The True Freedom Commission Faces the President's New MH Commission

[Guest guest]

Important Developments to follow...

And you can scroll down to the very last paragraph to read what Dr. Lawrence

Plumlee presents about the newer class of antidepressants - SSRIS, to the

president's commission on mental health.

=========================================================

President Bush's attack against all

disability and mental health groups:

But this time we are not alone!

President's New Freedom Commission begins.

Satel appointment to an advisory committee confirmed.

People's True Freedom Commission is launched!

by Oaks, Director

Support Coalition International

PENTAGON CITY, WASHINGTON, DC: There we were

yesterday in a ballroom of the incredibly

high-priced Ritz Carlton Hotel, not far from the

Pentagon. We were psychiatric survivors and

disability leaders scattered throughout an

audience of 100, watching in disbelief as the

first meeting of the President's New Freedom

Commission on Mental Health began.

We were watching a triple play by President Bush

against the entire cross-disability movement, by

targeting the most vulnerable: psychiatric

survivors and mental health consumers.

But this time we were not alone in standing up

for our rights.

BUSH TRIPLE PLAY

1) We watched that morning as 15 Bush appointees

on this mental health commission introduced

themselves, and only one identified himself or

herself as having personally experienced the

mental health system, or as a leader of a mental

health consumer/psychiatric survivor

organization.

2) During a break, we heard personally from

Charlie Curie, administrator of the US Substance

Abuse/Mental Health Administration, that the

appointment of extremist psychiatrist Sally Satel

to a key federal advisory role was a done deal.

Mr. Curie told us, " I support her appointment.

The paper work had been signed. The decision

won't be changed. " (Satel will be on the National

Advisory Council for the US Center for Mental

Health Services, not to be confused with the

President's Commission.)

3) And the third part of the triple play: In the

audience were hard-working long-time leaders from

each of the three federally-funded national

technical assistance centers for

consumer/survivors. President Bush's reward for

their fight for true freedom? His budget promises

100 percent " termination " of all funding for these

centers in one year.

WE'RE BACK AT BAT AND WE'RE NOT ALONE!

By making public announcements during break

times, by handing out our own news release, and

by individually talking to the Bush

Commissioners, we made sure everyone in that

Ritz ballroom yesterday heard the news about the

competition:

We announced the People's True Freedom

Commission, created on June 14, 2002 by a rapidly

growing network of disability and psychiatric

survivor/mental health organizations. We made

sure everyone at the President's Commision first

meeting had a copy of the speech made by

Dart at the first meeting of the People's

Commission. is widely considered one of

the main leaders of the disability movement. He

began the People's Commission launch by saying,

" I propose that we of the disability communities

unite with all who love justice to lead a

revolution of empowerment. "

For background on the People's New Freedom

Commission, including the full text of

Dart's speech, see:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/mindfreedom/bush_c.shtml

Since that launch just five days ago, we are seeing

unprecedented unity, bridge building and calls for action

in the consumer/survivor and disability movements.

I learned something about federal meetings like

the President's Commission, which intends to hold

meetings in various parts of the country over the

next 11 months. They must be publicly announced

and open to the public, except under certain

very-narrowly defined conditions. And during

break times -- just before the meeting, during

breaks, and just after the meeting -- the First

Amendment kicks in.

So near the end of a break, as the audience and

commissioners took their seats, and just before

chair Hogan, PhD, re-started the meeting,

I stood up and addressed everyone. To his credit,

Dr. Hogan let me complete my short speech.

I told everyone about the Bush triple play. I

told them about how cross-disability and mental

health consumer and psychiatric survivor groups

were uniting. I told them about the People's True

Freedom Commission.

And I pointed something out:

" If this was a President's commission about

women's issues, imagine 14 of the 15

commissioners being men. Imagine the President

had just appointed an openly sexist man to

another federal advisory committee on women. And

imagine the President also announced all federal

funding for technical assistance for women's

organizations would be terminated in a year. This

room would be filled with nonviolent protesters

today. "

Judi Chamberlin, who is on the board of Support

Coalition International, was also there watching the

disaster unfold at the Ritz Carlton yesterday. She

was of course disgusted. Judi told a media

representative, " Back in 1979 President

also had a blue ribbon commission. There was only

one token psychiatric survivor/mental health

consumer on that commission, too. We're in the

same position 23 years later. "

But there's a difference this time, Judi... We

didn't fill the room with nonviolent protesters

yesterday, though I personally hope and pray we

will some day soon. But I felt a subtle

difference in the air in that ballroom.

As I sat there in the ballroom feeling the deep

insult of this triple play, Jim Ward quietly took

a seat next to me. Jim is director of the ADA

Watch, which unites 400 groups to defend the ADA.

ADA Watch is a founding organization in the

People's Commission. Jim helped organize the

People's Commission, and is himself a psychiatric

survivor. Jim said ADA Watch intends to

participate in a news event during the

anniversary of the ADA, on July 26, 2002 about this

crisis.

