Psychiatric inpatients win the right to get fresh air !

Psychiatric Hospital Patients Win Right to Fresh Air

In The News March 2, 2015

In an "important legislative victory" patients in psychiatric hospitals in Massachusetts now will be allowed "daily access to fresh air and the outdoors," according to a press release from the Mental Health Legal Advisors Committee. Outgoing Governor Deval Patrick signed the new legislation into effect on his last day in office.

"I was pretty stunned," said Jonathan Dosick in the press release. Dosick is an MIA Blogger who has written about his long campaign for the legislation. "It was a real nail biter in those last few days."

"Although the right to daily time outdoors may seem trivial" when compared with other fundamental rights, stated the press release, "to those who have experienced life inside a psychiatric unit of a hospital or other inpatient facility, the promise of even temporary reprieve from their confines can have important implications for those persons' mental health and recovery prospects."

However, the press release stated, Dosick has concerns that the bill still "lacks robust mechanisms to ensure its proper enforcement."

http://www.madinamerica.com/2015/03/psy ... fresh-air/

http://mhlac.org/Docs/Fresh_Air_Press_Release

The question is will they tell patients about this right.

Jesus it's despicable that humans would have to "win" their rights to the outdoors and fresh air. 2015 and institutions in America are still archaic, punishing, and outdated.

In my view every therapeutic environment should be constructed out of city limits with fresh air, clean soil, water, and access to gardening.

The prison industrial pharmaceutical complex overtook mental health in America and as a result mental heath treatment is more obedience and behavior oriented than it is therapeutic.

Sounds like a real horror show in some of these psychiatric wards still...

But as a positive note, at least we finally have that right. Now for the other rights we get deprived of....

Melito wrote:But as a positive note, at least we finally have that right. Now for the other rights we get deprived of....

Ya like smoking, as if a mental health crisis is not bad enough they add smoking withdrawal !!

But you can get one of those patches that rarely even help the average smoker resist the unbearable urge to smoke due to withdrawals. Anxiety agitation insomnia inability to focus ...

Bullies will often get tired and leave you alone but God help you when the bully abuses you for your own good, for they do it with the approval of their own conscience.

You gotta love that. In some ways, people with a conscience that feel morally superior, tend to be far more dangerous than the worst of the conscienceless psychopaths.

This has had to be won? But even prisoners get yard time?

Ridiculous.

EarlyMorning wrote:This has had to be won? But even prisoners get yard time?

Ridiculous.

Even farm animals have the right to fresh air !

§ 205.239 Livestock living conditions. [PARAPHRASED]

(a) The producer of an organic livestock operation must establish and maintain year-round livestock living conditions which accommodate the health and natural behavior of animals, including:

(1) Year-round access for all animals to the outdoors, shade, shelter, exercise areas, fresh air, clean water for drinking, and direct sunlight, suitable to the species, its stage of life, the climate, and the environment…Yards, feeding pads, and feedlots shall be large enough to allow all ruminant livestock to feed simultaneously without crowding and without competition for food. Continuous total confinement of any animal indoors is prohibited…

(4) Shelter designed to allow for:

(i) Natural maintenance, comfort behaviors, and opportunity to exercise.

Link to USDA Regulation:

http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2006/ ... 05.239.pdf

One thing you must realize though is that psych patients are there to get better, and some of them are delusional and think they're there to be harmed, in which case, they will try and run away. I agree, build them a place where they can go outside, but be sure they can't run off. They're there for a reason, usually for the better good, and sometimes, for legal reasons such as court orders.

Tyler77 wrote:One thing you must realize though is that psych patients are there to get better

The purpose of psychiatry is to control behavior. Not make people "better". Ask any child on the med line at school that was busted having too much energy and refusing to still in class.

The justification for psychiatric locked doors is to prevent people from harming self and others, a behavior.

The biggest mistake I see people make when trying to get out of the hospital is using the argument:

"I am not sick" when the argument they should use is "I am not dangerous".

You can't just lock people up for hearing voices, "rapid speech" or unusual ideas.

There must be danger. Too many people don't know that.

Copy_Cat wrote:The purpose of psychiatry is to control behavior. Not make people "better". Ask any child on the med line at school that was busted having too much energy and refusing to still in class. The justification for psychiatric locked doors is to prevent people from harming self and others, a behavior. The biggest mistake I see people make when trying to get out of the hospital is using the argument: "I am not sick" when the argument they should use is "I am not dangerous". You can't just lock people up for hearing voices, "rapid speech" or unusual ideas. There must be danger. Too many people don't know that.

Great points Copy_Cat and good advice. I too am a survivor of psychiatry. I eventually figured out the racket they had going. Not everyone is resolute, skilled, intelligent or lucky enough to get out though. I know a guy from high school who went in from a meth overdose who now rocks in a chair like an old man in nursing homes, sleeping 15 hours a day due to Haldol, Geodone injections, with no will to live. They are STILL doing this to people; frying their brains, making them feeble and dependent. Before his tinkering with meth this guy was a Bachelor's Degree holder in business and a star athlete in high school. In my mind it was the psychiatry that destroyed him, not the drugs, nor any "organic brain disease" like they lie to everyone with.