EDUCATION INITIATIVE
TEACHING ABOUT PSYCHIATRIC ABUSES
Citizens Commission on Human Rights International headquarters in Los Angeles houses a museum presenting the history of psychiatric brutality from its early methods of torture to present-day restraints and mind-altering drugs. Museum visitors include students and professionals in nursing, pharmacy, medicine and criminal justice, as well as human rights and civil rights advocates. Dozens of colleges include the CCHR museum in their official curriculum for student credit.
“Honor those to whom honor is due. On their 40th anniversary, we broadly recognize CCHR’s unprecedented fight in mankind’s history against psychiatric abuses, its protection of children from abusive practices and encourage CCHR’s humanitarian work.” —House of Representatives, Mexico
“In recognition of your tireless, courageous work seeking to improve our society through your efforts in the area of human rights abuse, I extend my best wishes for your continued success and fulfillment.” —State Assembly Member, California
“Most people have this underlying intuition or feeling that something is not exactly right, and going to the exhibit gives them the facts as to why that feeling is valid.” —Dean of Education, Charter College, United States
“CCHR has been instrumental in ensuring protection for the rights of parents and children in the field of mental health.”
“CCHR has been instrumental in ensuring protection for the rights of parents and children in the field of mental health—above all in guaranteeing informed consent as the surest protection against a tendency to hasty diagnostic and inappropriate treatment.” —Member of U.S. Congress, Oklahoma
“CCHR is actually going in and protecting individuals, speaking to those individuals who have been damaged, helping them, making their story known.” —Clinical Psychologist, Denmark
“These CCHR presentations were so powerful that students in my class, the 19, 20, 21-year-olds, wanted to talk about their experiences. You would think that this would be something that is personal and private. Instead, hands flew up.” —Professor of Education, University of Florida
“Congratulations to CCHR for its outstanding contribution throughout the course of 40 years in the fight to promote and protect human rights in the field of mental health.” —Mexico, House of Representatives, Commission for the Protection of Vulnerable Groups and Equality
“Thank God for CCHR. Who else compiles all this for people who finally wake up and say, ‘I need help, where am I going to go?’” —Co-founder, Health Food Company, United States
“The museum actually changes your life. You don’t realize what you’re in for when you look at something like this. You cannot walk in here and not be emotionally moved.” —Music producer, South Africa
As part of its global campaign to raise awareness of psychiatric brutality and abuse, Citizens Commission on Human Rights sponsors 12 high-impact multimedia traveling exhibits.
The exhibits, based on the permanent museum at CCHR International headquarters in Los Angeles, present psychiatry’s past- and present-day abuses; expose the psychiatric industry’s collusion with pharmaceutical companies; and illustrate the psychiatric drug pipeline that has addicted millions worldwide to psychotropic drugs.
The exhibits include 22 multimedia panels presenting documentary films in 17 languages. The traveling museums are set up in or around legislative centers and other prominent landmarks in cities across the United States and North and South America, Europe, South Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Exhibits are tailored to their location, focusing on specific psychiatric abuse in the local area, and are toured by thousands of government officials, medical professionals and public.
“We want to commend the Citizens Commission on Human Rights for bringing the exhibition ‘Destroyed Lives: Exposing Psychiatry’ to our Institute. The exhibition was effective in enlightening both experienced staff and the next generation of staff.” —Executive Director, International Institute of Justice, Russia
“CCHR is a group of very passionate, committed people that are doing this. And it takes a special kind of person actually to do that kind of work because some of it is really stomach-churning stuff.” —Member of Parliament, South Africa
“CCHR is a shining example of what people can accomplish in a free society. Through united action, effective education and advocacy, CCHR has helped to bring about critically needed healthcare reforms that make our society and country a better place.” —Member of U.S. Congress, Indiana
TRANSPARENCY LAW IN
FRANCE
Psychotropic drug use in France is among the highest in Europe, and the problem is compounded by serious conflicts of interest between drug regulatory agencies and pharmaceutical companies. It is in this climate that Citizens Commission on Human Rights France actively worked to bring about change. The result: a law to bring transparency to the drug regulatory process, requiring anyone advising the Ministry of Health to declare any conflict of interest.
While previously only medical doctors could report adverse reactions, this law also permits any individual to report adverse reactions to drugs to the Ministry of Health.
“The Citizens Commission on Human Rights has exposed the outrageous number of psychiatric involuntary commitments in each region of France and has reported these to me. They have made me aware of the need for reform in this country.” –Member of Parliament France
SUICIDE DROPS IN
JAPAN
As consumption of psychiatric drugs rose in Japan, so did suicides.
The cold, hard statistic—more than 30,000 per year. CCHR initiated an awareness campaign to make known this alarming correlation. Concurrently, they filed complaints with the Ministry of Health, all of which contributed to Japan’s first published warnings about the dangers of drugs, which led to a decline in antidepressant sales. In 2012 suicides dropped below 30,000 for the first time in 15 years, and the number fell again in 2013.
Changes in Japan also included adverse reaction report lines opened to all; a bill protecting children and the elderly from psychiatric abuse; and mandatory reporting of any psychiatric crime.
“CCHR has been a steady force to broadly expose the drugging of children in Japan. They are a strong voice in protecting children in this country.” —Member of Parliament Japan
