The Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) opened its traveling exhibit "Psychiatry: An Industry of Death" in downtown St. Paul on Monday, drawing an excited crowd to the Nova Event Hall on St Peter St. The exhibit, featuring 14 graphic panels and 13 short documentaries, aims to reveal the history and current abuses in the mental health field, with a particular focus on civil commitment practices.
At the ribbon-cutting event, guest speakers detailed the human rights violations that occur in mental hospitals, including patients held against their will, drugged without informed consent, and subjected to other abuses. Dr. Patrice Nerad, the main speaker, called for the formation of a coalition to change Minnesota's civil commitment laws to protect patients from harm in the name of help. The CCHR Minnesota chapter will assist Dr. Nerad in establishing this coalition and guiding its purpose.
The exhibit's timing is significant, as it coincides with growing public concern over mental health practices and the role of psychiatric drugs in violent incidents. CCHR's most recent documentary, highlighted at the exhibit, lays out the cause of violence in society, particularly mass shootings in schools and public events, pointing to psychiatric drugs as a contributing factor.
CCHR has been an international watchdog over the psychiatric industry since 1969, working to change legislative bills that curtail psychiatric advances into educational systems and society. The organization was co-founded by professor of psychiatry Dr. Thomas Szasz and the Church of Scientology, and its commissioners include physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, lawyers, legislators, government officials, educators, and civil rights representatives.
The exhibit is part of a broader effort by CCHR to raise awareness and push for reforms. For more information, visit the CCHR website or watch documentaries on the work of CCHR volunteers in countries around the world and the film Psychiatry: An Industry of Death on the Scientology Network.
The call for a coalition in Minnesota reflects a growing movement to scrutinize involuntary commitments and ensure that patient rights are upheld. As the exhibit continues its tour, CCHR hopes to galvanize public support for legislative changes that would prevent abuses and promote ethical mental health care.
