John Hunt is a trauma survivor with a diagnosis of 'paranoid schizophrenia'. He has spent over four years locked up in Carraig Mor psychiatric treatment centre in Cork city, Ireland.
He has been over-medicated on an array of psychotropic medications with dangerous adverse effects. He has had tardive dyskinesia, akathasia and has developed incontinence. His physical/ mental/ emotional/ spiritual health has been severely neglected and has deteriorated since being in Carraig Mor.
He has had no access to a rehabilitation team or psychotherapist and no day release in two years. There are no plans to rehabilitate John and return him to the community where he belongs. He is merely maintained and contained. John and his family have no voice in relation to his future. We are afraid that John's physical health is being damaged considerably. We cannot stand by and watch this happen any longer.
Jan Olaf writes: "The mental violations which the psychiatric system causes to persons are much more hidden than many other physical violations other systems do to other persons – but the mental violations caused by the forced psychiatric system are very real, they also – indeed!"
"Before you can exploit someone you have to silence them." -Derrick Jensen. By far the most efficient way to silence someone is to label them "insane". More efficient than directly murdering them: murdering their words. And then you can proceed to murder the person herself, while no one will listen to her protesting anymore. Psychiatry is totalitarianism's most efficient tool.
Abdulle Ahmed is a young man, refugee from the civil war in Somalia, who has become victim of Danish totalitarianism. No one, not even those among you, who, unlike me, believe in "mental illness" to be real diseases, can seriously claim the following time line to reflect the history of a person with a "mental illness":
• 1991 - Together with his family, Abdulle comes to Denmark, 11 years old. He lives a normal life, and only dreams about getting an education and a good life. • 1996 - Abdulle suffers from back pain. His physician can't find out what causes it. • 1997 - in March. Abdulle again turns to his physician because of back pain, and is prescribed Zyprexa, which he takes believing it's a pain killer. Abdulle has an adverse reaction to Zyprexa. He's convulsing and suffers from nausea. A doctor is sent for, who admits Abdulle to hospital. • 1997 - Abdulle is admitted, though not to a somatic ward but a psychiatric one [remember: the adverse reaction is caused by Zyprexa, an "antipsychotic"...], where he's administered electroshock without the knowledge of his family. • 2001 - Abdulle's family is told he'll soon be discharged, and come home. • 2001 - Abdulle is not discharged. On the contrary, he has an argument with staff [he continuously rejects the idea that he would be "mentally ill", while staff keeps on trying to convince him, leading to several clashes with staff throughout time with this one being of the louder kind] which results in him being court ordered to receive "treatment" on November 8. • 2001 - eleven days after the court order is released, on November 19, an order of dangerousness is issued against Abdulle, who is transferred to "Sikringen Nykøbing Sjælland", a secured psychiatric hospital. • 2007 - the court order for "treatment" is extended. • Since, Abdulle has been incarcerated at "Sikringen". He's been restrained daily for several years [years, yep!], and forced to take huge amounts of psych drugs, so that he today no longer is capable of walking, hardly can speak, is shaking all over and got his teeth ruined. (translated from Danish, LAP's newsletter, 06-25-09)
Clearly, Abdulle, who was labelled with "schizophrenia" by the "experts", never suffered from anything else than an adverse reaction to Zyprexa, prescribed to him off-label for back pain. To diagnose "schizophrenia" under these circumstances, to me amounts to incompetence of criminal dimensions. Nevertheless, the "experts" reject to admit their mistake and to release Abdulle. On the contrary, the responsible shrink, Benedikte Volfing, has restricted visits by Abdulle's family to him to half an hour once a week, because his family doesn't believe in Abdulle's "mental illness" either, and thus undermines the "trust in the staff", that according to Benedikte Volfing is decisive to recovery, she has denied Abdulle's brother Mohamud, who is Abdulle's legal guardian, to see him for two and a half months, which according to Danish law is illegal, and tried to get Mohamud replaced by another less concerned guardian, and she plans to further up the dose of neuroleptics Abdulle is on, and stated that it might be necessary to try out new, unapproved substances on Abdulle. This is murder!!! This woman, not Abdulle, is dangerous!
Never mind the absolutely mind-blowing amount of xenophobia that lies in a statement like that neuroleptics "simply aren't effective in Africans". Has it ever occurred to anyone among the "experts" that these poisons might not work, because the diagnosis is bull, and nothing but another disgusting act of discrimination?! And has it ever occurred to anyone among them, to try and stop poisoning people with these substances, when the latter obviously don't "work", even make the drugged-up person worse, "more aggressive", as Benedikte Volfing says to Politiken?!
