Stop This Horrible Mental Health Bill by Contacting Your US Senators Now!
Last month, 6 July 2016, the US House quietly and overwhelmingly (422 to 2) passed the worst piece of mental health legislation I have seen in my 42 years of human rights activism. HR 2646 is sponsored by Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA) and is mis-named the “Helping Families in Mental Crisis Act of 2016.”
This month of August, you can stop this frightening bill by contacting both of your US Senators. In fact, I would encourage you to also contact Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT), because he has shown signs over the decades of supporting our revolution in mental health care. Of course, you may contact Bernie wherever you live in the world.
First, I will try to briefly explain this bill and the main reasons I oppose it. But you, dear reader, will I hope take action and contact US Senators, because we only have weeks to turn this around!
Why We Must All Act Now To Stop This Bill!
Rep. Tim Murphy is the only psychologist in Congress, today. His enormous and expensive bill is supposedly a response to mass shootings, but incredibly the Committee in the House that debated this legislation continued a multi-decade US Congressional ban on even studying or researching gun violence!
There are many bad parts to this bill, but just two that I would like to highlight are:
- It is disempowering! This bill would oppose the voice of mental health consumers and psychiatric survivors. The historic trend for the past few years has been to support the empowerment of mental health clients, but this bill, which is more than 100 pages long, excludes the perspective of the citizens directly impacted by mental health services.
- It supports forcibly drugging Americans in our own homes! The worst part of this bill, is that it would extend Federal grants for involuntary psychiatric treatment of American citizens directly in our own homes. Almost all USA States have passed such involuntary outpatient commitment laws, but these IOC laws are not used as much as fanatic tyrants would like, so this bill — supposedly by a “small government” Republican — gives taxpayer money to make sure Americans take our court-ordered psychiatric drugs while at home. This forced drugging is why I call this approach the “Bill Cosby School of Mental Health.” Seriously, this is chemical rape.
Oregon US Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley.
You Can Help Stop This Bill in The US Senate!
During the rest of this month of August, 2016, the disability movement is urgently asking you to contact US Senators to stop HR 2646 from contaminating a bill being considered by the Senate, S. 2680 “Mental Health Reform Act of 2016.” Some Congresspeople are trying to sneak in oppressive amendments from HR 2646 into S. 2680.
At the bottom you will find my letters to my USA Senators from Oregon, Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley. Your own words would be best! For more information about this campaign you can also download this PDF fact sheet:
Senator Ron Wyden Has a Personal Connection to Mental Health
It is not well known, but the only sibling of Ron — Jeff Wyden — at first had a promising start in Stanford University, but at the age of 21 was diagnosed as schizophrenic. Before his early death, Jeff Wyden was to experience three decades of intense mental health treatment, including involuntary drugging and even involuntary electroshock.
The parents of Ron and Jeff were remarkable. Mother Edith, born in Koenigsberg, Germany, fled the Nazis at the age of 16. Father Peter, born in Berlin, Germany, fled the Nazis at the age of 13. Both parents began their free lives here in the USA. Peter became a journalist, and one of the ways Peter addressed his profound feelings involving the mental health system, was writing a book that was published in 1998 about his son, Jeff. I read this book when it was published, and frankly there was a lot of it with which I disagreed. For example, the author seemed to know a little about our psychiatric survivor social change movement, but I did not perceive a level of deep curiosity about us, but instead I felt some unfair criticism.
However, I know that there are very deep things going on with the human mind, and everyone deals with these difficulties in a variety of ways. A few months after Peter published what was to become the last of his one dozen books, he died of a stroke and subdermal hematoma at the age of 74, possibly related to a head injury he received upon bumping his head when exiting his car, according to his family.
Peter’s son Jeff also died, soon after his father, in 2002 at the age of 51, after living in a halfway house in San Jose. The main article I found about the death of Jeff Wyden said the cause of his death was not yet determined at the time of publishing.
Of course everyone’s life is far too complex to sum up, however, as a psychiatric survivor myself, who was also first diagnosed schizophrenic as a young adult inside a psychiatric institution while attending a prestigious college, I know that the trauma experienced by Jeff must resonate to this day with the whole Wyden family.
Over the decades I have had a few chances to talk with Senator Wyden both in Eugene and at his Senate office. He started his career as an activist for senior citizens, so I have always had hopes that he would support the goals of our social change movement. For example, during our work on electroshock, his office helped to prevent the rubber-stamping of the device by the FDA.
