Is Psych Forums Unfairly biased?

Whoever, In my opinion, wrote those statements, obviously doesn't understand support, and the hard work one has to go to to not only setup, but to maintain this and your other worthy websites.

Those of us, who come here for answers, education, experiences, support, friendship, understanding, without Stigma are very grateful to this and all websites who do not prosper from us, but who give out of their own pockets to keep these sites alive.

I am a moderator here and maybe my post won't be taken to heart because I am. But I volunteered and do this with no compensation, because I believe in support/ not attention. I know the pain and confusion.

As far as meds are concerned that is a personal choice and they are personal stories. This website had a discussion in the admin forum on starting a med thread, we voted no. The authors comments are just the reason too. Too contraversial, and we do not take kindly to med ads, and delete all spam of that content. But I will say, many are alive today because of meds. I've had private messages from patients in hospitals with access to me, that wrote daily while being leveled out on meds. I am one that has to also say if not for meds. IWOULDBEDEAD!!!!!!!

So for you that think you know it all. You don't. You see your side, and not thousands of others. Sean is too modest to give the number of visitors and post we have had just this month alone.

So if this site doesn't help you, don't come here. If it does Godspeed.

^^^

I agree 100% with you Ddee, well said sista.

ddeehopes wrote: As far as meds are concerned that is a personal choice and they are personal stories.

There is no "personal choice" in coercive psychiatry.

Anonymous wrote:
There is no "personal choice" in coercive psychiatry.

I don't think that Ddee was talking about coerive phyciatry... why is it that you always bring it up? You've posted enough about it... ?

98% of psychiatry is not coercived either, it does occur but not often.

To put it bluntly, the only legal coecive psychiatry, is a life sentence in a mental institution.

It is the law, that anyone can refuse treatment, surgery, or meds outside of a mental institution. I worked in the nursing field for over 15 years. I know the law of medicine. So if you are being medicated against your will, you need to seek the assistance of an attorney.
otherwise, this is the law as it stands in medical mental institutions.

As of October 1, 1993, public or private psychiatric hospitals are able to force medicate both involuntarily and voluntarily admitted patients only under two specific circumstances.

The circumstances are: (1) If the head of the hospital and two physicians decide that you are incapable of giving informed consent to the medication and are rapidly deteriorating; or (2) you are a "direct threat of harm". (See Definition Section). If either or both of these two criteria apply to you, you may be medicated against your will for up to thirty days after an internal hospital hearing is held. You have the right to representation at the hearing. After the internal hearing you can also go directly to Probate Court for an expedited hearing to be held within fifteen days of the internal hearing.

This process can be difficult for you to go through alone. We urge you to call an advocate or attorney at one of the agencies listed in the back of the booklet.

For additional information see the Office of Protection and Advocacy self-help booklet entitled, "Expanded Patients Rights: Public Act 93-369".

sadgurl,

I will always raise the issue of coercive psychiatry; it is the main point on contention between bio-psychiatry and antipsychiatry.

If coercive psychiatry did not exist, I would not be writing this post.

I have no objection to people consulting psychiatrist and taking meds so long as it is voluntary and all the risks are explained to the patient.

I am a victim of coercive psychiatry and was forcefully drugged under the premise I had a chemical imbalance. No lab test was ever conducted to identify if I had this dopamine imbalance; I was told I just had to take the quacks word for it.

I have read many articles and the dopamine theory has never been proven. The drugs I was forcefully treated with are designed to give me brain damage (a chemical lobotomy) and not cure or address any disease in my brain. I have different thoughts, feelings to the average person living in consensus reality. That does not constitute a brain disease. Psychiatry is ideology not science; it has nothing to do with curing illness because no real illness exists. Distress exists and is legitimate, psychiatry has no right to claim it is a disease and medicalise it for profit and power.

Psychiatry is yet to identify the cause of a single mental illness, yet they treat mental illness with drugs that effect the patient’s brain. It is premature and very dangerous to do so. There is far too much money involved in the bio-psychiatry industry that it has blinded the majority of pyschiatrists to other probable causes such as social, cultural, environmental, economic cause.

I very much object being forcefully drugged under the unproved theory of biological causes for mental distress. My social environment caused my distress not any neurochemical imbalance.
I recovered when I left that dysfunctional social environment. It has nothing to do with bad brain chemistry.

The survivor movement is determined to see bio-psychiatry end up in the trash can where it belongs.

I hope that explains it (again) for you.

Its a real shame that people lable this forum as such, when the reason this forum was made was for the discussion of individuals situations, sx's and dx's.( whether a particular group agrees with them or not).

The administration was kind enough to develope the anti-psych forum for those who had adverse objections to the field to keep your post out the rest of the forum. So feel free to vent. But don't expect us to agree. As you don't agree with us.

I was against this forum , as I thought it was just the opposite of what we stood for, support for those who DO have mental disorders and chemical embalances, which a series of tests can confirm. Dopamine can cause you to be self destructive, http://www.utexas.edu/research/asrec/dopamine.html
but unless you were a threat to yourself or others, you could not have been medicated against your will. So don't act so innocent.

I know when I am harmful I need to be medicated, or knocked out.
Come on, should we be allowed to run around hurting ourselves and others??? Really>?????

I hope that you can for the sake of others and not just yourself, have a more open perspective on this thread, as Sean is simply asking us if we agree or disagree, not to be coerced into agreeing.
You don't like being coerced, neither do we.

ddeehopes,

I found this statement on your linked article:

"A person with schizophrenia may have an overactive dopamine system."

"May have" are the operative words. Dopamine imbalances is an unproved theory for the cause of SZ just as your article states!

The whole theory behind coercive pyschiatry use (the patient may be a threat to themselves or others) is trangressed far to many times. No, I was not a threat to others or myself. And I hope you have enough respect to accept what I say is the truth and refrain from accussing me of being dishonest.

Psych forums overall is obviously not biased, this anti-psych forum proves that. There does however seem to be a lack of moderators with anti-psych views that understand the horrendous trauma unwarranted psychiatric treatment can have on a person.

I'll leave this thread now, I can sense a flame up coming.

Ddee, I agree with you....

I am not a moderator of the antipsych forum.

There is one, that offered to do that job.

I wrote in here, to vote for the poll and express my reasons, as an individual, not a moderator. My position in this forum is limited to deletion of inappropriate posts, references, and helping with the forums I was designated, but do have the right to write in any forum that holds my interests, but I am writing as an individual, not a moderator here.

I respect your opinion and experiences as they are yours, and I hope you will respect mine. Thank you for sharing.

I stand behind my original vote.
\
Thank you Sean, for giving us the opportunity to see what others are thinking. I'm sorry that not all appreciate the hard work you and the mods do here to help those who want help, and to share.
There will always be those choice few with bad experiences, denial, or whatever the case may be individualized that don't share the views of others. We are entitled, they are entitled. I am sorry that you felt a direct attack from this poster. I can see why.

I hope they get a chance to go to your other websites and see all that you have done for the 10,000 or more registered users here, that do appreciate you.

I too will exit this antipsych-forum for now. Sorry if it got out of control. It seems needless to continue, as my words and resources are used as tools against what I am trying to say, but that is the way of the debate. P and Qs. I am pro psychiatry for my own personal reasons and maintainence.

I say this an a registered member, not a moderator.

ddeehopes