We're not alone this time.

And into the ballroom walks Tom Olin, from the

Disability Rights Center in D.C., and one of the

premiere photographers in any social change

movement. Tom quietly began to record and archive

the events that day.

We're not alone this time.

During a break, a representative from the large

International Association for Psychosocial

Rehabilitation expresses his concern, and he

tells me IAPSRS would be interested in being on

the People's Commission.

We're not alone this time.

Members of the West Virginia Mental Health

Consumers Association say " hi " and tell me

they're on board.

We're not alone this time.

And as the President's Commission starts I hear a

familiar booming voice from the other side of the

audience, pointing out the irony that a meeting

about one of the poorest constituencies is held

at the Ritz. " The rooms here are $300, " says the

voice. It's ph , director of the

National Mental Health Self Help Clearinghouse,

on the People's Commission. During a break,

ph introduces me to a young law student who

will help the People's Commission.

We're uniting this time.

As the Commissioners introduce themselves, we

hear from one of the first " mental health court "

judges... we hear a Commissioner talk about

the importance of " compliance " ... but we also

hear Dan Fisher -- psychiatric survivor and

psychiatrist -- talk about empowerment and

self-determination. We hear as he is the only

Commissioner to get a loud round of applause

from from the audience.

We will be heard this time.

As I write this, Vicki from MadNation in

Canada tells me she is setting up an e-mail list for

the People's Commission. Vicki also pointed out

how this Bush triple play is an attack against

the entire disability movement. President Bush is

supposed to have a commitment to " freedom " for all

people diagnosed or perceived as having

disabilities. See the MadNation web site about

the Bush promises:

http://www.madnation.cc/issues/freedom/index.htm

These are the six points Bush promised for

freedom for all people with disabilities:

Increasing Access to Assistive and Universally

Designed Technologies

Expanding Educational Opportunities

Promoting Homeownership

Integrating Americans with Disabilities into the

Workforce

Expanding Transportation Options

Promoting Full Access to Community Life

Says Vicki, " We want assistive technology, homes

of our own, employment, a chance to go to school,

transportation and full access to community life

too. These are our issues, but as the New

Untouchables we are likely to get brain damaging

'treatment,' mental health courts, and a federally

sanctioned mental health militia in the name of

'improved systems' instead. "

We're taking strategic action this time.

As I write this, Lawrence Plumlee, MD is giving

his public comment (copied BELOW) to the

President's Commission, on behalf of Support

Coalition International. In the three minutes

allotted he planned to focus on lack of full informed

consent for people prescribed psychiatric drugs.

We will not be silent this time!

- end -

From " Lawrence A. Plumlee, MD " <laplumlee@...>

Founder, National Capital Area Advocates

Bethesda, land

I'm Larry Plumlee, a graduate of s Hopkins

Medical School and formerly on the faculty there

in the the Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral

Sciences.

I've worked in toxicology for the U.S. Public

Health Service and Environmental Protection

Agency. Today, I represent the Support Coalition

International, a coalition of 100 groups of

psychiatric consumers and survivors.

We believe that consumers should have full

disclosure about the risks of proposed

psychiatric treatments, and choice from a range

of alternatives. We want consumers to have

informed consent, difficult as that may be to

provide during a time of crisis.

Many of our members choose drugs, others do not.

I'll read you a few abridged lines from the book

_Mad in America_ by Whitaker that

illustrate information which patients are not

given:

" In 1967, NIMH investigators reported, much to

their surprise, the patients that had not been

treated in hospitals with drugs 'were less likely

to be rehospitalized than those who received any

of the three active phenothiazines.' Four years

later, NIMH physicians were back with another

disturbing finding. Relapse rates rose in direct

correlation to initial drug dosage, and the

no-dosage group had by far the lowest relapse

rate. Only 7 percent of patients who weren't

medicated at the start of the study relapsed,

compared to 45 percent who were placed on

neuroleptics then withdrawn. "

Today we know that the risk of neuroleptics

includes significant structural brain change in

the size and shape of the brain, as shown on MRI

and CT scans. Patients are not warned about this,

and usually, not even about tardive dyskinesia and

dystonia.

The newer antidepressants of SSRI type carry a

significant likelihood that patients will be worse

when they are stopped than they were before

starting them. Informed consent about this

discontinuation syndrome is usually not being

provided to the patient before these drugs are

recommended.

Thank you very much.

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

ACTION: Please forward and copy to all

appropriate places on and off Internet, thanks.

_________________________________________________________________

Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com

[Guest guest]

Important Developments to follow...

And you can scroll down to the very last paragraph to read what Dr. Lawrence

Plumlee presents about the newer class of antidepressants - SSRIS, to the

president's commission on mental health.

=========================================================

President Bush's attack against all

disability and mental health groups:

But this time we are not alone!

President's New Freedom Commission begins.