I have checked with an attorney, and though this might not be believed by the average person, Rep. Tim Murphy’s awful bill can be used for not only forcibly drugging, but court-ordered involuntary outpatient electroshock. Yes, I realize that the vast majority of involuntary psychiatry is about drugs. But once in a while, involuntary outpatient commitment has involved electroshock. For real! To research how this monstrosity has happened on the state level, please direct your search engine to these phrases:
- Ray Sandford electroshock
- Elizabeth Ellis electroshock
Here is my letter to Senator Ron Wyden:
Dear Ron and any staff work on disability or mental health:
Over the decades, Ron, we have met a few times, mainly here in Eugene and once in your in your Senate office. But you meet so many thousands of people, let me please sum up my 60 years:
I am a psychiatric survivor. I was diagnosed schizophrenic, locked up in a psychiatric institution several times, but recovered enough to spend my whole life working to improve the mental health system.
Ron, this is the most important letter I am writing to you!
You see, I feel that the US House has made a severe mistake a few weeks ago. Yes, they were well-meaning when they passed HR 2646, for mental health reform, but there are elements in there that make this among the very worst mental health bills I have ever seen! Please pass the Senate bill 2680 without the amendments from HR 2646, also known as the Murphy Bill.
Ron, the reason that I started this work about 40 years ago was that back then I was a working class kid from Chicago going to Harvard on scholarships. I ran into difficult times, and five times I was placed in psychiatric institutions, with diagnoses such as schizophrenia, clinical depression, and bipolar (then manic depression).
Thankfully, Harvard referred me in my senior year as an intern in the human rights social change movement led by other psychiatric survivors. I graduated with honors from Harvard in 1977, and I learned about community organizing and mental health. This became my career.
While I am retired now, I have spent my whole professional life as a human rights community organizer in mental health. Perhaps you might have remembered my work as co-founder of MindFreedom International, based here in Eugene. For 25 years I directed MindFreedom and it is one of the main independent human rights groups in mental health.
In 2012, I experienced a very bad fall which broke my neck. I am now a quad in a powerchair, with even better connections to the disability movement, as you might imagine.
The reason I am sending you and your staff this important, urgent message. It is important that you pass Senate Bill 2680, without the amendments from HR 2646. Specifically, since you are so busy, let me focus on two points:
- We in the disability movement have a unifying slogan: “Nothing about us without us!” Yet, HR 2646 silences the voices of people who have real-life experience with mental health issues. The trend in mental health, internationally, is for more empowerment. However, HR 2646 actually muzzles citizens with psychiatric disabilities from speaking up in our agencies!
- HR 2646 gives away precious taxpayer money through grant funding for what is mistakenly called “Assisted Outpatient Treatment.” This is actually forced psychiatry, usually forced drugging but sometimes even forced court-ordered electric shock. Can you imagine? There is no evidence that outpatient commitment is more effective than voluntary care.
Ron, of course I read your father’s book. Since this topic has impacted my whole family for some many decades I know this can be a controversial topic for many people.
As community organizers, we know that power can be used to silence or amplify people. Groups run by mental health consumers of course have many opinions. But there is unity when it comes to opposing HR 2646!
Please, oppose the amendments from HR 2646, and support S. 2680.
I look forward to your reply as soon as possible!
Sincerely,
David W. Oaks
Below is a copy of my letter sent yesterday by email to my other US Senator from Oregon, Jeff Merkley:
Dear Jeff and any staff work on disability or mental health:
Jeff, you have been a great voice for the powerless! This time, the group I am talking about is very powerless indeed. But we in Oregon lead the way to change how people in the mental health system are treated! Let me please sum up my 60 years:
I am a psychiatric survivor. I was diagnosed schizophrenic, locked up in a psychiatric institution several times, but recovered enough to spend my whole life working to improve the mental health system.
Jeff, this is the most important letter I am writing to you!
You see, I feel that the US House has made a severe mistake a few weeks ago. Yes, they were well-meaning when they passed HR 2646, for mental health reform, but there are elements in there that make this among the very worst mental health bills I have ever seen! Please pass the Senate bill 2680 without the amendments from HR 2646, also known as the Murphy Bill.
Jeff, the reason that I started this work about 40 years ago was that back then I was a working class kid from Chicago going to Harvard on scholarships. I ran into difficult times, and five times I was placed in psychiatric institutions, with diagnoses such as schizophrenia, clinical depression, and bipolar (then manic depression).
Thankfully, Harvard referred me in my senior year as an intern in the human rights social change movement led by other psychiatric survivors. I graduated with honors from Harvard in 1977, and I learned about community organizing and mental health. This became my career.
While I am retired now, I have spent my whole professional life as a human rights community organizer in mental health. I was a co-founder of MindFreedom International, based here in Eugene. For 25 years I directed MindFreedom and it is one of the main independent human rights groups in mental health.
In 2012, I experienced a very bad fall which broke my neck. I am now a quad in a powerchair, with even better connections to the disability movement, as you might imagine.
