A Plea for Change: No More Abuse
The confidential forum reported to Parliament about psychiatric abuse. It is timely for the health select committee to have a good look at the report.
A considerable number of people have spoken of extensive maltreatment with electro convulsive shocks without anaesthetics; insulin maltreatment to make them convulsive; deep sleep; significant periods of time in seclusion; and heavy drug regimes with medicines such as Largactil and Paraldehyde.
Paraldehyde is a torture drug, very painful when injected into the muscle. If you put Paraldehyde in a plastic syringe, the syringe will melt.
...
The laws have to change so this can never happen again. The Mental Health Act 1992 is open to abuse. Section 59 and section 60 give doctors the right to use electro convulsive shock treatment despite a patient's refusal. Section 122 excuses doctors from criminal responsibility if they act in good faith.
Nothing has changed, it is still going on right now.
Lots of money is given for mental health. All that money is going in the wrong direction, to the drug companies, and more is spent on torture devices. It has to stop.
Note: I usually don't use such a long quote but I'm trying to assist this cause. Why is it taking the psychiatric community so long to clean up its act? This is an international issue we all need to be aware of.
A considerable number of people have spoken of extensive maltreatment with electro convulsive shocks without anaesthetics; insulin maltreatment to make them convulsive; deep sleep; significant periods of time in seclusion; and heavy drug regimes with medicines such as Largactil and Paraldehyde.
Paraldehyde is a torture drug, very painful when injected into the muscle. If you put Paraldehyde in a plastic syringe, the syringe will melt.
...
The laws have to change so this can never happen again. The Mental Health Act 1992 is open to abuse. Section 59 and section 60 give doctors the right to use electro convulsive shock treatment despite a patient's refusal. Section 122 excuses doctors from criminal responsibility if they act in good faith.
Nothing has changed, it is still going on right now.
Lots of money is given for mental health. All that money is going in the wrong direction, to the drug companies, and more is spent on torture devices. It has to stop.
—Call for change, Letter to the Editor, by Anna de Jonge, Patients rights advocate, Hamilton, Waikato Times, July 6 2007
Note: I usually don't use such a long quote but I'm trying to assist this cause. Why is it taking the psychiatric community so long to clean up its act? This is an international issue we all need to be aware of.
posted by Naomi Fox at 6:58 AM
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