Satel appointment to an advisory committee confirmed.

People's True Freedom Commission is launched!

by Oaks, Director

Support Coalition International

PENTAGON CITY, WASHINGTON, DC: There we were

yesterday in a ballroom of the incredibly

high-priced Ritz Carlton Hotel, not far from the

Pentagon. We were psychiatric survivors and

disability leaders scattered throughout an

audience of 100, watching in disbelief as the

first meeting of the President's New Freedom

Commission on Mental Health began.

We were watching a triple play by President Bush

against the entire cross-disability movement, by

targeting the most vulnerable: psychiatric

survivors and mental health consumers.

But this time we were not alone in standing up

for our rights.

BUSH TRIPLE PLAY

1) We watched that morning as 15 Bush appointees

on this mental health commission introduced

themselves, and only one identified himself or

herself as having personally experienced the

mental health system, or as a leader of a mental

health consumer/psychiatric survivor

organization.

2) During a break, we heard personally from

Charlie Curie, administrator of the US Substance

Abuse/Mental Health Administration, that the

appointment of extremist psychiatrist Sally Satel

to a key federal advisory role was a done deal.

Mr. Curie told us, " I support her appointment.

The paper work had been signed. The decision

won't be changed. " (Satel will be on the National

Advisory Council for the US Center for Mental

Health Services, not to be confused with the

President's Commission.)

3) And the third part of the triple play: In the

audience were hard-working long-time leaders from

each of the three federally-funded national

technical assistance centers for

consumer/survivors. President Bush's reward for

their fight for true freedom? His budget promises

100 percent " termination " of all funding for these

centers in one year.

WE'RE BACK AT BAT AND WE'RE NOT ALONE!

By making public announcements during break

times, by handing out our own news release, and

by individually talking to the Bush

Commissioners, we made sure everyone in that

Ritz ballroom yesterday heard the news about the

competition:

We announced the People's True Freedom

Commission, created on June 14, 2002 by a rapidly

growing network of disability and psychiatric

survivor/mental health organizations. We made

sure everyone at the President's Commision first

meeting had a copy of the speech made by

Dart at the first meeting of the People's

Commission. is widely considered one of

the main leaders of the disability movement. He

began the People's Commission launch by saying,

" I propose that we of the disability communities

unite with all who love justice to lead a

revolution of empowerment. "

For background on the People's New Freedom

Commission, including the full text of

Dart's speech, see:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/mindfreedom/bush_c.shtml

Since that launch just five days ago, we are seeing

unprecedented unity, bridge building and calls for action

in the consumer/survivor and disability movements.

I learned something about federal meetings like

the President's Commission, which intends to hold

meetings in various parts of the country over the

next 11 months. They must be publicly announced

and open to the public, except under certain

very-narrowly defined conditions. And during

break times -- just before the meeting, during

breaks, and just after the meeting -- the First

Amendment kicks in.

So near the end of a break, as the audience and

commissioners took their seats, and just before

chair Hogan, PhD, re-started the meeting,

I stood up and addressed everyone. To his credit,

Dr. Hogan let me complete my short speech.

I told everyone about the Bush triple play. I

told them about how cross-disability and mental

health consumer and psychiatric survivor groups

were uniting. I told them about the People's True

Freedom Commission.

And I pointed something out:

" If this was a President's commission about

women's issues, imagine 14 of the 15

commissioners being men. Imagine the President

had just appointed an openly sexist man to

another federal advisory committee on women. And

imagine the President also announced all federal

funding for technical assistance for women's

organizations would be terminated in a year. This

room would be filled with nonviolent protesters

today. "

Judi Chamberlin, who is on the board of Support

Coalition International, was also there watching the

disaster unfold at the Ritz Carlton yesterday. She

was of course disgusted. Judi told a media

representative, " Back in 1979 President

also had a blue ribbon commission. There was only

one token psychiatric survivor/mental health

consumer on that commission, too. We're in the

same position 23 years later. "

But there's a difference this time, Judi... We

didn't fill the room with nonviolent protesters

yesterday, though I personally hope and pray we

will some day soon. But I felt a subtle

difference in the air in that ballroom.

As I sat there in the ballroom feeling the deep

insult of this triple play, Jim Ward quietly took

a seat next to me. Jim is director of the ADA

Watch, which unites 400 groups to defend the ADA.

ADA Watch is a founding organization in the

People's Commission. Jim helped organize the

People's Commission, and is himself a psychiatric

survivor. Jim said ADA Watch intends to

participate in a news event during the

anniversary of the ADA, on July 26, 2002 about this

crisis.

We're not alone this time.

And into the ballroom walks Tom Olin, from the

Disability Rights Center in D.C., and one of the

premiere photographers in any social change

movement. Tom quietly began to record and archive

the events that day.

We're not alone this time.

During a break, a representative from the large

International Association for Psychosocial

Rehabilitation expresses his concern, and he

tells me IAPSRS would be interested in being on

the People's Commission.

