DAVID OAKS

Psychiatric Survivors Human Rights

Ideal Use: psychiatric survivors' human rights; alternative health programs

 

David Oaks speaks with passion, humor and clarity as one of the
long-time leaders of a "nonviolent revolution" brewing in the mental
health system. This global grassroots movement of "psychiatric
survivors" and allies, originating in 1970, promotes humane methods for
emotional support while protesting corporate psychiatry's rapidly
growing domination and globalization, over-drugging and electroshock.

Today, more and more families are directly affected by the mental
health system. David speaks movingly of his own experiences inside the
psychiatric system as a troubled working class student going to
Harvard. Despite five psychiatric institutionalizations -- including
forced drug injections and solitary confinement -- David graduated with
honors from Harvard anyway in 1977.

David talks about positive, empowering alternatives to traditional
psychiatry that are working right now. He calls for democracy to get
"hands on" with the direction of mental health care.

A proud "mad movement" human rights activist for three decades, David
is director of MindFreedom International, which unites 100 grassroots
groups. MindFreedom is the only Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) of
its kind accredited by the United Nations. David works closely with the
World Health Organization.

He also edits "MindFreedom Journal", a key periodical linking an
estimated 15,000 activists around the world. Z magazine called it the
"best anti-psychiatry journal in the country" and David himself a
"brilliant social critic." Adbusters called MindFreedom "the epicenter
of the mad movement." Progressive magazine called David "the soul of
the psychiatric survivors' movement."

This popular presenter has spoken at dozens of conferences and events
from Chile to Italy, from Alaska to Norway, from coast to coast. He can
address topics including: * Students and the mental health system. *
Psychiatric drug controversies today. * Alternatives to the mental
health system. * Survival and recovery from mental health problems. *
Globalization of the psychiatric industry. * History and future of the
psychiatric survivors' "mad movement." * What's wrong with the mental
health system, and what really works. And more. David also offers
workshops about changing the mental health system.

For more information -- including recommendations and an insightful LA
Times Sunday Magazine article about David -- see:
http://www.mindfreedom.org/about_oaks.shtml

 

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or questions
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(541) 484-9167

Email chouse@efn.org