The Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) brought its traveling exhibit to the Twin Cities, opening at the Nova Event Hall in downtown St. Paul to a crowd of interested attendees. The exhibit, titled 'Psychiatry an Industry of Death,' comprises 14 graphic panels and 13 short documentaries that aim to expose historical and ongoing abuses within the mental health field. The opening event featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony and guest speakers who detailed the human rights violations that can occur during civil commitments, including patients being held against their will, drugged without informed consent, and subjected to other forms of mistreatment.
Dr. Patrice Nerad, the main speaker, called for the creation of a coalition to reform Minnesota's civil commitment laws, ensuring that patients are protected from harm under the guise of help. The CCHR Minnesota chapter will assist Dr. Nerad in establishing and guiding this coalition. This initiative underscores a growing concern about the balance between public safety and individual rights in mental health legislation.
CCHR has served as an international watchdog over the psychiatric industry since 1969, working to change legislation that curtails psychiatric influence in education and society. The organization's recent documentary focuses on the role of psychiatric drugs in violence, particularly mass shootings in schools and public venues. This exhibit comes at a time when mental health policies are under scrutiny, making the message particularly resonant.
For more information, visit the CCHR website, watch documentaries on the work of CCHR volunteers around the world, and view the film Psychiatry: An Industry of Death on the Scientology Network. The Citizens Commission on Human Rights was co-founded in 1969 by psychiatrist Dr. Thomas Szasz and the Church of Scientology. Its commissioners include physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, lawyers, legislators, and civil rights representatives, all driven by L. Ron Hubbard's commitment to abolishing damaging practices in mental health.