We're not alone this time.

Members of the West Virginia Mental Health

Consumers Association say " hi " and tell me

they're on board.

We're not alone this time.

And as the President's Commission starts I hear a

familiar booming voice from the other side of the

audience, pointing out the irony that a meeting

about one of the poorest constituencies is held

at the Ritz. " The rooms here are $300, " says the

voice. It's ph , director of the

National Mental Health Self Help Clearinghouse,

on the People's Commission. During a break,

ph introduces me to a young law student who

will help the People's Commission.

We're uniting this time.

As the Commissioners introduce themselves, we

hear from one of the first " mental health court "

judges... we hear a Commissioner talk about

the importance of " compliance " ... but we also

hear Dan Fisher -- psychiatric survivor and

psychiatrist -- talk about empowerment and

self-determination. We hear as he is the only

Commissioner to get a loud round of applause

from from the audience.

We will be heard this time.

As I write this, Vicki from MadNation in

Canada tells me she is setting up an e-mail list for

the People's Commission. Vicki also pointed out

how this Bush triple play is an attack against

the entire disability movement. President Bush is

supposed to have a commitment to " freedom " for all

people diagnosed or perceived as having

disabilities. See the MadNation web site about

the Bush promises:

http://www.madnation.cc/issues/freedom/index.htm

These are the six points Bush promised for

freedom for all people with disabilities:

Increasing Access to Assistive and Universally

Designed Technologies

Expanding Educational Opportunities

Promoting Homeownership

Integrating Americans with Disabilities into the

Workforce

Expanding Transportation Options

Promoting Full Access to Community Life

Says Vicki, " We want assistive technology, homes

of our own, employment, a chance to go to school,

transportation and full access to community life

too. These are our issues, but as the New

Untouchables we are likely to get brain damaging

'treatment,' mental health courts, and a federally

sanctioned mental health militia in the name of

'improved systems' instead. "

We're taking strategic action this time.

As I write this, Lawrence Plumlee, MD is giving

his public comment (copied BELOW) to the

President's Commission, on behalf of Support

Coalition International. In the three minutes

allotted he planned to focus on lack of full informed

consent for people prescribed psychiatric drugs.

We will not be silent this time!

- end -

From " Lawrence A. Plumlee, MD " <laplumlee@...>

Founder, National Capital Area Advocates

Bethesda, land

I'm Larry Plumlee, a graduate of s Hopkins

Medical School and formerly on the faculty there

in the the Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral

Sciences.

I've worked in toxicology for the U.S. Public

Health Service and Environmental Protection

Agency. Today, I represent the Support Coalition

International, a coalition of 100 groups of

psychiatric consumers and survivors.

We believe that consumers should have full

disclosure about the risks of proposed

psychiatric treatments, and choice from a range

of alternatives. We want consumers to have

informed consent, difficult as that may be to

provide during a time of crisis.

Many of our members choose drugs, others do not.

I'll read you a few abridged lines from the book

_Mad in America_ by Whitaker that

illustrate information which patients are not

given:

" In 1967, NIMH investigators reported, much to

their surprise, the patients that had not been

treated in hospitals with drugs 'were less likely

to be rehospitalized than those who received any

of the three active phenothiazines.' Four years

later, NIMH physicians were back with another

disturbing finding. Relapse rates rose in direct

correlation to initial drug dosage, and the

no-dosage group had by far the lowest relapse

rate. Only 7 percent of patients who weren't

medicated at the start of the study relapsed,

compared to 45 percent who were placed on

neuroleptics then withdrawn. "

Today we know that the risk of neuroleptics

includes significant structural brain change in

the size and shape of the brain, as shown on MRI

and CT scans. Patients are not warned about this,

and usually, not even about tardive dyskinesia and

dystonia.

The newer antidepressants of SSRI type carry a

significant likelihood that patients will be worse

when they are stopped than they were before

starting them. Informed consent about this

discontinuation syndrome is usually not being

provided to the patient before these drugs are

recommended.

Thank you very much.

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

ACTION: Please forward and copy to all

appropriate places on and off Internet, thanks.

_________________________________________________________________

Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com

[Guest guest]

Important Developments to follow...

And you can scroll down to the very last paragraph to read what Dr. Lawrence

Plumlee presents about the newer class of antidepressants - SSRIS, to the

president's commission on mental health.

=========================================================

President Bush's attack against all

disability and mental health groups:

But this time we are not alone!

President's New Freedom Commission begins.

Satel appointment to an advisory committee confirmed.

People's True Freedom Commission is launched!

by Oaks, Director

Support Coalition International

PENTAGON CITY, WASHINGTON, DC: There we were

yesterday in a ballroom of the incredibly

high-priced Ritz Carlton Hotel, not far from the

Pentagon. We were psychiatric survivors and

disability leaders scattered throughout an

audience of 100, watching in disbelief as the

first meeting of the President's New Freedom

Commission on Mental Health began.

