“[Psychiatry] is the only profession that can as a matter of course utterly
take away the freedom of people who have committed no crime.”
- Bonnie Burstow
Psychiatry and the Business of Madness
The truth about mainstream psychiatry
The purpose of this leaflet is twofold:
- to increase awareness of the dangers of mainstream psychiatry, and
- to express solidarity with the people whose lives it has damaged or destroyed.
Many people have a vague realization that psychiatry has a dark and
dubious past – lobotomies, eugenics, insulin comas, etc.. They may
mistakenly believe that its grotesque practices were abandoned a long time
ago. Unfortunately, that is not the case. (Mainstream) psychiatry is – in
several respects – just as dangerous and shameful as it was several
decades ago; its methods and instruments have merely become more sophisticated.
The harm and suffering caused by this institution – with its nonsensical ‘chemical
imbalance’ theories, its fraudulent drug trials, and its obscene practice of involuntary
incarceration – are incalculable.
It is impossible to do justice to this topic in a short leaflet. What follows are just key
important points. Follow the links/suggestions for more information if you want to
learn more. David Collins - David shares these leaflets every Saturday on the streets of Waterford. MindFreedom Ireland is very proud of David’s positive action. We would like to see more people like him all around our Irish towns and villages. If you should be inspired you can download this leaflet with David’s permission. When we celebrate our 20 anniversary in May we hope to do likewise. Hopefully, some members will continue to be inspired by David’s creative initiative.