ECOLOGY OF MIND MIND-ING ECOLOGY

NEWS: MindFreedom Update 08 June 2007
http://www.MindFreedom.org

Live from Dresden, Germany:

World Psychiatric Association Meets with Psychiatric Survivor

Movement Groups

President of WPA thanks Dorothea Buck for keynote.

Top Global Psychiatry Leaders Meet with United Psychiatric Survivor/

Mental Health Consumer Groups The topic: Dialogue About Psychiatric

Coercion by David Oaks, Director, MindFreedom International

DRESDEN, GERMANY: I only have a moment here at the hotel in Dresden,

Germany to sum up a great deal of news.

Representatives of several psychiatric survivor/mental health

consumer organizations held meetings with top leaders of the World

Psychiatric Association during the past three days here.

The WPA conference is on the topic of coercion in psychiatry. For

more than a year, several psychiatric survivor and mental health

consumer groups have been aware of this situation.

I am very proud to report that these movement groups worked well

together to address this challenge. We appointed author/psychiatric

survivor Peter Lehmann as our negotiator/liaison with the WPA, and Peter

did an absolutely brilliant job.

The results? A number of psychiatric survivor/mental health consumer

issued a combined public statement, which alone is important.

In addition to peaceful protests outside, psychiatric survivors and

mental health consumers were also speaking out inside, with exhibit

tables, keynoting, presenting symposia, negotiating, protesting and most

important uniting.

The WPA made several pledges, but of course the proof will be in the

outcome.

I would like to personally assure all who have concerns about whether WPA

is telling the truth -- that we are being "tricked" -- that of course I

share and respect your deeply held concerns. I too often I have seen

positive words from psychiatric leaders without results, including when I

was locked up and abused inside of a psychiatric institution.

But also MindFreedom principles begin with those of Martin Luther

King, Jr. Of course we must -- and no doubt will -- use nonviolent

direct action and protest, including even civil disobedience. But to do

this well we also need to begin by speaking directly, in as civil way as

possible, to our opponents, and clearly state our situation and demands.

So many psychiatric survivors and mental health consumers and our

allies clearly explained the situation of human rights here at the

WPA. Thank you.

A brief review of some of the news during the past three days, please

watch this web site for more details.

* DOROTHEA BUCK:

Because of our movement's efforts, Dorothea Buck was one of the

keynote speaker. Whatever reservation one may have about our being

"inside," this has to be put aside when it comes to Dorothea.

Dorothea is not one to be "tricked."

To a packed room that sat in stunned silence, we all heard from this

survivor of forced psychiatry. Dorothea experienced 70 years of coercion

in the German psychiatric system, including forced sterilization. Yes, we

all have concerns and misgivings when talking with opponents, but seeing

Dorothea Buck in front of this room of international psychiatric leaders

"telling truth to power" was riveting. At 90 years old, Dorothea was

present.

At the end, the president of the WPA made a moving thank you to

Dorothea and came forward to shake hands. (See photo of Dorothea on our

web site.)

From the summary of Dorothea's talk, please watch for the talk in

print and video soon, here:

Dorothea Buck

"70 Years of Coercion in German Psychiatric Institutions, Experienced and

Witnessed"

Dorothea Buck was born in Germany in 1917 and can therefore be called a

contemporary witness. She had five stays in psychiatric hospitals in the

period from 1936 to 1959 and was subjected to various forms of coercion,

such as forced sterilization, cold wet sheet packs and forced injections

and was never granted a single talk about the origin or meaning of her

psychotic episodes.

Facing the historical development of psychiatry and its effects on

today’s mental health system, she challenges biological psychiatry, which

rejects communication with patients, and demands a paradigm shift toward

a psychosocial system based on the wealth of patients’ experiences that

provides alternatives to psychiatry, such as the therapeutic principles

of "Soteria" and Yrjö Alanen’s "Need-Adapted Treatment."

* Extensive Meeting with WPA President Mezzich

On the first day of the conference, 6 June 2007, MindFreedom

initiated a special meeting with the President of the World

Psychiatric Association, Prof. Juan E. Mezzich. What began as a brief

meeting became a three-and-a-half-hour discussion that covered a range of

topics, and specific proposals. All involved decided to initiate a

variety of mediated dialogues between psychiatric survivors and key

leaders of the World Psychiatric Association, with a goal of educating

the public about our human rights.

I would like to add a personal note about the nature of the

discussion with Dr. Mezzich. All psychiatric survivor here felt this

conversation was different than usual. Yes, once more, the proof will be

in results. But all involved felt they were heard, and respected, in this

discussion.

* In a reception, the conference organizer and President of the WPA

called for more open dialogue with leaders of mental health consumer and

psychiatric survivor organizations, and called up some of these activists

to join them. The conference organizer passionately encouraged all

present to see a special exhibit in Dresiden of "Deadly Medicine," about

the killing of mental patients in Nazi Germany. This exhibit from the

Holocaust Museum is extremely poweful.

* The WPA held a news conference, and invited myself and Peter

Lehmann to sit on the podium on either side of the WPA President. We had

a candid discussion about how psychiatric survivor/mental health consumer

groups have become more united than ever before... but that what is

necessary for action and fulfillment of promises by WPA to continue such

a dialogue. Incredibly, during this news conference the immediate past

president of the American Psychiatric Association pledged to work toward

dialogue with the APA.

* In the only negative incident, three psychiatric drug exhibitors

threatened to sue the WPA to reclaim money from their exhibits. These

drug companies absurdly claimed they would do this was because I did a

Patch Adams inspired skit about 'screening for normality' too near their

exhibit. Believe it or not, there was a high-level negotiation about when

and how to use the squeaky red nose! I ended up doing a brief version of

the skit at a castle where the WPA held a dinner. During this I announced

the launch of the "International Association for the Advancement of

Creative Maladjustment." Watch for news about that during Mad Pride Month

in July.

* This coming Wednesday, 13 June 2007, the subject of the MindFreedom

Free Live Internet Radio Show will be the Dresden, Germany event at 4 pm

ET at http://prncomm.net. (Apologies that an actual broadcast from the

conference this past Wednesday turned out to be impossible due to

logistics.)

For more info and another photo go here:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/campaign/media/mfradio/next

* A number of psychiatric survivor groups have relased a united

statement with a vision for the end of coercion in psychiatry. You

may read and download the special "Declaration of Dresden Against

Coerced Psychiatric Treatment" by going here:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/kb/mental-health-global/wpa-dresden/

In this brief report, it is impossible to fully explain how grateful we

are to all the groups listed in this statement, and those who are

continuing to provide endorsement, for your united support!

More later.

Thank you.

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And this just in on MindFreedom Web Site!

Live from London, England:

You can see LIVE photo coverage of the launch of Bonkersfest 2007!

That's right, catch a photo by Peter Lindley of the cannon launch.

Organizers of this popular outdoor music, arts, cultural festival to

promote psychiatric survivors start their "Bonkersfest" with a cannon

that launches bananas. Check it out at:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/campaign/madpride/bonkersfest-2007

It's all part of Mad Pride 2007, for a list of this year's known

events go here:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/campaign/madpride

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All this and lots more that's new at the MindFreedom News Web Site:

http://www.mindfreedom.org

Don't see an important news item there? Submit it to

news@mindfreedom.org

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"Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted." -

Martin Luther King, Jr.

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