We were watching a triple play by President Bush

against the entire cross-disability movement, by

targeting the most vulnerable: psychiatric

survivors and mental health consumers.

But this time we were not alone in standing up

for our rights.

BUSH TRIPLE PLAY

1) We watched that morning as 15 Bush appointees

on this mental health commission introduced

themselves, and only one identified himself or

herself as having personally experienced the

mental health system, or as a leader of a mental

health consumer/psychiatric survivor

organization.

2) During a break, we heard personally from

Charlie Curie, administrator of the US Substance

Abuse/Mental Health Administration, that the

appointment of extremist psychiatrist Sally Satel

to a key federal advisory role was a done deal.

Mr. Curie told us, " I support her appointment.

The paper work had been signed. The decision

won't be changed. " (Satel will be on the National

Advisory Council for the US Center for Mental

Health Services, not to be confused with the

President's Commission.)

3) And the third part of the triple play: In the

audience were hard-working long-time leaders from

each of the three federally-funded national

technical assistance centers for

consumer/survivors. President Bush's reward for

their fight for true freedom? His budget promises

100 percent " termination " of all funding for these

centers in one year.

WE'RE BACK AT BAT AND WE'RE NOT ALONE!

By making public announcements during break

times, by handing out our own news release, and

by individually talking to the Bush

Commissioners, we made sure everyone in that

Ritz ballroom yesterday heard the news about the

competition:

We announced the People's True Freedom

Commission, created on June 14, 2002 by a rapidly

growing network of disability and psychiatric

survivor/mental health organizations. We made

sure everyone at the President's Commision first

meeting had a copy of the speech made by

Dart at the first meeting of the People's

Commission. is widely considered one of

the main leaders of the disability movement. He

began the People's Commission launch by saying,

" I propose that we of the disability communities

unite with all who love justice to lead a

revolution of empowerment. "

For background on the People's New Freedom

Commission, including the full text of

Dart's speech, see:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/mindfreedom/bush_c.shtml

Since that launch just five days ago, we are seeing

unprecedented unity, bridge building and calls for action

in the consumer/survivor and disability movements.

I learned something about federal meetings like

the President's Commission, which intends to hold

meetings in various parts of the country over the

next 11 months. They must be publicly announced

and open to the public, except under certain

very-narrowly defined conditions. And during

break times -- just before the meeting, during

breaks, and just after the meeting -- the First

Amendment kicks in.

So near the end of a break, as the audience and

commissioners took their seats, and just before

chair Hogan, PhD, re-started the meeting,

I stood up and addressed everyone. To his credit,

Dr. Hogan let me complete my short speech.

I told everyone about the Bush triple play. I

told them about how cross-disability and mental

health consumer and psychiatric survivor groups

were uniting. I told them about the People's True

Freedom Commission.

And I pointed something out:

" If this was a President's commission about

women's issues, imagine 14 of the 15

commissioners being men. Imagine the President

had just appointed an openly sexist man to

another federal advisory committee on women. And

imagine the President also announced all federal

funding for technical assistance for women's

organizations would be terminated in a year. This

room would be filled with nonviolent protesters

today. "

Judi Chamberlin, who is on the board of Support

Coalition International, was also there watching the

disaster unfold at the Ritz Carlton yesterday. She

was of course disgusted. Judi told a media

representative, " Back in 1979 President

also had a blue ribbon commission. There was only

one token psychiatric survivor/mental health

consumer on that commission, too. We're in the

same position 23 years later. "

But there's a difference this time, Judi... We

didn't fill the room with nonviolent protesters

yesterday, though I personally hope and pray we

will some day soon. But I felt a subtle

difference in the air in that ballroom.

As I sat there in the ballroom feeling the deep

insult of this triple play, Jim Ward quietly took

a seat next to me. Jim is director of the ADA

Watch, which unites 400 groups to defend the ADA.

ADA Watch is a founding organization in the

People's Commission. Jim helped organize the

People's Commission, and is himself a psychiatric

survivor. Jim said ADA Watch intends to

participate in a news event during the

anniversary of the ADA, on July 26, 2002 about this

crisis.

We're not alone this time.

And into the ballroom walks Tom Olin, from the

Disability Rights Center in D.C., and one of the

premiere photographers in any social change

movement. Tom quietly began to record and archive

the events that day.

We're not alone this time.

During a break, a representative from the large

International Association for Psychosocial

Rehabilitation expresses his concern, and he

tells me IAPSRS would be interested in being on

the People's Commission.

We're not alone this time.

Members of the West Virginia Mental Health

Consumers Association say " hi " and tell me

they're on board.

We're not alone this time.

And as the President's Commission starts I hear a

familiar booming voice from the other side of the

audience, pointing out the irony that a meeting

about one of the poorest constituencies is held

at the Ritz. " The rooms here are $300, " says the

voice. It's ph , director of the

National Mental Health Self Help Clearinghouse,

on the People's Commission. During a break,

ph introduces me to a young law student who

will help the People's Commission.

