On May 5, 2012,  MindFreedom International is holding its Occupy the American Psychiatric Association protest at the APA’s annual convention in Philadelphia. Â
[On Saturday] as thousands of psychiatrists congregate for the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Annual Meeting, individuals with psychiatric labels and others will converge in a global campaign to oppose the APA’s proposed new edition of its “bible,” the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), scheduled for publication in 2013. Occupy the APAÂ
“This peaceful protest exposes the fact that the DSM-5 pushes the mental health industry to medicalize problems that aren’t medical, inevitably leading to over-prescription of psychiatric drugs – including for people experiencing natural human emotions, such as grief and shyness,” said David Oaks, founder of MindFreedom International (MFI), an independent voice of survivors of psychiatric human rights violations. “We call for better ways to help individuals in extreme emotional distress.”
Others criticizing the revised manual include Kyle Arnold, Ph.D., of the Coalition for DSM-5 Reform, which has gathered over 13,000 signatures from mental health professionals calling for “an alternative approach.” “The DSM-5 will recklessly assign psychiatric labels to many people who should not have them, which will lead to further over-prescription of dangerous drugs and more infringement on individual freedoms,” he said.
Jim Gottstein, Esq., founder of the Alaska-based Law Project for Psychiatric Rights (PsychRights), will cross the country to speak. “The public mental health system is creating a huge class of chronic mental patients through forcing them to take ineffective yet extremely harmful drugs. As the APA gets ready to do even more harm with its proposed expansion of what constitutes mental illness, I want to be there in person to participate in the protest.”
Other speakers include Joseph Rogers, executive director of the Philadelphia-based National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse and a longtime consumer/survivor movement leader.
“We will promote humane alternatives to the traditional mental health system, such as peer support, which evidence proves is effective in helping individuals recover from severe emotional distress,” Oaks said. “Our protest is about choice. Everyone is welcome.”
The Occupy the APA Protest May 5th in Philadelphia is just such a way — with your help. If enough people come, we might be able to bring enough attention to break into the consciousness of America.  The protest organizers have erected a big tent, knowing that many adults have found one or more psychiatric drugs helpful, and even embrace their psychiatric diagnoses, while at the same time abhorring that people are forced to take drugs and endure electroshock against their will, and acknowledging the harmful effect that psychiatric diagnosing can have.
There are many reasons why people might join the Occupy the APA Protest May 5th in Philadelphia.  One is the prospect of the DSM5 and labeling, generally.  Another is opposition to coercive psychiatry.  That is my andPsychRights’ core issue.  Another is the harm caused by the drugs and psychiatry’s refusal to tell the truth about them.  Another is for people in the Occupy Wall Street movement to understand how psychiatry in general, and the American Psychiatric Association in particular, is inventing diseases, etc., to sell ever more drugs, that on the whole are very harmful, with horrendous consequences for society and millions of individuals.  The horrendous psychiatric drugging of poor children in this country is a national disgrace and is another reason to protest.  (30 minute video of me on Drugging Our Children: Legal and Moral Issues)  There are no doubt more.
If you possibly can say that you are coming, please so indicate at the Occupy the APA Facebook Event Page.  Whether you can come or not, help support  Occupy the APA by posting your support there.  There are some ideas under the “See More” button.   I did a pretty terrible video on Why I’m Coming to Occupy the American Psychiatric Association.  You can do better.  Another suggestion is to do a YouTube video ripping up labels, using “occupyapa” (one word) as a tag.  Another is to take a picture with Amy Smith’s terrific poster.  There is also an “I Support Occupy the APA Lucy Fooled or Complicit” graphic that can be used for the same purpose.  Be creative.
Whatever, I think it is a moral obligation to stand up and being counted against what the APA is doing.  Supporting  Occupy the American Psychiatric Association May 5th in Philadelphia is a way.  I hope to see you there and/or posting your support.
writtten by Jim Gottstein of PsychRights
(excerpts taken from a few sources)
