NEWS: Take psychiatric drug company money or not?

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Wed, 7 Dec 2005 11:12:08 -0800

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NEWS: Take psychiatric drug company money or not?

 

 

 

 

NEWS ANALYSIS: human rights/mental health

http://www.MindFreedom.org - 7 Dec. 2005

 

A UK mental health advocacy group

may accept drug company money.

 

MindFreedom editorial: " Just say no! "

 

How you can support UKAN!

 

One of the main organizations in the

UK to promote self-determination and

alternatives for people in the mental

health system is UK Advocacy Network

(UKAN) founded in 1990.

 

UKAN is a national federation of

councils, projects and forums that

are all run by people in the UK who

have personally experienced the

mental health system, often on the

" sharp end of the needle. "

 

Government cutbacks are causing tough

economic times for UKAN. Members are

being asked if UKAN ought to change its

long-standing policy and accept donations

from psychiatric drug corporations.

 

Other groups are facing a similar dilemma.

 

The new issue of UKAN's magazine

_The Advocate_ features several articles

debating the drug company funding

controversy, including a guest editorial

representing MindFreedom's position.

 

BELOW is the guest editorial. AT BOTTOM

is how to contact UKAN.

 

~~~~~~~

 

To Maintain Independence, Say " No "

to Drug Company Funding

 

by David Oaks, Director

MindFreedom International

 

Thank you, UKAN, for inviting me to

comment on the question of whether or

not to accept psychiatric drug

corporation donations. For those who

do not know, UKAN is one of 100

sponsor groups in MindFreedom

International which works for human

rights and alternatives in the mental

health system.

 

First, disclaimers: I am in sympathy

with advocates searching for creative

solutions to funding problems faced by

those seeking change in the mental

health system. After all, our

constituency is among the poorest and

most marginalized in society.

 

I do not believe in turning down

money for no good reason. Who does?

 

Turning down money is a kind of

boycott, and I believe a boycott

ought to be carefully researched,

analyzed and discussed before

adoption. There ought to be good

strategic reasons for a boycott if

for no other reason than that

frivolous boycotts do not work. How

long can poor people turn down offers

of money without good reason? Not long!

 

I feel there are three good reasons

for UKAN to continue its policy of

refusing psychiatric drug company

money.

 

DRUG COMPANY DOMINANCE OF

THE MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM

 

We at MindFreedom International are

pro-choice about the individual

decision to take psychiatric drugs. A

number of our members, with full

informed consent and with a range of

alternatives available, willingly

choose to take psychiatric drugs as

prescribed.

 

However, the psychiatric

pharmaceutical industry is one of the

richest in the history of the planet.

Even psychiatric professionals and

their groups lament the undue

influence wielded by drug companies

through funding of research,

conferences, publications, lobbying

and organizations.

 

I feel this drug company domination

is not discussed enough in mental

health advocacy circles. I can go to

an entire conference dedicated to

fine values such as empowerment,

self-determination, recovery, choice,

peer support, human rights, system

transformation and advocacy, and yet

not hear a proper discussion about

the unfair power of the psychiatric

drug industry.

 

The scarce availability of

alternatives to psychiatric drugs,

the fraudulent informed consent

typically given to those prescribed

psychiatric drugs, the routine

cover-up of hazards, and the coercion

often used to secure compliance all

make the power of the psychiatric

drug industry a human rights issue.

 

To repeat, the debate here is not

really pro or con psychiatric drugs.

The debate is whether or not the

psychiatric drug industry tends to

dominate today's mental health

system. I feel the evidence is clear

that it does. So what ought to be

done?

 

CREDIBILITY FOR INDEPENDENT

ADVOCACY

 

The word " advocacy " in UKAN's name is

also one of its main goals. We are not

discussing here whether or not the

drug industry ought to donate to,

say, employment, housing, drop-in

centers or other social programs. In

fact, I would like to see the drug

industry fund de-toxification centers

to assist those who would like to quit

psychiatric drugs. Like the tobacco

industry, the psychiatric drug

industry owes billions of dollars in

reparations for the damage it has

done.

 

No, we are talking here about the

wisdom of drug company funding of

advocacy, which by definition means

taking a side. The key issues we are

advocating about are often opposed by

the psychiatric drug industry and

groups funded by that industry. Here

in the United States we even have a