We're uniting this time.

As the Commissioners introduce themselves, we

hear from one of the first " mental health court "

judges... we hear a Commissioner talk about

the importance of " compliance " ... but we also

hear Dan Fisher -- psychiatric survivor and

psychiatrist -- talk about empowerment and

self-determination. We hear as he is the only

Commissioner to get a loud round of applause

from from the audience.

We will be heard this time.

As I write this, Vicki from MadNation in

Canada tells me she is setting up an e-mail list for

the People's Commission. Vicki also pointed out

how this Bush triple play is an attack against

the entire disability movement. President Bush is

supposed to have a commitment to " freedom " for all

people diagnosed or perceived as having

disabilities. See the MadNation web site about

the Bush promises:

http://www.madnation.cc/issues/freedom/index.htm

These are the six points Bush promised for

freedom for all people with disabilities:

Increasing Access to Assistive and Universally

Designed Technologies

Expanding Educational Opportunities

Promoting Homeownership

Integrating Americans with Disabilities into the

Workforce

Expanding Transportation Options

Promoting Full Access to Community Life

Says Vicki, " We want assistive technology, homes

of our own, employment, a chance to go to school,

transportation and full access to community life

too. These are our issues, but as the New

Untouchables we are likely to get brain damaging

'treatment,' mental health courts, and a federally

sanctioned mental health militia in the name of

'improved systems' instead. "

We're taking strategic action this time.

As I write this, Lawrence Plumlee, MD is giving

his public comment (copied BELOW) to the

President's Commission, on behalf of Support

Coalition International. In the three minutes

allotted he planned to focus on lack of full informed

consent for people prescribed psychiatric drugs.

We will not be silent this time!

- end -

From " Lawrence A. Plumlee, MD " <laplumlee@...>

Founder, National Capital Area Advocates

Bethesda, land

I'm Larry Plumlee, a graduate of s Hopkins

Medical School and formerly on the faculty there

in the the Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral

Sciences.

I've worked in toxicology for the U.S. Public

Health Service and Environmental Protection

Agency. Today, I represent the Support Coalition

International, a coalition of 100 groups of

psychiatric consumers and survivors.

We believe that consumers should have full

disclosure about the risks of proposed

psychiatric treatments, and choice from a range

of alternatives. We want consumers to have

informed consent, difficult as that may be to

provide during a time of crisis.

Many of our members choose drugs, others do not.

I'll read you a few abridged lines from the book

_Mad in America_ by Whitaker that

illustrate information which patients are not

given:

" In 1967, NIMH investigators reported, much to

their surprise, the patients that had not been

treated in hospitals with drugs 'were less likely

to be rehospitalized than those who received any

of the three active phenothiazines.' Four years

later, NIMH physicians were back with another

disturbing finding. Relapse rates rose in direct

correlation to initial drug dosage, and the

no-dosage group had by far the lowest relapse

rate. Only 7 percent of patients who weren't

medicated at the start of the study relapsed,

compared to 45 percent who were placed on

neuroleptics then withdrawn. "

Today we know that the risk of neuroleptics

includes significant structural brain change in

the size and shape of the brain, as shown on MRI

and CT scans. Patients are not warned about this,

and usually, not even about tardive dyskinesia and

dystonia.

The newer antidepressants of SSRI type carry a

significant likelihood that patients will be worse

when they are stopped than they were before

starting them. Informed consent about this

discontinuation syndrome is usually not being

provided to the patient before these drugs are

recommended.

Thank you very much.

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

ACTION: Please forward and copy to all

appropriate places on and off Internet, thanks.

_________________________________________________________________

Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com

[Guest guest]

Important Developments to follow...

And you can scroll down to the very last paragraph to read what Dr. Lawrence

Plumlee presents about the newer class of antidepressants - SSRIS, to the

president's commission on mental health.

=========================================================

President Bush's attack against all

disability and mental health groups:

But this time we are not alone!

President's New Freedom Commission begins.

Satel appointment to an advisory committee confirmed.

People's True Freedom Commission is launched!

by Oaks, Director

Support Coalition International

PENTAGON CITY, WASHINGTON, DC: There we were

yesterday in a ballroom of the incredibly

high-priced Ritz Carlton Hotel, not far from the

Pentagon. We were psychiatric survivors and

disability leaders scattered throughout an

audience of 100, watching in disbelief as the

first meeting of the President's New Freedom

Commission on Mental Health began.

We were watching a triple play by President Bush

against the entire cross-disability movement, by

targeting the most vulnerable: psychiatric

survivors and mental health consumers.

But this time we were not alone in standing up

for our rights.

BUSH TRIPLE PLAY

1) We watched that morning as 15 Bush appointees

on this mental health commission introduced

themselves, and only one identified himself or

herself as having personally experienced the

mental health system, or as a leader of a mental

health consumer/psychiatric survivor

organization.