The reason I am sending you and your staff this important, urgent message. It is important that you pass Senate Bill 2680, without the amendments from HR 2646. Specifically, since you are so busy, let me focus on two points:
- We in the disability movement have a unifying slogan: “Nothing about us without us!” Yet, HR 2646 silences the voices of people who have real-life experience with mental health issues. The trend in mental health, internationally, is for more empowerment. However, HR 2646 actually muzzles citizens with psychiatric disabilities from speaking up in our agencies!
- HR 2646 gives away precious taxpayer money through grant funding for what is mistakenly called “Assisted Outpatient Treatment.” This is actually forced psychiatry, usually forced drugging but sometimes even forced court-ordered electric shock. Can you imagine? There is no evidence that outpatient commitment is more effective than voluntary care.
Jeff, since this topic has impacted my whole family for some many decades I know this can be a controversial topic for many people.
As community organizers, we know that power can be used to silence or amplify people. Groups run by mental health consumers of course have many opinions. But there is unity when it comes to opposing HR 2646!
Please, oppose the amendments from HR 2646, and support S. 2680.
I look forward to your reply as soon as possible!
Sincerely,
David W. Oaks
I feel helpless and paranoid. I think I’ll go into hiding. Why bother contacting my senator when everyone, as you said, wants to “throw us under the bus” anyhow? Contacted my congressman; he pretended that he didn’t have time to read my email. After he signed the bill and I emailed him once again, informing him I would never again vote for his party, he decided to email me personally. Having no stomach for his sorry excuses I blocked him. I also am determined to vote for ANYONE running against him, including Bozo the Clown!
David, I admire your commitment to the struggle. As a parent of a son diagnosed with bi-polar I at age 19, I wish I could heartily agree. However, the freedom my son has on the streets (when manic, that is where he inevitably ends up – no one can live with him for long because it is so chaotic), does not seem like freedom. He eats out of garbage cans, smokes incessantly, is irritable and irritating. He smokes too much pot, drinks too much, and cannot keep track of his possessions. He calls at all hours, wanting money. He has never held a job for more than 5 weeks. He has been in jail a number of times, as well as hospitals. Lithium works for him – the other drugs I have not much fondness for, especially not in long-term use.. Please do NOT use my full name, (I would prefer you use no name, or do not publish this) as this is his business. I just want you to know it’s not as simple as you think. And maybe you don’t get more responses because people don’t agree
Thanks, please note that when you or anyone replies to a WordPress blog, the comment immediately goes onto the public blog. If you ever wish to retract a comment I believe you can just log back in and do so. Again, thanks for your comment, but my main response is mystery about how you would know that I believe that this matter is “simple” because as a psychiatric survivor, diagnosed schizophrenic, I certainly am aware that my life and the impact of these events with my family are not “simple.” In fact, perhaps the fact that this is such a complex topic would summarize why I am glad that I have experienced the last 39 years without any psychiatric drugs. It would be too simple to say I was plainly just anti-drug because well in college I requested certain psychiatric drugs. While your family may be different, the reality is I am very grateful that my family supported my freedom, despite the risks, and I have lived a productive, I hope, life, away from psychiatry. Note that I still use a talk therapist. For a third time, thanks, but I would challenge parents like yourself to be more curious about the complexities of recovery via empowerment and other alternatives. Why is there such a lack of curiosity by parents who support forced drugging? In fact, it seems that forced drugging is the simplistic approach. I am sorry that your loved one has so many problems, including addiction. I would advise that solving addiction is far more complex than lithium alone. We probably both agree that there are many, many, non-drug approaches that should be explored and offered.
Hey, David:
I emailed my senators and will share this on my Facebook shortly. Human Rights are for everyone, not just those who think as we do. In crisis, it is even more important to confirm humanity. Thank you for your work and care!
LaTonya
Thanks much, and I hope you can follow up with a phone call to these offices!
My 57 year 0ld son has schizophrenia. He has lived outside of institutions for the past 33 years. I have PTSD. Freedom is the best healer.
Thanks Laura, I know this can be very challenging for parents. My own mother was at first confused by psychiatrists who wanted to seek commitment. After some difficult thinking and discussions, my mother famously said “If our David wants to try freedom, we support him.” Yes, that was risky, but thank goodness I have not had decades of forced neuroleptics over these many years, but I haven’t said “tried freedom”!
By the way, your comment is one of the very few I have received on my blog, and the first I got on this important message.
I hope others will leave feedback, ideas, suggestions, networking here. Let us get a peaceful revolution going!
David – At this point I just want You to know that I for one am listening … and , Thank You, digesting Your Mind Freedom as it applies 100% to my 32 year old son. I am an Activist for Mental Health Improvements and Awareness .
Thanks, I hope you and your family can contact your senators. Best Wishes!