PHA-Exchange> Fw: DIRECT ECT- A MATTER FOR URGENT ACTION

[Community Health Cell]

 From: "Bhargavi Davar" <davar at pn2.vsnl.net.in>
 To: "Oaks - MindFreedom" <oaks at mindfreedom.org>
 Subject: RE: Brief statement about challenges for mental health in
 the People's Health Movement, from India.
 Date: Sun, 23 Mar 2003 11:15:47 +0530

 18 March 2003

 Dear People's Health Movement leaders:

> This is a brief e-mail to network between you and
> a few of the leaders in the social justice movement for
> empowerment, self-determination and human
> rights in the MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM internationally.
>
> We are very concerned about a number of critical,
> urgent emerging global issues that I will just briefly touch on:
>
> First, we want to alert key organizations about the globalization of
> human rights violations inherent in a narrow western-style
> medical model mental health system to developing nations.
>
> The psychiatric drug manufacturing industry is one of the
> richest in the world, and they currently have an international
> campaign to promote their approach in developing nations.
>
> One consequence of this kind of activity is that people's
> mental and emotional problems are seen from a simplistic
> chemical model approach, rather than allowing people to
> define their own problems in a wholistic complex
> psychosocial and/or political and/or spiritual point of view.
>
> Please understand that many of our members choose to take
> psychiatric drugs as prescribed, so this is more complex than
> simply being critical of psychiatric drugs. However, many of
> these psychiatric drugs can cause dependence, addiction
> and even death.
>
> One important example in people's real lives:
>
> The domination of the reductionist medical model has
> severe consequences. For instance, because drugs are
> expensive and anesthesia is expensive, there are more
> and more instances being documented internationally of
> involuntary UNMODIFIED ELECTROSHOCK, or "direct" electroshock."
>
> That is, electroshock against the expressed wishes of
> the subject is being given without anesthesia or oxygenation,
> and this amounts to -- objectively speaking -- torture.
>
> A few other quick points at this time:
>
> ** Two studies by the World Health Organization showed that
> recovery from "serious mental illness" can often be better
> in developing nations than in western countries where a
> label can mean being trapped in a psychiatric system for
> decades.
>
> ** Yet, WHO has an enormous mental health project to
> bring western-style mental health systems to the developing
> world, without adequate inclusion of human rights protection,
> alternatives, empowerment, self-determination.
>
> *** For three decades there has been an international movement
> led by psychiatric survivors to speak out for ourselves about
> the mental health system. However, globalization of the mental
> health system is not including this part in its export. The
> western style system is exporting the labels, the drugs, the
> electroshock... but leaving out the advocates, activists and
> technical assistance to help people with psychiatric labels
> have an organized voice.
>
> *** There is a wide range of options that cann help people.
> This is an area where empowering, humane alternatives can
> have a very positive impact.
>
> I direct MINDFREEDOM, which is the public education project
> of Support Coalition International. We unite 100 grassroots
> groups working on this topic in more than a dozen countries.
> We are the *only* Non Governmental Organization led by
> psychiatric survivors that is registered with the United Nations
> (we have official consultative roster status, and are involved
> in the current effort about a convention on disability and human
> rights).
>
> I am e-mailing you now to introduce five leaders in Support Coalition
> International who have done excellent work in this field:
>
> 1) Dr. Bhargavi Davar is with the CENTER FOR ADVOCACY IN MENTAL
>   HEALTH in Pune, India. Dr. Davar is the author of a seminal
> book on these topics:  Mental Health of Indian Women : A Feminist Agenda
> http://www.vedamsbooks.com/no14164.htm. Dr. Davar's e-mail
> address is davar at pn2.vsnl.net.in.
>
> 2) I also am networking you here with Julia Glanville of Support
> Coalition International.
> Julia recently attended a talk in Berkeley, California, USA by three
> of your leaders,
> Zafrullah Chowdhury -- founder of the People's Health Center in
> Bangladesh, Dr. Ravi Narayan -- co-founder & co-leader of PHM in India and
> Dr.
> Thelma Narayan -- Indian epidemiologist, health policy consultant, and
> specialist on the effects of globalization, especially on women.
> Julia's e-mail address is  julaville at earthlink.net.
>
> Julia highly recommended that we network with you in order to
> bring up some of these urgent subjects.
>
> 3) Judi Chamberlin is on our board of directors, and also the boards of
> several other organizations working in this field. At this moment, Judi
> is in Peru investigating the mental health system there. Her e-mail
address
> is madpride at aol.com.
>
> 4) Eric Rosenthal of Mental Disability Rights International (MDRI) is
> documenting
> human rights abuses in the mental health system internationally. His
e-mail
> addresses are mdri at erols.com, eric.rosenthal at erols.com.
>
> I look forward to keeping you in touch now and again with the activities
> we are involved in, such as an international freedom rally we plan in
> May that includes our concern about globalization and the mental health
> system.
>
> I hope you will help find ways for us to network and inform interested
> individuals and groups about our concerns and vision for the future.
>
> Best wishes,
>
> David
> --
>
> David Oaks, Executive Director
> MindFreedom Support Coalition International
> 454 Willamette, Suite 216 - POB 11284
> Eugene, OR 97440-3484 USA
>
> http://www.mindfreedom.org
> e-mail: oaks at mindfreedom.org fax: (541) 345-3737
> phone: (541) 345-9106 toll free in USA: 1-877-MAD-PRIDE
>
> The mind is a terrible thing to label, forcibly drug & electroshock.
>
> Freedom Rally, 18 May 2003, 1 pm, Moscone Center, SF, USA.
>
>
>