2) During a break, we heard personally from

Charlie Curie, administrator of the US Substance

Abuse/Mental Health Administration, that the

appointment of extremist psychiatrist Sally Satel

to a key federal advisory role was a done deal.

Mr. Curie told us, " I support her appointment.

The paper work had been signed. The decision

won't be changed. " (Satel will be on the National

Advisory Council for the US Center for Mental

Health Services, not to be confused with the

President's Commission.)

3) And the third part of the triple play: In the

audience were hard-working long-time leaders from

each of the three federally-funded national

technical assistance centers for

consumer/survivors. President Bush's reward for

their fight for true freedom? His budget promises

100 percent " termination " of all funding for these

centers in one year.

WE'RE BACK AT BAT AND WE'RE NOT ALONE!

By making public announcements during break

times, by handing out our own news release, and

by individually talking to the Bush

Commissioners, we made sure everyone in that

Ritz ballroom yesterday heard the news about the

competition:

We announced the People's True Freedom

Commission, created on June 14, 2002 by a rapidly

growing network of disability and psychiatric

survivor/mental health organizations. We made

sure everyone at the President's Commision first

meeting had a copy of the speech made by

Dart at the first meeting of the People's

Commission. is widely considered one of

the main leaders of the disability movement. He

began the People's Commission launch by saying,

" I propose that we of the disability communities

unite with all who love justice to lead a

revolution of empowerment. "

For background on the People's New Freedom

Commission, including the full text of

Dart's speech, see:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/mindfreedom/bush_c.shtml

Since that launch just five days ago, we are seeing

unprecedented unity, bridge building and calls for action

in the consumer/survivor and disability movements.

I learned something about federal meetings like

the President's Commission, which intends to hold

meetings in various parts of the country over the

next 11 months. They must be publicly announced

and open to the public, except under certain

very-narrowly defined conditions. And during

break times -- just before the meeting, during

breaks, and just after the meeting -- the First

Amendment kicks in.

So near the end of a break, as the audience and

commissioners took their seats, and just before

chair Hogan, PhD, re-started the meeting,

I stood up and addressed everyone. To his credit,

Dr. Hogan let me complete my short speech.

I told everyone about the Bush triple play. I

told them about how cross-disability and mental

health consumer and psychiatric survivor groups

were uniting. I told them about the People's True

Freedom Commission.

And I pointed something out:

" If this was a President's commission about

women's issues, imagine 14 of the 15

commissioners being men. Imagine the President

had just appointed an openly sexist man to

another federal advisory committee on women. And

imagine the President also announced all federal

funding for technical assistance for women's

organizations would be terminated in a year. This

room would be filled with nonviolent protesters

today. "

Judi Chamberlin, who is on the board of Support

Coalition International, was also there watching the

disaster unfold at the Ritz Carlton yesterday. She

was of course disgusted. Judi told a media

representative, " Back in 1979 President

also had a blue ribbon commission. There was only

one token psychiatric survivor/mental health

consumer on that commission, too. We're in the

same position 23 years later. "

But there's a difference this time, Judi... We

didn't fill the room with nonviolent protesters

yesterday, though I personally hope and pray we

will some day soon. But I felt a subtle

difference in the air in that ballroom.

As I sat there in the ballroom feeling the deep

insult of this triple play, Jim Ward quietly took

a seat next to me. Jim is director of the ADA

Watch, which unites 400 groups to defend the ADA.

ADA Watch is a founding organization in the

People's Commission. Jim helped organize the

People's Commission, and is himself a psychiatric

survivor. Jim said ADA Watch intends to

participate in a news event during the

anniversary of the ADA, on July 26, 2002 about this

crisis.

We're not alone this time.

And into the ballroom walks Tom Olin, from the

Disability Rights Center in D.C., and one of the

premiere photographers in any social change

movement. Tom quietly began to record and archive

the events that day.

We're not alone this time.

During a break, a representative from the large

International Association for Psychosocial

Rehabilitation expresses his concern, and he

tells me IAPSRS would be interested in being on

the People's Commission.

We're not alone this time.

Members of the West Virginia Mental Health

Consumers Association say " hi " and tell me

they're on board.

We're not alone this time.

And as the President's Commission starts I hear a

familiar booming voice from the other side of the

audience, pointing out the irony that a meeting

about one of the poorest constituencies is held

at the Ritz. " The rooms here are $300, " says the

voice. It's ph , director of the

National Mental Health Self Help Clearinghouse,

on the People's Commission. During a break,

ph introduces me to a young law student who

will help the People's Commission.

We're uniting this time.

As the Commissioners introduce themselves, we

hear from one of the first " mental health court "

judges... we hear a Commissioner talk about

the importance of " compliance " ... but we also

hear Dan Fisher -- psychiatric survivor and

psychiatrist -- talk about empowerment and

self-determination. We hear as he is the only

Commissioner to get a loud round of applause

from from the audience.

