Welcome to MindFreedom's library of information about mental health, psychiatry, human rights & alternatives

If you are new to our fight for human rights, or even a veteran activist, we recommend viewing our Voices for Choices video series for an overview on involuntary treatment, alternatives, and organizing/activism. We encourage you to forward the link to your network of contacts so that more people can be informed of how vulnerable we are to the abuse of our rights and the importance of supporting and protecting each other.

You may also check out our series on Myths and Truths about mental health care, based on our popular brochure Does Your Mental Health Care Need A Truth Injection. Find them at MindFreedom.org/Truth or on our Instagram page. If you are able to help translate any of these or other important education materials into your own native language, we would love your help. Simply contact MindFreedom's social media team, who will be managing future translations and localizations: socialmedia@mindfreedom.org.

The following are items gathered by MindFreedom about mental health care, the psychiatric profession, advocacy, humane alternatives and more. This information is gathered for public education, and does not necessarily reflect the position of MindFreedom and its board. Nothing on MindFreedom.org or in our material should be construed as an attempt to offer or render a medical or legal opinion.

Folder Abuse in Mental Health System
Folder Activism in mental health
Action campaigns to challenge and transform the mental health system.
Folder Advocacy
Folder Alternatives to the Traditional Mental Health System
Folder Arts
Role of art, music, dance, writing, theater in challenging psychiatric human rights violation and in assisting in the emergence of emotional and mental well being and recovery.
Folder Blogs on changing the mental health system
Here are a few web logs touching or focusing on the topic of human rights and/or alternatives in the mental health system. If you find more let us know. Disclaimer: This is not necessarily an endorsement of material on these blogs.
Folder Diagnosis and labeling of mental health and illness
Contemporary and historical approaches to the art of mental health diagnosis
Folder Disability
These documents explore the intersection between the disability movement and the movement to change the mental health system.
Folder Ethics & Mental Health
Folder Events related to alternatives & human rights in mental health
These are conferences, meetings, congresses, gatherings related to the topics of human rights in mental health. Inclusion of these events is not necessarily endorsement, and is for your information. Unless specified, these are not events sponsored by MindFreedom International.
Folder Families and Friends of Psychiatric Survivors
What role do parents, siblings, children, relatives, colleagues, friends have in supporting psychiatric survivors? How can relatives and allies help us find the services we choose, want and need? How can mothers, dads, sisters, brothers, wives and husbands stand with us side by side in resisting the severe human rights violations that are so endemic in the current mental health industry?
Folder Genetics and Eugenics
Folder Global Issues
International activist concerns on human rights and alternatives in the mental health system.
Folder History
Looking back on MindFreedom and history of our movement.
Folder In Memoriam
Folder Loading Zone for Volunteer New Material
These are drafts of articles and other material posted by volunteers that are currently in production.
Folder Mad Pride Archive
Info. on Mad Pride & Past Events
Folder MadMarket
Information related to MindFreedom's online store, the MadMarket.
Folder Media Issues
Challenges with the corporate media, including bias, silence and discrimination. Plus suggestions about creating your own alternative media.
Folder Mental Health Issues and Homeless People
This has information regarding the intersection of people who are labeled with psychiatric disabilities, and people who for whatever reason up without decent humane shelter.
Folder Mental Health System
Why is the mental health system so often harmful to those it seeks to help, and what can be done to change the situation?
Folder Military and Mental Health
The intersection between the military and the mental health system has gained special attention because of veterans returning from war with a diagnosis of "post traumatic stress disorder" or PTSD.
Collection MindFreedom's library of information about mental health, psychiatry, human rights & alternatives
These are items gathered by MindFreedom about mental health care, the psychiatric profession, advocacy, humane alternatives and more. This information is gathered for public education, and does not necessarily reflect the position of MindFreedom and its board. Nothing on MindFreedom.org or in our material should be construed as an attempt to offer or render a medical or legal opinion.
Folder Personal stories accounts of mental health consumers and psychiatric survivors
These are first person descriptions by MindFreedom members of human rights violations in the psychiatric system.
Folder Police and Mental Health
This material has information involving police and those impacted by the mental health system. This includes commentary about special training for the police on mental health issues.
Folder Prison and Mental Health
All people in the criminal justice system deserve a range of voluntary supports. Unfortunately, the motto 'help not prisons' is being used to promote more and more psychiatric drugging and restraints of prisoners, without that full variety of humane alternatives.
Folder Psychiatric Drug Industry
Investigations of the undue influence by huge and profitable corporations that manufacture psychiaric medications.
Folder Psychiatric Drugs
A variety of information about psychiatric prescribed medications, including neuroleptic brain damage, deaths and psychiatric drugs, and resources about quitting psychiatric drugs.
Folder Psychiatric Survivors
Folder Resources, books, publications, reviews
Here are reviews and listings of books, publications on human rights and alternatives in the mental health system.
Article Schizophrenia & Natural Remedies - Withdrawing Safely from Psychiatric Drugs
Maureen B. Roberts, PhD, a Jungian therapist who is the founder and co-ordinator of the Schizophrenia Crisis Centre & Drug-free Helpline, outlines safe, natural, healing remedies for safe withdrawal from psychiatric drugs for patients labeled as 'schizophrenics'. Dr. Roberts recommends gradual withdrawal techniques, using orthomolecular remedies that replace neurotoxic drugs with natural alternatives, while restoring a more normal pH balance.
Article Therapy Without Force: A Treatment Model for Severe Psychiatric Problems
This paper offers real-world examples of how therapists can avoid resorting to coercive interventions while attempting to respectfully help those in severe distress. (Author is responsible for content.)
Folder USA Campaign
Folder Youth & Mental Health System