FVZA Colonel

Hello FVZA Colonel. I know you're probably gonna hate me for this, but I was flipping through the history of the Chemical imbalance talk page and I came upon these two paragraphs, the second of which I realize you meant to delete:

Sure, mention it, by all means. But please don't do what the pro-psychiatry editors do which is attempt to paint all anti-psychiatrists as scientologists. Scientologists are minor players in the fight to question biomedical (and often forced) psychiatry but they do get a lot of press because of Tom Cruise, etc. Francesca Allan of MindFreedomBC 01:26, 22 November 2005 (UTC)

- ::"Biomedical (and often forced) psychiatry?" Ms. Allan, I have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I have known I have had it since about the tenth grade (I am now 19, and in my first year of college), and have been taking medication for it. No one forced me to take it: not my parents, not the doctor who I discussed this with. In fact, he counseled me against seeking it out immediately, and instead that I ought to work with these issues through various other forms of treatment, one of which I call "confrontation therapy": forcing myself to confront the issues that are causing me such distress, till I get to the point that they no longer cause me any concern. Those, however, were ultimately unsuccessful (though, I should clarify, not totally), and I initiated discussions about medication with him. To see you brandish about the phrase "forced drugging" is simply insulting, both to imply that I, someone who takes medication, was coerced, and to my doctor, someone I know to be a good man, would do something like this, or is part of a profession that, by and large, attempts to do this. FVZA_Colonel 13:38, 3 May 2006 (UTC)

Now again, I realize you probably didn't mean for anyone to stumble upon this paragraph, but due to the way Wikipedia works, it is out there for anyone to read if they are looking around like I was. And I just couldn't help it, I had to respond, even if I can't and shouldn't do so on the chemical imbalance talk page. First of all, Francesca said OFTEN forced, not ALWAYS forced. I actually have met many people labeled mentally ill who are quite happy with their medications, and I think most of them chose to do so themselves. But there are exceptions, such as myself. Here is my story, which I have also posted on the chemical imbalance talk page, but I wanted to make sure YOU read it, and maybe you can see how others of us have had a quite different experience:

"Hello, I just thought I'd add to this discussion by relating some of my own experiences with the mental health system. I was recently very moved by an article by Francesca Allan of MindFreedomBC, where she said

   ...Doesn't it concern you that I was locked up and force drugged and electroshocked, all 
   on the basis of cutting edge psychiatric theories? That I was later coerced into taking 
   four or five psychotropic medications? That I was told I had an incurable brain disorder
   and when I questioned this declaration I was accused of 'lack of insight' and made an  
   involuntary patient? I am not alone. There are thousands of us who have been terribly 
   harmed by this euphemistically described 'lack of precision.' Some have been killed by 
   psychiatry." 

Well ok, so I wasn't killed by psychiatry. And I wasn't subjected to electroshock, (although I can't immagine what it was like for Francesca to go through with that, assuming she wasn't in agreement at the time with them using it on her.) I can however, confirm that they will force drug you. As in, you object to the meds and they throw you on a table, hold you down, and inject you with the "cure."

The nurse came with my meds one night (risperidol) and I told her (these were, I believe, my exact words) that I would like to have a "philisophical discussion with her" about whether or not I should have to take the risperidol. We did talk for a while, but she soon grew tired of the conversation (I'm sure she had a lot of other things to do, really) so she gave me a choice. Take the pills or get an injection against my will. Instead of chosing one or another, I said that we should continue our discussion untill we could reach an agreement, and presented the obvious alternate choice wherin she realize that she didn't have to make me take the meds in any form (although in truth I can't really say if this was a "choice" available to the nurse since she would probably have to answer to her supperiors.) Instead of continuing the discussion, she called security. Three men in uniforms showed up promptly, guided me to my bed (ok I lied it wasn't a table) pushed me down onto it, and injected me in the butt with a liquid form of the drug risperidol (yes, this is the correct location for injecting risperidol. Trust me, I know.)

When they finally released me from the hospital after a month of trying different drugs and stuff, I was put on a commitment for six months. This meant that for six months I had no choice but to get injected, yes, in the butt, with risperidol every two weeks. Otherwise I would be sent back to the hospital and locked up again, and injected (in the butt) with risperidol if I continued to dissagree with treatment. Also, and you really won't believe this part, but part of the commitment terms stated that me, a twenty one year old at the time, I had to live at my mom's house (I couldn't even stay with my dad overnight. (parents divorced) I get along better with him, but I think the medical people didn't like the idea that my dad didn't like the idea of them forcing drugs on me. Seriously.) I had to, get this, be home at my mom's house by 8PM every night, and couldn't leave untill 8AM the next morning. So much for my social life. There were other violations of my rights that I won't mention at the moment. Risperidol has documented side effects, many of which I experienced over those six months. I gained 30 pounds, slept about 12 hrs a night, and felt a lot slower, physically and mentally (all common side effects.) I could have developed tardive dyskinesia, a permanent and currently INCURRABLE neurological dissorder, from the meds. Luckly I didn't.

After the six months were over, the county tried to have the commitment extended, and my father and I took it to court. Luckly the jury saw through the prosecution's arguments that I was unable to make my own decisions regarding health care, and the commitment was ended. I then, with the help of my psychiatrist, slowly weaned off of the meds. (If you wean off too fast there is a VERY good chance of having very unfun withdrawal symptoms/relapse.)

I feel much better now (off the meds), am sleeping well, have re-lost those 30 pounds, and have not relapsed. Oh, and my social life made a full recovery. :-D --I will be attending UW Madison in the fall, and will keep you guys updated if I do happen to relapse, although even my psychiatrist says that the fact I've been doing so well so far seriously calls into question the diagnosis of schizophrenia in the first place.

Ok guys, one other thing before I sign off... sorry for making this entry so long! I don't know if that makes it a canditate for deletion, but if someone wants me to shorten it up a bit (or a lot) I could do so. Also it would be cool to hear about other peoples' experiences with the mental health system! Ok, so thanks for considering my story! Feel free to post questions about it here, or to contact me directly on my user page.-- MeEricYay August 29 2006"

That's what I wrote. I hope you find some insight from it, and feel free to write me back. MeEricYay 05:57, 1 September 2006 (UTC)

Auschwitz

Hi there; I do hope you won't mind, but in the talk page on this article, I have moved your contribution of Septemder 20 to below mine of August. The sequence makes better sense, and I am sure that that is where you meant to place it. If I am wrong tell me, and I'll change it back.--Anthony.bradbury 19:38, 20 September 2006 (UTC)