ECOLOGY OF MIND MIND-ING ECOLOGY

UPDATE #2 on below alert:

The New York Office of Mental Health Commissioner Michael Hogan has made

their form for public comments via the web inoperative (the 'submit'

button is grayed out if you go to the page directly from the link

provided).

You can instead go to the very bottom of the OMH web page provided, and

use the small print link to "Web Site Administrator" to e-mail in a

comment.

However, we recommended that you all instead PHONE and FAX

Commissioner Hogan starting on Monday, and don't stop. Be civil, but keep

it up.

Commissioner Hogan led President Bush's Commission on Mental Health, and

claims to support empowerment, recovery and self-determination. Phone and

fax Commissioner Hogan starting on Monday and ask in a civil but firm way

how he can reconcile his statements with the way his OMH aggressively

pursues more and more forced electroshock over the expressed wishes of

people like Simone D.

We have updated the alert below.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

MindFreedom International Alert - 7 July 2007 - please forward

http://www.mindfreedom.org/kb/mental-health-abuse/electroshock

HUMAN RIGHTS UPDATE:

New York State wins in court to give more forced electroshock to

"Simone D."

Simone D.: "Electroshock causes more pain! I suffer more from

shock treatment!"

How you can easily use the web to say "No!" to four key NY State

officials!

The State of New York won its battle in court to order even more

forced electroshock for Creedmoor Psychiatric Center inmate "Simone D.,"

who has already had more than 200 electroshocks, also known as

electroconvulsive therapy or ECT.

Now it is time for the international court of public opinion to weigh in!

Here is how you can easily use the web to speak out and say "No!" to this

overwhelming human rights abuse. It takes only a moment... about as long

as an electroshock.

The New York Court of Appeals recently upheld a lower court order

forcing Simone D., an inmate at Creedmoor Psychiatric Center, to

undergo 30 more electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) treatments against

her will.

Simone D.'s attorney Dennis Feld said, "Her battle cry has been

muffled by her being primarily a Spanish language speaker in a unit where

no one except her MHLS on-site attorney speaks Spanish."

Court records reveal that when approached by the State clinicians for her

to submit to more electroshock, Simone stated clearly enough in Spanish

that, "Electroshock causes more pain! I suffer more from shock

treatment!"

New York State's Office of Mental Health (OMH) has a long-standing

policy of vigorously pursuing legal action to force ECT on unwilling

people whom it determines are not capable of making their own decisions.

Interestingly, the capacity of people who agree to ECT is never called

into question.

To read two updates from Simone D's attorney Dennis Feld about her

court hearings go here:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/kb/mental-health-abuse/electroshock/simone-d/200705

http://www.mindfreedom.org/kb/mental-health-abuse/electroshock/simone-d/200707

It's time for us all to speak up and demand that New York State end this

appalling, inhumane practice!

It just takes a moment to use e-mail to contact the below four New

York State officials! If you can also phone or write that is helpful, but

at least e-mail them!

Let New York State officials know that forced ECT is wrong and must be

stopped!

A draft sample message is included below, though using your own words and

personal experiences are encouraged. Please be civil but firm.

Please contact these New York State officials immediately!

** Gov. Eliot Spitzer:

Complete the web form at: http://161.11.121.121/govemail Phone:

(518) 474-8390. Fax: 518-474-1513.

** Lieutenant Gov. David Paterson:

He is legally blind and has been charged by the Governor with dealing

with disability issues. Complete the web form at: http://161.11.121.121/emailltgov

Phone: (518) 474-4623. Fax: (518) 486-4170

** OMH Commissioner Michael Hogan:

Go to web form at: http://www.omh.state.ny.us/omhweb/email/feedback.asp

UPDATE: THE WEB FORM FOR COMMENTS TO COMMISSIONER HOGAN IS APPARENTLY

INOPERATIVE IF YOU GO THERE DIRECTLY. (The "submit" button is grayed

out.) You can get to an operative version of this form indirectly via the

small print "Web Site Administrator" link at the very bottom.

However it is recommended that you instead phone and fax during

business hours, and don't stop! Be civil, be firm, but ask how

Commissioner Hogan can claim to support empowerment and recovery

while leading President Bush's Commission on Mental Health, but now his

office is pushing more and more forced electroshock!

Let's make this into a phone campaign -- be civil, but don't stop!

Phone: (518) 474-4403 Fax: (518) 474-2149.

** Peter M. Rivera, Chair, New York State Assembly Standing

Committee on Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Developmental

Disabilities.

Email: riverap@assembly.state.ny.us Phone: (718) 931-2620. Write:

1973 Westchester Avenue; Bronx, NY 10462 USA.

~~~~~~~~~

Draft sample message - though your own words are best:

~~~~~~~~~

Dear ___________:

The New York Court of Appeals recently upheld a lower court

order forcing Simone D., an inmate at Creedmoor Psychiatric Center, to

undergo 30 more electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) treatments against her

will. Ms. D. has already been subjected to more than 200 ECT sessions.

It is time for the State to reverse the New York Office of

Mental Health's long-standing policy of vigorously pursuing legal

action to force ECT on people who do not want this controversial

intervention. We believe it is time to revise the laws that allow

forced electroshock. ECT is of questionable efficacy, but it does

have well-documented serious side-effects effects, including

permanent memory loss. This memory loss can be so severe that people may

not recognize family members or be able to practice their professions.

This is an invasive irreversible intervention.

The World Health Organization has called for a ban of

involuntary electroshock. It is time that New York ends such shameful

practices.

New York Office of Mental Health Commissioner Michael Hogan

chaired the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health,

which promoted the idea that people with psychiatric disabilities

must direct their own care in order for recovery to be possible. This

stands in stark contradiction to OMH's zealous legal activities to force

ECT on those who do not want it.

We call on the State of New York to renounce this harmful

policy, and on the Governor to propose legislation that would end the

possibility of ECT being forced on any citizen.

Sincerely,

[Your name & address.]

~~~~~~~~~

This alert is also on the MindFreedom web site with hyperlinks to the

four NY officials along with additional information:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/kb/mental-health-abuse/electroshock/simone-d

or use:

http://tinyurl.com/262xma

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

URGENT: Please act IMMEDIATELY. Then FORWARD this alert to all

appropriate places on and off the Internet! Add a brief personal note

that you have acted, and you encourage your friends, colleagues and

relatives to act too!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

More news at the MindFreedom News Web Site:

http://www.mindfreedom.org

Don't see an important news item? Submit it to news@mindfreedom.org

~~~~~~~~~~~~

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join or donate now, or go directly to:

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Become a member or renew your membership now! Build united strength in

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* Promote safe, humane, effective options in mental health?

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MindFreedom is one of the very few totally independent groups in the

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