What has happened and is happening to Abdulle - and everybody else in a similar situation - is a gross violation of human rights, it's a crime, a crime against humanity. It's got nothing to do with help and care. It's all about power tripping and social control.
Last week, I sent an e-mail to the Danish politician Sophie Løhde, who recently proposed a bill for involuntary outpatient "treatment" to become legal in Denmark too. A bill that is widely supported by our government, and thus is very likely to be passed in the near future.
In my e-mail, I expressed my view, that Danish politicians' support of involuntary outpatient "treatment" to me seems to rather be based on a wish for more social control than a true wish to help people in crisis. I asked Sophie Løhde to correct me, if my view is wrong. So far, Sophie Løhde has chosen not to correct me... But well, I signed the e-mail as someone who's "fully recovered thanks to the fact, that I had received 100 per cent drug-free help". And that of course, in the eyes of someone like Sophie Løhde, makes me an "insane" person, whose words by definition are to be ignored.
What is more is that members of the youth organization of the Danish conservative party recently proposed to ban people on benefit, disability included, from voting. A proposal, also the youth organization of "Venstre", the party in power, has been into. Just so you get a picture of the tone in this country - democracy??? -, and don't think, I'm exaggerating grossly when I talk about social control and discrimination, and choose to post a vid like the one above to illustrate what is going on in this country.
Please help us fight human rights violations in Denmark! Help us free Abdulle!
If you live in Denmark, join the demonstration for the immediate release of Abdulle Ahmed from the psych prison on Monday, 6th of July (Abdulle's birthday), at 1.00 pm, Slotsholmsgade 10 - 12 (behind "Børsen"), Copenhagen.
Visit the website, Abdulle's family has set up to support him here.
"...If Martin Luther Was Living, He Wouldn't Let This Be." _______________
P.S.: "Parental Discretion Advised"??? Wouldn't it be better to let kids know the truth about our civilization, that it is abusive to the core, that it, also, killed Michael Jackson?! Instead of pretending everything to be just fine, and thus protecting the abusers??
Watch the below video by Amy Philo and sign the petition to protect mothers from psychiatry's drug pushers. Not living in the U.S.? None of your business? Well, today the U.S., tomorrow maybe your country - and, aren't we all living in the same world, when it comes to human rights violations??
The petition for Gaderummet is an initiative of Pia Qu. Pia has nothing to do with Gaderummet other than that she's known the facility and its residents for quite a while. She's neither part of the staff nor user at Gaderummet, and has never been. Just as little as I.
I think, this is quite important, because it shows, that it's not only people who have the status of a resident, who involve themselves in the project, and support it.
Gaderummet stands for freedom of choice, for personal freedom, for the right to diversity and self-determination. Far beyond the limits of psychiatry/pedagogy. This matter is of everybody's concern. Tomorrow it may be you, who is exposed to the system's assault on your right to self-determination.
Personally, I've always believed myself secure from this kind of assault. I do live in a democratic country, that fully respects my human rights, not in one or the other totalitarian state, don't I? I got wiser...
"If you have a mind, you can lose it", Edward Podvoll says, concerning emotional crises. This is true for every aspect of life: what you have, you can lose. Also your personal freedom. Also in Denmark. One tiny slip, that breaks with society's unwritten laws for which is regarded acceptable, can be enough. There's not much room in the Danish streets. And it's becoming more and more narrow.
[For everyone who wonders: I've been talking to Mirko Olostiak from Radio Dreyeckland this morning (read about it here, listen to the interview here, both in German), and we agreed, that I'd post a translation of Gaderummet's petition and some more info here on this blog.]
Hallo und willkommen auf meinem Blog! Wahrscheinlich guckst du vorbei, weil du heute morgen Mirkos Interview mit mir auf Radio Dreyeckland gehört hast, und etwas mehr wissen möchtest über Gaderummet, und wie du uns helfen kannst, die Schliessung von Gaderummet zu verhindern.
Hier zunächst mal die volle Übersetzung von Gaderummets Petition, die du hier unterschreiben kannst.
"Gaderummet war durch 12 Jahre hindurch Tag und Nacht offen. Zahlreiche obdachlose und ausgestossene Jugendliche mit Problemen von sowohl sozialer wie psychischer Art sind angenommen worden und haben Hilfe bekommen. Im Gaderummet ist man nicht zu psychiatrischer Hilfe gezwungen, sondern kann selbst entscheiden, welchen Weg und welche Methode man anwenden möchte, um wieder sein Leben in den Griff zu bekommen, mit professioneller und menschlicher Hilfe. Und das hat geholfen!
