MindFreedom International News - 1 August 2007

http://www.mindfreedom.org

More forced shock revealed!

Another attorney... another client... more forced electroshock by New

York State Office of Mental Health!

Pressure builds on New York State Office of Mental Health to stop

forced electroshock.

Attorney Aaron Frishberg issued the following alert today about his

client John Kelly facing more forced electroshock in Rockland Psychiatric

Center:

~~~~~~~~~~

http://www.mindfreedom.org/as/act/us/new-york-state/another-omh-forced-electroshock

or go to: http://tinyurl.com/2a82sk

30 July 2007

Another Forced Electroshock by NY Office of Mental Health

"They Ruined My Memory," Says John Kelly Who Faces More Forced

Electroshock in New York State

From Office of Attorney Aaron Frishberg - Frishberga@aol.com

Rockland Psychiatric Center, a New York State psychiatric hospital in

Rockland County, New York, is going to court for an order to allow it to

administer two to three Electro-Convulsive Treatments (ECT) a week for up

to six months to John Francis Kelly, a 54-year-old man who has been an

involuntary patient at state hospitals for the last three years.

The hearing will be held on the afternoon of 13 August 2007, at

Rockland County Supreme Court. The doctors’ affidavits support of the

application claim that when John Kelly received ECT voluntarily at

another State Hospital in 1999, he "was immediately seen as calmer."

But the actual record from Middletown Psychiatric Center, which

summarized his reaction to ECT this way, shows that the story is much

different from that.

During the time that John Kelly was being given shock treatments

there, he got into trouble on the ward and got into a fight with

another patient. He withdrew his consent to the treatment twice, the

second time for good.

Having had the experience, John says "I had nine shock treatments at

Middletown Hospital. They ruined my memory."

John is being represented in court by Aaron Frishberg, a private

attorney who is a member of MindFreedom.

ACTION: Write a strong but polite message to James Bopp, Executive

Director, RPC:

** E-mail: RocklandPC@omh.state.ny.us

** Phone: (845) 359-1000

** Fax: (845) 359-3143

** Postal mail:

James Bopp, Executive Director

Rockland Psychiatric Center

140 Old Orangeburg Road

Orangeburg, New York 10962

Sample message:

"I urge you not to force John Kelly to have electroshock."

Adding your own words is most effective.

You may also send letters of support to:

John Kelly

Building 58, Ward 404

Rockland Psychiatric Center

140 Old Orangeburg Road

Orangeburg, New York 10962

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

REMINDER: Attorneys Feld & Darrow have been fighting to stop the

forced electroshock of their client Simone D. by the New York State

Office of Mental Health! Commissioner Michael Hogan says he refuses to do

anything.

Simone D. is a Spanish speaker. Even though a psychiatrist ordered

her to have Spanish speaking counselors, the New York State Office of

Mental Health has refused, continuing to leave her in what her attorneys

call "linguistic isolation," as she has been for years and years!

You can read about the background of the Simone D. Campaign and how you

can easily speak out, go to:

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

THANK YOU to all of those who are speaking up and speaking out!

Several State of New York Office of Mental Health meetings have

experienced citizens asking questions and demanding answers about

forced electroshock against the subjects' wishes inside State of New York

facilities! Keep it up!

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

REMINDER:

TOMORROW, Wednesday, 1 August 2007, 4 pm Eastern Time, click http://

prncomm.net

MindFreedom Free Live Weekly Internet Radio Show

Next guest: Ron Bassman - author, psychiatric survivor, psychologist

Hear a live interview with Ron Bassman, a psychiatric survivor and

psychologist who has just published a brand new book about his

struggle to live, thrive and change the mental health system:

"A Fight to Be: A Psychologist's Experience from Both Sides of the

Locked Door."

You can listen and phone in with your comments LIVE on the

MindFreedom News Free Internet Radio Show by clicking on http://prncomm.net

 this Wednesday, 1 August 2007 at 4 pm ET.

Phone numbers to call in live are announced during the show by host David

Oaks.

Ron Bassman as a young person was a survivor of horrendous abuse by the

psychiatric institution, including multiple lock-ups, forced

electroshock, forced insulin coma shock, and forced drugging. He went on

to become a humane psychologist and effective leader in changing the

mental health system.

ALERT: Ron Bassman's brand new book "Fight To Be" is now for sale at the

MindFreedom's MAD MARKET at:

http://mindfreedom.org/mad-market/fight-to-be-ron-bassman

More info on Ron's appearance on the MF radio show, along with Ron's

description of himself in his own words, with a photo, go here:

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

Ironically, Ron Bassman is a New York State resident, and shock

survivor and has worked in the past for the infamous New York State

Office of Mental Health. We will therefore ask Ron to comment on the

"Simone D." campaign. The NY Office of Mental Health has won in court to

give "Simone D." more forced electroshock. MindFreedom has a campaign for

people to contact New York State officials to demand the OMH stop.

So remember to listen and phone in when Ron Bassman is the guest on the

free LIVE MindFreedom News Internet Radio Show by clicking on

http://prncomm.net  this Wednesday, 1 August 2007 at 4:00 pm ET.

You may e-mail in your comments, questions or technical problems at any

time at radio@mindfreedom.org.  We check for e-mails during the show, and

your comments may be read live.

Please note the producers sometimes start the show a few minutes

late, your patience is appreciated.

If you miss the show you may hear it on the archive here:

http://oaks.progressiveradionetwork.org/

More info on Ron Bassman is at his web site:

http://www.ronaldbassman.com 

~~~~~~~

Upcoming MF Radio shows in August are all guests from outside the USA.

Circle your calendar, all are on Wednesdays at 4 pm ET, and you can phone

in live:

** 8 August: Peter Lehmann, the German psychiatric survivor and

editor. We'll hear about his brand new book, co-edited with Peter

Stastny, about alternatives to conventional mental health care.

** 15 August: A psychiatric survivor who is a professional

historian and archivist and author, Geoffrey Reaume of Ontario has

helped launch an international archive for the psychiatric survivor

social change movement.

** 22 August: Don Weitz, also from Ontario, a well-known and

widely-respected passionate leader in challenging the psychiatric

system.

** 29 August: And Sue Clark, an electroshock survivor activist from

Canada, see her web site http://wittenbergces.blogspot.com

To hear each show just click on http://prncomm.net  at 4 pm ET.

If you miss the show you can hear recent archives here:

http://oaks.progressiveradionetwork.org/

More about MindFreedom Free Internet Radio here:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/radio

~~~~~~~~~

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

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

And while you're on the MindFreedom web site... click on the button on

the RIGHT to join or donate now, or go directly to:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/join-donate

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

numbers!

Do you want to...

* Win human rights campaigns in mental health?

* End abuse by the psychiatric drug industry?

* Support self-determination of psychiatric survivors?

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

MindFreedom is for people who care about human rights who want to unite!

MindFreedom is a nonprofit human rights group that unites 100 sponsor and

affiliate groups with individual members, and is accredited by the United

Nations as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) with Consultative Roster

Status.

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

mental health field with no funding from governments, drug companies,

religions, corporations, or the mental health system. While most of

MindFreedom's members are psychiatric survivors, *all* who support human

rights are invited to join and become active leaders.

Join or donate here:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/join-donate

For hard-to-find books and gear go to:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/mad-market

MindFreedom International Office: 454 Willamette, Suite 216 - POB

11284; Eugene, OR 97440-3484 USA

web site: http://www.mindfreedom.org

e-mail: office@mindfreedom.org

office phone: (541) 345-9106

toll free: 1-877-MAD-PRIDe or 1-877-623-7743

fax: (541) 345-3737

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