short notes:
will brady's ruminations
will brady's ruminations
2008-07-25
institutional abuse
Esmin Green was killed on 19th June 2008 in the psychiatric emergency room of Kings County Psychiatric Hospital. She was waiting for a bed after haiving been involuntarily committed.
She died sfter waiting in the area for approximately 24 hours before collapsing on the floor. It was almost an hour before any hospital personnel gave her any attention. It was captured on the hsopital's video surveliiange cameras.
According to CNN reports, hospital personnel falsified records stating that "Ms Green was up and went to the bathroom" and was "sitting quietly" even though she had not been moving but was lyig on the floor. The surveillance camera, instead, showed her on the floor, unmoving, while people walked around and past her.
Perhaps ironic is that Kings County Hospital, on its own website, proudly touts how it has spent $140 million dollars [US] adding to and improving the psychiatric emergency room and building a new multi-storey behavioral health inpatient unit on the campus only this year. Too bad funds weren't similarly dedicated to staff training and face-to-face care.
New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, when asked of the incident. said: "I think what they said was, 'Oh well people sleep on the floor all the time and I didn't pay any attention.'" Some staff attending the emergency room were fired from their jobs for inattentiveness, but, in fact, they abetted in committing murder by neglect.
Tonight, prayer vigils will be held in her memory at various places on the globe, including in front of Kings County Hospital in New York City.
Esmin Green was killed on 19th June 2008 in the psychiatric emergency room of Kings County Psychiatric Hospital. She was waiting for a bed after haiving been involuntarily committed. She died sfter waiting in the area for approximately 24 hours before collapsing on the floor. It was almost an hour before any hospital personnel gave her any attention. It was captured on the hsopital's video surveliiange cameras.
According to CNN reports, hospital personnel falsified records stating that "Ms Green was up and went to the bathroom" and was "sitting quietly" even though she had not been moving but was lyig on the floor. The surveillance camera, instead, showed her on the floor, unmoving, while people walked around and past her.
Perhaps ironic is that Kings County Hospital, on its own website, proudly touts how it has spent $140 million dollars [US] adding to and improving the psychiatric emergency room and building a new multi-storey behavioral health inpatient unit on the campus only this year. Too bad funds weren't similarly dedicated to staff training and face-to-face care.New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, when asked of the incident. said: "I think what they said was, 'Oh well people sleep on the floor all the time and I didn't pay any attention.'" Some staff attending the emergency room were fired from their jobs for inattentiveness, but, in fact, they abetted in committing murder by neglect.
Tonight, prayer vigils will be held in her memory at various places on the globe, including in front of Kings County Hospital in New York City.
Where: Kings County Hospital Center, Psychiatric Emergency Room, Building G. 606 Winthrop Street Brooklyn, NY 11203Other vigils are to be held in Eugene, Oregon [at 6th and Willamette Avenues] sponsored by MindFreedom.org, the State House in Boston Massachusetts [from 6 to 8 pm, sponsored by a Massachusetts based patients' right group MPOWER; at the Centre for Addition and Mental Health, 1001 Queen Street, Toronto, Ontario, CANADA [1 to 3 pm} and at 16 Mano Close, Thornbury Heights, Rochestown, Ireland [7 pm to 8 pm]
Date: Today: July 25, 2008
Time: Demonstration begins at 5 PM, Candle Light Vigil, 8:30 PM
Labels: abuse, mental health, mental hospitals, neglect, psychiatric survivors, suffering
¶ 13:22 0 comments
2008-05-13
poetry corner
Some work produced for the MindFreedom Creative Revolution Retreat held July 2007. This in recognition of mental health awareness month.
IN THE ACUPUNCTURE WORKSHOP
WHAT IS HIS AXIS ONE?
WHAT IS HIS AXIS ONE?
The smartly dressed psychiatrist
Practically yelled across the room.
WHAT IS HIS AXIS ONE?
She cried out, the sharp glint in her eyes
almost bouncing light off her
Severe
designer earrings.
WITHOUT KNOWING HIS AXIS ONE
I’m not certain we can treat him
There are, after all, standards for admission
They have to be met!
And if we cannot determine his Axis One
He doesn’t meet the standard.
But we’ll never determine his Axis One
If all he does today during this meeting
is just sit there –
Crying.
EASTERN
When I was a kid
the place where I lived
was a squat cinder block building
they called “the Cottage”.
Inside there was a rubber room
with thickly lined walls
one could slam ones’ self into
without really doing much harm.
I got to spend a bit of time there
when I was bad.
This was nothing like the room they used
the next door over
for the really bad kids.
When a really bad kid went into that room
the Counselors would call the rest of us together
in the hallway, outside the room
where we could look through the window in the door.
Through that window
we could see, four feet above the floor
the brown tinged blocks
as we would watch
a fresh application get added
to the otherwise white walls.
“If you are really bad
You’ll get to go in there too!”
lesson learned.
If you were only partly bad
You get the rubber room.
At least, there, you get to be left alone.
IN THE ACUPUNCTURE WORKSHOP
In the acupuncture workshop
the breeze closes one door
then opens another - literally
Each of us comes seeking healing
for maladies never discussed.
Then we wait.
and participate in the group
wherein we do not speak
yet get connected.