Jetzt schliesst die Kommune Kopenhagen diese einzigartige Einrichtung, die ein gerühmtes und prämiertes sozialpsychologisches Projekt ist, aufgrund von Beschuldigungen über mangelnde Zusammenarbeit mit der Psychiatrie.
Helft Gaderummet und unterschreibt diesen Protest gegen die Schliessung - gleichzeitig stimmt ihr für:
Die Freiheit eine Behandlung mit oder ohne Medizin wählen zu können! Die Freiheit seinen Behandelnden selbst wählen zu können! Und nicht zuletzt - die Möglichkeit wählen zu können!
Füge deine Unterschrift hinzu
Fülle diese Felder aus, um deine Unterschrift zuzufügen:
Roter Stern: obligatorisch Blauer Stern: wird nicht auf der Website gezeigt"
Wie im Interview gesagt, hatte man schon im Mai 2007 Gaderummet die kommunale Unterstützung gestrichen, aufgrund der Aussagen des im Interview erwähnten Psychiaters, der meinte, Gaderummet auf der Basis seiner wenigen, 5 - 10 Minuten kurzen Besuche, genau zu kennen. Darüber hinaus wurde versucht, den Leiter des Projekts, Psychologe Kalle Birck-Madsen, durch einen mehr "psychiatriefreundlichen" Leiter zu ersetzen. Mit dem Ziel, Gaderummet in eine Institution zu verwandeln, in der junge Leute, statt alternative Hilfe für ihre Probleme zu bekommen, für psychiatrische Massnahmen visitiert werden konnten. Dem widersetzten sich sowohl die Angestellten wie die Bewohner Gaderummets.
Vor einer Woche ist es Gaderummet wieder gerade mal so gelungen, 25.000,- Dkr für die fällige Stromrechnung herbeizuschaffen. Kopenhagener Politiker reagieren nun auf den Überlebenswillen und Kampfgeist Gaderummets mit der Drohung, die Räumung der Gebäude per gerichtlicher Verfügung zu erzwingen. Das wäre dann das Ende von Gaderummet.
Hilf uns, dies zu verhindern! Du kannst die oben zitierte Petition unterschreiben, und du kannst auch eine Protestmail an den Kopenhagener Bürgermeister für Soziales, Mikkel Warming, senden, der direkt für Gaderummet verantwortlich ist. E-mail: Mikkel.Warming(at)sof(dot)kk(dot)dk, im Sinne MindFreedoms: Bestimmt darf es gern sein, aber bitte auch HÖFLICH! Eine Kopie kannst du an das dänische Sozialministerium, als Mikkel Warming übergeordnet, senden. E-mail: sm(at)socialministeriet(dot)dk
Am besten ist es natürlich, wenn du auf Englisch (oder Dänisch) schreiben kannst. MindFreedom hat hier u.a. einen Mustertext, den du benutzen kannst. Zur Not geht es aber auch auf Deutsch, denke ich. Die meisten Dänen haben Deutschkenntnisse.
Ein herzliches Dankeschön!!! an alle, und besonders auch an Mirko und Radio Dreyeckland für die Gelegenheit, auf unsere Situation aufmerksam machen zu können!
Below a translation of Gaderummet's petition. Sign and help save Gaderummet!
Gaderummet has been open 24/7 for more than 12 years, during which many homeless and marginalized young people with problems of both social and psychological character have been welcomed and helped. At Gaderummet you're not forced to receive psychiatric help. You're free to choose your own way and method to get in control of your life again, with professional and humane assistance. And this approach has been successful!
Now the local authorities of Copenhagen are closing down this unique facility, this appreciated and awarded project, on the basis of accusations about a lack of co-operation with the mental health system.
Support Gaderummet and sign this petition against the closing-down - at the same time you vote for:
Freedom to choose treatment with or without medicine! Freedom to choose your own mental health supplier! And last but not least - the possibility to choose!
Add your signature
Fill in the below spaces to add your signature:
First name ("Fornavn") Last name ("Efternavn") City ("By"; alternatively: country) E-mail
(Click the "Tilføj"-button to complete.)
Red star = obligatory Blue star = doesn't appear on the website
Comments on this blog are moderated. These are the three golden rules to follow if you want your comment published here:
- Keep it on topic.
- Keep the language sober. Try some meditation if this is a problem. It works!
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If it takes some time before your comment appears, it's probably because I'm not online - or your comment went against one or more of the three golden rules.
Pura Raza Española (Andalusian), 1996 - 2012, Famoso XV - Rebeca V
When God created the horse, he said to the magnificent creature: I have made thee as no other. All the treasures of the earth shall lie between thy eyes. -Arabian
