THE TRUTH—“NOT AN EASY PILL TO SWALLOW”
To raise awareness and flank its protest of the American Psychiatric Association’s Annual Convention, CCHR erected its famous Psychiatry: An Industry of Death exhibit in Atlanta’s Piedmont Park.
The exhibit opening featured a speech by Georgia State Senator Donzella James, who spoke of her upcoming legislation and requested that exhibit visitors sign a parallel petition, addressed to the Georgia legislature insisting that ECT be banned for children throughout the state. California, Colorado, Tennessee and Texas have already done the same.
“They’re calling this ‘the industry of death,’” said James, referring to the exhibit. “Believe me, I found out first hand that it really is.”
She spoke of her sister receiving electroshock in a psychiatric institution and returning home someone else.
“I know that this needs to be stopped,” said James. “Don’t take my word for it, I’m here today to help open this display so that you can come and see for yourself.”
And that is precisely what more than 4,075 people did over the course of a single week.
Those walking through, many of whom were in Piedmont Park for a weekend jazz festival, experienced photos, artifacts, documentary films and multimedia exhibits detailing the history of psychiatry. These painted a vivid picture of its horrors across time—one failed and brutal “therapy” after another, with every promise of help ending in betrayal and all for profit.
One former psychiatric nurse that toured the exhibit told of being disgusted by what he witnessed in psychiatric institutions. “Most people know what [ECT is] like,” he said, “but they haven’t seen it like I’ve seen it, where a person is strapped down and massive amounts of electroconvulsive shock wreck their brain.”
“Before coming to this exhibit I had no idea about the truth about psychiatry—psychiatrists are making people believe that there is something wrong with them, when really there is something wrong with the psychiatrists.”
Veteran Rodney Stark returned a few days after touring the exhibit with a garbage bag full of psychotropic drugs. “So many people are making money and benefiting off prescribing me these drugs,” he said. “I’m nobody’s junkie. Had I taken every pill that they wanted me to take, I would probably be dead right now.”
Other visitors told of their eyes being opened to a reality that had been in front of them the whole time. Here is a sampling of their feedback, which attests to the exhibit’s power:
“The most informative and heart-wrenching ‘truth’ I have seen.”—W.V.
“Before coming to this exhibit I had no idea about the truth about psychiatry, now I understand what is happening—psychiatrists are making people believe that there is something wrong with them, when really there is something wrong with the
“The fact that psychiatry mixed with politics trumped human beings is a story that needs to be told on a daily basis.”—R.B.
“The truth is never an easy pill to swallow however I prefer the truth.”—S.W.
“Wow! The only word that I have that would describe what I have just seen—I have worked six years in the mental health field. I have left because I felt I couldn’t make a difference. Today I understand why.”—R.J.
“What was most impressive was the fact that so many world renowned psychiatrists admitted to the ineffectiveness of their practices. Psychiatrists are unnecessary and their practices are obsolete.”—G.L.
People attending the exhibition were asked to sign a petition to outlaw electroshock on children. Thousands have already signed this petition and promised to keep themselves informed.
YOUR HELP IS NEEDED
As a nonprofit mental health watchdog, CCHR relies on memberships and donations to carry out its mission to eradicate psychiatric violations of human rights and clean up the field of mental health. To become part of the world’s largest movement for mental health reform, join the group that has helped enact more than 180 laws protecting citizens from abusive mental health practices.