We will be heard this time.

As I write this, Vicki from MadNation in

Canada tells me she is setting up an e-mail list for

the People's Commission. Vicki also pointed out

how this Bush triple play is an attack against

the entire disability movement. President Bush is

supposed to have a commitment to " freedom " for all

people diagnosed or perceived as having

disabilities. See the MadNation web site about

the Bush promises:

http://www.madnation.cc/issues/freedom/index.htm

These are the six points Bush promised for

freedom for all people with disabilities:

Increasing Access to Assistive and Universally

Designed Technologies

Expanding Educational Opportunities

Promoting Homeownership

Integrating Americans with Disabilities into the

Workforce

Expanding Transportation Options

Promoting Full Access to Community Life

Says Vicki, " We want assistive technology, homes

of our own, employment, a chance to go to school,

transportation and full access to community life

too. These are our issues, but as the New

Untouchables we are likely to get brain damaging

'treatment,' mental health courts, and a federally

sanctioned mental health militia in the name of

'improved systems' instead. "

We're taking strategic action this time.

As I write this, Lawrence Plumlee, MD is giving

his public comment (copied BELOW) to the

President's Commission, on behalf of Support

Coalition International. In the three minutes

allotted he planned to focus on lack of full informed

consent for people prescribed psychiatric drugs.

We will not be silent this time!

- end -

From " Lawrence A. Plumlee, MD " <laplumlee@...>

Founder, National Capital Area Advocates

Bethesda, land

I'm Larry Plumlee, a graduate of s Hopkins

Medical School and formerly on the faculty there

in the the Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral

Sciences.

I've worked in toxicology for the U.S. Public

Health Service and Environmental Protection

Agency. Today, I represent the Support Coalition

International, a coalition of 100 groups of

psychiatric consumers and survivors.

We believe that consumers should have full

disclosure about the risks of proposed

psychiatric treatments, and choice from a range

of alternatives. We want consumers to have

informed consent, difficult as that may be to

provide during a time of crisis.

Many of our members choose drugs, others do not.

I'll read you a few abridged lines from the book

_Mad in America_ by Whitaker that

illustrate information which patients are not

given:

" In 1967, NIMH investigators reported, much to

their surprise, the patients that had not been

treated in hospitals with drugs 'were less likely

to be rehospitalized than those who received any

of the three active phenothiazines.' Four years

later, NIMH physicians were back with another

disturbing finding. Relapse rates rose in direct

correlation to initial drug dosage, and the

no-dosage group had by far the lowest relapse

rate. Only 7 percent of patients who weren't

medicated at the start of the study relapsed,

compared to 45 percent who were placed on

neuroleptics then withdrawn. "

Today we know that the risk of neuroleptics

includes significant structural brain change in

the size and shape of the brain, as shown on MRI

and CT scans. Patients are not warned about this,

and usually, not even about tardive dyskinesia and

dystonia.

The newer antidepressants of SSRI type carry a

significant likelihood that patients will be worse

when they are stopped than they were before

starting them. Informed consent about this

discontinuation syndrome is usually not being

provided to the patient before these drugs are

recommended.

Thank you very much.

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

ACTION: Please forward and copy to all

appropriate places on and off Internet, thanks.

_________________________________________________________________

Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com

[Guest guest]

Dear Dawn,

Thank you for this information. I am especially interested in the second to the

last paragraphs by Dr. Plumlee and hope that it can be verified.

" Today we know that the risk of neuroleptics includes significant structural

brain change in the size and shape of the brain, as shown on MRI

and CT scans. Patients are not warned about this,and usually, not even about

tardive dyskinesia and dystonia. "

Love,

Suzy

[Guest guest]

Dear Dawn,

Thank you for this information. I am especially interested in the second to the

last paragraphs by Dr. Plumlee and hope that it can be verified.

" Today we know that the risk of neuroleptics includes significant structural

brain change in the size and shape of the brain, as shown on MRI

and CT scans. Patients are not warned about this,and usually, not even about

tardive dyskinesia and dystonia. "

Love,

Suzy

[Guest guest]

Dear Dawn,

Thank you for this information. I am especially interested in the second to the

last paragraphs by Dr. Plumlee and hope that it can be verified.

" Today we know that the risk of neuroleptics includes significant structural

brain change in the size and shape of the brain, as shown on MRI

and CT scans. Patients are not warned about this,and usually, not even about

tardive dyskinesia and dystonia. "

Love,

Suzy

[Guest guest]

Dear Dawn,

Thank you for this information. I am especially interested in the second to the

last paragraphs by Dr. Plumlee and hope that it can be verified.

" Today we know that the risk of neuroleptics includes significant structural

brain change in the size and shape of the brain, as shown on MRI

and CT scans. Patients are not warned about this,and usually, not even about

tardive dyskinesia and dystonia. "

Love,

Suzy