family organization [NAMI] that promotes

more forced psychiatric drugging but

refuses to disclose, even to its own

members, the outrageously large

amount of psychiatric drug company

money the group receives.

 

At this time the psychiatric drug

industry is poised to globalize as

never before. Literally millions of

people in Africa, Asia, South

America, etc. may end up on

psychiatric drugs in the coming

decades.

 

It is important for an advocacy

organization to maintain both its

actual independence, and also its

perceived independence with the

public and its own members. That

brings me to my third and final

point.

 

GO BACK TO UNDERLYING

PRINCIPLES

 

I've talked to many people who run

organizations for public betterment.

A theme I pick up is that it is

important to revisit one's core

underlying principles and values. At

a time of crisis like this, it may be

crucial to return to those underlying

values.

 

The historic start of the psychiatric

survivor and user advocacy movement is

linked to the rise of many other

social change movements for peace, to

end racism, for women's rights and

more. These are our origins.

Especially because of our link to the

cross-disability movement, the

psychiatric survivors and users

movement is part of what used to be

called the " poor people's movement. "

We need to be using terms like that

again.

 

Of course groups in a poor people's

movement have trouble with funding

because that really gets to one of

the roots of the problems, the

incredible economic inequality in our

world today.

 

Let's learn from other social change

movements. Let's focus on building

strength in numbers with thousands

upon thousands of united members.

This will help with dues and other

fundraising plans and events.

MindFreedom's board understands some

people are very poor, but our board

adopted a policy of " something from

everyone. " Strength in numbers may

also help groups like UKAN lobby the

government and influence more

independent charitable organizations

to come through with the funding that

UKAN's programs deserve.

 

In conclusion, I understand these may

be desperate times for groups

representing our people who are

routinely locked-up, forcibly

drugged, tied down, electroshocked,

humiliated with psychiatric labels,

and kept poor and unemployed. But

remember we psychiatric survivors

never ever give up. Many of our

people who have survived these

violations have continued to support

one another and advocate for change.

It is an honor to watch the human

spirit's resilience. Now is indeed

the time for drastic measures, but

none that would harm our cause, such

as compromising a fine advocacy

group's independence with drug

company funding.

 

David Oaks

 

oaks

 

http://www.MindFreedom.org

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

* ACTIONS * ACTIONS * ACTIONS *

 

HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT UKAN!

 

EXPRESS YOUR SUPPORT TO UKAN:

 

You may e-mail UKAN at

office

 

[Note there is a hyphen

between 'u' and 'kan.']

 

Or write by postal mail to:

 

UKAN

14 - 18 West Bar Green

Sheffield S1 2DA

UK

 

If you are interested in

UKAN's publication " The

Advocate, " the editors

ask for the equivalent of

about £4.00 per issue

or £15.00 per subscription

of 4 issues, mailed to the

above postal address.

 

More info on UKAN is at

their web site:

 

http://www.u-kan.co.uk/

 

PLEASE FORWARD this to all

appropriate places on and

off the Internet. Thanks.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

This news analysis is forwarded as a free

public service by the nonprofit human rights

organization MindFreedom International.

 

* Win human rights campaigns in mental health.

* End abuse by the psychiatric drug industry.

* Support the voices of psychiatric survivors.

* Promote safe and humane options in mental health.

 

MindFreedom International unites 100 sponsor

and affiliate groups with individual members,

and is accredited by the United Nations as

a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) with

Consultative Roster Status.

 

MindFreedom is one of the very few totally

independent groups in the mental health

field with no funding from governments,

drug companies, religions, corporations,

or the mental health system.

 

JOIN, DONATE, or give GIFT MEMBERSHIPS

to MindFreedom International today:

 

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

 

For a MAD MARKET of books and products

to support human rights campaigns in

mental health: http://www.madmarket.org

 

MindFreedom International

454 Willamette, Suite 216 - POB 11284

Eugene, OR 97440-3484 USA

 

http://www.mindfreedom.org

email: office at mindfreedom.org fax: (541) 345-3737

office phone: (541) 345-9106

USA toll free: 1-877-MAD-PRIDE / 1-877-623-7743

 

~~~~~~~~~

 

Please forward this to all appropriate

places on and off the Internet. Thank you!

 

 

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