Update: Hearing Put off Until May 29th
We just heard from William’s lawyer that the hearing has been rescheduled for May 29th.
Help Free William Mahler from Psychiatric Imprisonment in Massachusetts by Zooming in to Hearing May 1st
A MindFreedom International member in New England who’s been detained needs support on Mayday (May 1st). William Maher has been repeatedly pushed into psych hospitals since the death of his mother a few years ago, further disrupting his life instead of respecting him and the grief he was going through. He is hoping to get back to doing landscaping work this summer, and would love to hear from more of the MindFreedom community.
His court hearing is Wednesday May 1 to determine if he will be freed from the “hospital” in Worcester MA.
Fortunately, you can support William by attending his hearing from anywhere by Zoom! The idea is to show the court that people support freeing William and are watching what the judge does. This will hopefully have a beneficial effect.
The court is conducting multiple hearings that day and William’s lawyer has informed us William’s case could be called any time from 9-1, or 2-4:30 Eastern Time. She said it might not be called at all that day, but probably will.
The first hearing is scheduled to start at 9 AM Eastern Time and we have been informed William’s hearing is most likely to start around 10 or 11 AM Eastern Time. If you have the time, though, you might find it interesting to watch from the beginning to see how the cases are conducted and that way you can be sure not to miss William’s hearing.
So on Wednesday, May 1, go to:
And enter the Meeting ID: 160-2700-0305
And the Password: 559733
The clerk will likely tell all observers to mute their microphones. If asked why you are there, you can say you are there for Willliam Mahler’s hearing One thing you can do is change your zoom name that day to “[Name] for William Mahler”. It may be possible to leave messages of support for Will in the zoom chat. If so, please be courteous and respectful.
Feel free to leave comments below, including your observations about the hearing.
Check back for updates.
It sounds like old William has a good plan here to me.
What is the impediment?
William is an experienced landscaper with a lot of pent up, physical energy. In previous meetings, while in this highly restricted facility, I noticed he paced back and forth. Doesn’t it make more sense for someone like William to be living independently in the community, being gainfully employed, paying taxes, and enjoying unlimited access to fresh air and sunshine? This makes much more sense than rather being incarcerated in a facility with limited space, a dayroom where the central activity is watching television and being denied access to his favorite outdoor activities. His incarceration is costing taxpayers roughly $100,000 per patient annually.
With lived experience, mental health patients know first-hand the dehumanizing treatment as outpatients and within facilities, yet research from neuroscience and other disciplines reveal the scientific truth about mental disturbances as a typical nervous breakdown from chronic stress and anxiety OR, like me, an ultra-rare inborn error (schizophrenia) that increased the chances of experiencing these nervous breakdowns. These mental disturbances are not degenerative diseases, but a physical weakness of the brain.
Psychiatry is a God-sized problem to which He will soon release the wrecking ball (rolling stone, a Cornerstone). Organizations like MindFreedom will be greatly needed to serve the victims/survivors coming out of psychiatric slavery in the near future. Drug Withdrawal is a multiyear endeavor for those on the highly addictive antipsychotics (Dr. Peter R. Breggin). May the Creator God enlighten and financially bless the leaders at these altruistic organizations.
Well said, Elizabeth…thank you!
Grief is not a disease, and psychiatric imprisonment is not treatment. Give William his freedom and let him work through his pain with loving help.