22 September 2009 update: Godly Mathew is fast! He heard that there was a prize on Facebook for the 1000th person to sign up as a ‘fan’ of a mental health media event web site. If you’re curious about that, go to Facebook, and search for “Minds on the Edge.” This is a PBS media show that is supposed to be aired in October 2009.

We haven’t seen that show yet, but based on promotions, we at MindFreedom are concerned that PBS show will be “more of the same,” promoting primarily a medical model approach without adequately including the voice of mental health consumers and psychiatric survivors. Of course, we’d love to be proven wrong.

So it’s great that Godly signed up and posted there just in time, and since he was the 1,000th Godly won $250 prize to give to nonprofit group of his choice! Congratulations Godly! Nice way to begin Fall!

Said Godly:

“This small win has infused me with much of the optimism and courage that I lost over the last two months. Each psychiatric survivor is called to be a voice for our peers and a witness to the world at large. While finishing my 100 days, I experienced so much exhaustion and disillusionment because my activism fell short of my idealism. This moment some how reminded me that it’s not so much the scope of what we accomplish but the integrity of our efforts that matter most. As someone who fails constantly in so many things, I want to say how encouraged I am at this moment and I hope we all keep striving for our rights and for what we know in our hearts is right. We SHALL overcome.”

Check out his blog: 100dayprotest.blogspot.com

And now read about his 100 day vigil this summer, in an unrelated victory he completed less than one month ago:

 

UPDATE by vigiler, Godly Mathew, who completd his 100 day vigil in front of psychiatric institution where he said he was abused:

 

 

On August 26th, 2009, I finished my 100 days of protesting. I was 10 days behind schedule and there were other elements of my protest fell short of my expectations but overall it was a great experience and one that I hope will encourage me to continue in the survivor movement. I want to thank all members of Mindfreedom and visitors to the MFI website for the support and encouragement I received. Hearing back from fellow psychiatric survivors was without question the greatest highlight of my protest. I was very touched that so many of you reached out to me and feel motivated to continue on with my activism efforts.

I think it is important to have a sustained effort to send the message to these facilities that abuses of human rights will not be tolerated silently and so I want to continue with my protest, although at a more practical scale. I am thinking once a week for a year is a more manageable goal. I also want to explore other means of activism and advocacy including participating in other protests organized by fellow activists. I am currently planning a website to collaborate with other survivors and activists to share our stories and help raise awareness of psychiatric abuse. 

I hope that this is just an introduction into the world of activism and that I can devote a substantial part of my life to this important cause. ‘Mental health’ remains in many ways the last frontier of civil rights – largely untouched by mainstream media and the mass of public conscience. It remains up to us, who experienced the horrors of psychiatry personally, to witness our experience with the rest of the world and do what we can to tilt the scales of the system in the direction of justice and human rights. Thanks again to everyone for being a part of this experience.

 

Original announcement on MFI web site:

 

100 Day Protest Against the Psychiatric Abuse at Friends Hospital:

 

May 9, 2009 to August 16, 2009.

by Godly Matthew

I am blogging about my protest efforts at 100dayprotest.blogspot.com

I will be protesting for a 100 days (an hour or more each day).

My goal for this protest is to raise awareness of psychiatric abuse in general and the abuse that happened to me at Friends Hospital in particular.

I am NOT soliciting money, but I would like your support as far as word of mouth and grassroots campaigning to bring psychiatric abuse to the forefront of society’s conscience. I am also hoping to get the hospital’s higher level administration to do a thorough investigation into the matter, so that these abuses do not occur to other patients.

If you know of anyone who was abused at Friends Hospital, please make them aware of this site and have them contact me via email: 100dayprotest@gmail.com.

If you are on facebook, please consider joining the ‘Stop Psychiatric Abuse’ group.

 

For more info see Godly’s web site, including a three-part interview with blogger Phillygrrl, click here:

http://fhabuse.org

The vigil blog is here: 100dayprotest.blogspot.com

 

Excerpt from Godly’s blog:

SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2009

Day 50 of 100 – Thanks Everyone !!!

 

Day 50 of 100: Saturday, June 27 @ 11:15 pm to 12:15 am. My first protest past midnight…

Today (Saturday) was day 50 of my 100 day protest.

I have not been blogging much in the last few days… but I thought that I should write something today.

Not sure what exactly but I want to say how surreal this feels even after 50 days. More people reached out to me and more awareness is taking place than I could have anticipated when I first walked up to the boulevard on a Saturday morning almost two months ago.

I feel full of gratitude towards everyone who supported and encouraged me. I realize more than ever the difficult road that lies ahead, but I also recognize more than ever the possibility of changing this horrible system of abuse. I am too exhausted and too empty of ideas to write something inspirational but I feel I must do the best to thank everyone.

Sorry for how mundane this reads but if my words were able to convey even a small portion of the happiness and gratitude I feel at this movement, it would have been very beautiful writing indeed. Thanks everyone.