I have no idea if this treatment will work.
If this seems disconcerting I wonder -
How much different is this
from a blind-faith trust in medication
and otherwise invasive procedures
Such as they are.
So many have faith without even knowing
If those procedures work at all
Give me then, instead
The cool breeze that opened the door.
Labels: mental health, poetry, psychiatric survivors
¶ 21:16 0 comments
2007-11-30
big pharma | drug wars
"Paradoxical effects" | The language of obsfucation is always fascinating | BigPharma and Mental Illness Inc. sometimes use this term when referring to known negative effects | The researchers in the industry know this stuff, they just seem so averse to sharing it | I wonder why?:
Some observations 1- The May 2005 issue of Mother Jones describes what happens when the Drug Lords manage the mental health system | Aliah Gleason was a direct victim of the Texas juvenile
mental illness promoters | They took her from her family, pumped her full of a polypharma regimen, then kept her from her family |
Seems that she was lucky | She survived | Some sources indicate that as many as 17,000 kids in Texas are subjected to forced psychiatric drugging |
Rhetorical question time: Why is it that when the Soviets subjected their citizens to forced drugging it was recognized as torture but here in the USA it's just treatment as usual?
2- FDA Warns Antipsychotic Drugs Dangerous to Elderly Also in 2005 The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a public health advisory to alert health care providers,
patients, and patient caregivers to new safety information concerning an unapproved (i.e., “off-label”) use of certain drugs called “atypical antipsychotic drugs.” These drugs are approved for the treatment of schizophrenia and mania, but clinical studies of these drugs to treat behavioral disorders in elderly patients with dementia have shown a higher death rate associated with their use compared to patients receiving a placebo (sugar pill).
Some observations 1- The May 2005 issue of Mother Jones describes what happens when the Drug Lords manage the mental health system | Aliah Gleason was a direct victim of the Texas juvenile
mental illness promoters | They took her from her family, pumped her full of a polypharma regimen, then kept her from her family |Seems that she was lucky | She survived | Some sources indicate that as many as 17,000 kids in Texas are subjected to forced psychiatric drugging |
Rhetorical question time: Why is it that when the Soviets subjected their citizens to forced drugging it was recognized as torture but here in the USA it's just treatment as usual?
2- FDA Warns Antipsychotic Drugs Dangerous to Elderly Also in 2005 The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a public health advisory to alert health care providers,
patients, and patient caregivers to new safety information concerning an unapproved (i.e., “off-label”) use of certain drugs called “atypical antipsychotic drugs.” These drugs are approved for the treatment of schizophrenia and mania, but clinical studies of these drugs to treat behavioral disorders in elderly patients with dementia have shown a higher death rate associated with their use compared to patients receiving a placebo (sugar pill).Some other sites revealing adverse or "paradoxial" effects of psychiatric drugs: Benzodiazapines | More on Benzos | Basic Info on Psychiatric Meds | Peter Breggin on Benzos | Neurology Reviews on Anti-epileptics | Alternatives to Antidepressants | Klonapin
THANKS AND CREDITS FOR SOME LINKS TO: Dr. Stefan Kruszewski [Mother Jones], Atty. Tom Beherendt [Consumer's Union] ||
Other sites that support the rights of psychatric patients or are critical of legalized presecrption drug abuse include: International Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology, the organization's focus is the critical study of the mental health movement and The Law Project for Psychiatric Rights |
THANKS AND CREDITS FOR SOME LINKS TO: Dr. Stefan Kruszewski [Mother Jones], Atty. Tom Beherendt [Consumer's Union] ||
Other sites that support the rights of psychatric patients or are critical of legalized presecrption drug abuse include: International Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology, the organization's focus is the critical study of the mental health movement and The Law Project for Psychiatric Rights |
Labels: alzheimers, drug ward, mental health, neuroleptics, pscyhopharmacology, psychiatric drugs
¶ 03:49 0 comments
2007-07-12
recharging my batteries
I'm at the Creative Revolution in Healing: Turning Our Minds Around retreat this week. Set in the Litchfield County foothills, some ninety or so souls hope to accomplish some currently intangible goals; essentially working to clarify what real alternatives exists to conventional mental health system treatments.
We've already talked about Loren Mohser's Soteria as well as other options. A fresh breeze away from forced meds and indifferent clinicians who seem more pre-occupied with "boundary issues" than actually providing care and support for folks in emotional or psychic need.
I'm pleasantly surprised to see so many people I know at this event. I feel at home and a bit freer about expressing my thoughts than I would be in other venues.
I'm at the Creative Revolution in Healing: Turning Our Minds Around retreat this week. Set in the Litchfield County foothills, some ninety or so souls hope to accomplish some currently intangible goals; essentially working to clarify what real alternatives exists to conventional mental health system treatments. We've already talked about Loren Mohser's Soteria as well as other options. A fresh breeze away from forced meds and indifferent clinicians who seem more pre-occupied with "boundary issues" than actually providing care and support for folks in emotional or psychic need.
I'm pleasantly surprised to see so many people I know at this event. I feel at home and a bit freer about expressing my thoughts than I would be in other venues.
Labels: alternatives, mental health, spirituality
¶ 22:59 0 comments
