comments, ideas, or any technical problems please e-mail it to radio@mindfreedom.org along with your name and where you are from. E-mail is checked during the show, and your comments may be read live on “the air.” If pronunciation of your name is not obvious please tell us how to do that, or ask us to keep your comment anonymous.
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Upcoming shows include guests from outside the USA, watch for announcements, all on Wednesdays at 4 pm ET:
- 8 August: Peter Lehmann, the German psychiatric survivor and editor. We’ll hear about his brand new book, co-edited with Peter Stastny, about alternatives to conventional mental health care.
- 15 August: A psychiatric survivor historian and archivist Geoffrey Reaume of Ontario, who has helped launch an international archive for the psychiatric survivor social change movement.
- 22 August: Don Weitz , also from Ontario, a well-known leader in challenging the psychiatric system.
- 29 August: And Sue Clark, an electroshock survivor activist from Canada, see her web site http://wittenbergces.blogspot.com/
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