FYI.
----- Original Message -----
From: "james m nordlund" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, March 31, 2008 9:19 AM
Subject: [Disability Activist] Forcing Psychiatric Drugs Can Increase
Violence Warns Task Force
"Forcing Psychiatric Drugs Can Increase Violence," Warns New Task
Force on Mental Health Legal Advocacy & Activism
For immediate release: NEWS
RELEASE 4 March 2008
Media contacts:
Krista Erickson - 541-345-9106
Daniel Hazen - 315-528-3385
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"Forcing Psychiatric Drugs Can Increase Violence," Warns New
Task Force on Mental Health Legal Advocacy & Activism
Promising to fight what they call pervasive and harmful violations of mental
health Clients who are involuntarily drugged and ectroshocked in the United
States, The Law Project for Psychiatric Rights (PsychRights) and the
MindFreedom Shield Campaign announced today a joint Task Force on Mental
Health Legal Advocacy & Activism. The new partnership of law and nonviolent
direct action has an initial focus in the states of California,
Massachusetts and New York.
PsychRights' President Jim Gottstein declared, "People's rights in forced
drugging proceedings are ignored as a matter of course, resulting in great
harm to them and decreased public safety." David Oaks, Director of
MindFreedom International (MFI), noted, "Violence by a few individuals
labeled 'mentally ill' has led to a backlash calling for a massive increase
in forced psychiatric drugging."
Mr. Gottstein added, "Contrary to public perception, forcing people to take
psychiatric drugs can often increase violence, rather than decrease it. If
people were warned that both taking and withdrawing from these drugs can at
times contribute to committing terrible acts, they and their loved ones can
be alert to the possibility and tragedies averted."
Krista Erickson, MFI board member and Chair of the MFI Shield Campaign,
said, "I'm excited about MFI and PsychRights expanding our partnership and
focusing the combined power of legal advocacy and activism on specific
cases." The
MFI Shield Campaign supports the wishes of a member to be free of
involuntary mental health intervention with an international "Solidarity
Network" of advocates. The new Task Force plans to use both the court of law
and the court of public opinion.
Task Force organizers say the combination of PsychRights' expertise for
strategic litigation and the "people power" of MindFreedom activists around
the country will bring a synergy and geographic reach to their demands for
people's
legal and human rights. Daniel Hazen, Northeast Coordinator with
PsychRights, added, "In the United States the 'mental health' industry is a
labeling system that often dismisses self-determination, legal capacity and
alternatives. 'Treatment' can be
forced through the court systems. People ought to 'have their day in court'
but this is often far from what actually occurs."
MFI is an independent nonprofit coalition defending human rights and
promoting humane alternatives in mental health. The Law Project for
Psychiatric Rights is a public interest law firm devoted to the defense of
people facing what they call the
"horrors of unwarranted forced psychiatric drugging and other forced
psychiatric procedures." PsychRights office is in Anchorage, Alaska:
www.psychrights.org. The MFI office is in Eugene, Oregon:
www.mindfreedom.org
# # #
http://psychrights.org/PR/080304PsychRights-MFI-Shield.pdf
James B. (Jim) Gottstein, Esq.
President/CEO
Law Project for Psychiatric Rights
406 G Street, Suite 206
Anchorage, Alaska 99501
USA
Phone: (907) 274-7686) Fax: (907) 274-9493
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http://psychrights.org/
Psych Rights ®
Law Project for
Psychiatric Rights
The Law Project for Psychiatric Rights is a public interest law firm
devoted to the defense of people facing the horrors of forced
psychiatric drugging. We are further dedicated to exposing the truth
about these drugs and the courts being misled into ordering people to
be drugged and subjected to other brain and body damaging
interventions against their will. Extensive information about this
is available on our web site, http://psychrights.org/. Please donate
generously. Our work is fueled with your IRS 501(c) tax deductible
donations. Thank you for your ongoing help and support.
________________End of message________________
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