Citizens Commission on Human Rights of Florida (CCHR Florida)

As stated in our March 2, 2010 post, DSM V, fifth edition of The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is being worked on by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) for release in 2013.  The new categories and diagnosis being considered are not only useless, but harmful.  Dr. Irwin Feinberg and Dr. Allen Frances agree.  In an article published by The UBM Medica Psychiatric Time, Dr. Feinberg analogizes,

“A vital consideration we learn in medicine is that continuing life support for a moribund (being at the point of death) patient past a certain point is harmful to the lives of all concerned. We have reached that point with DSM5. (more…)

The DSM V, fifth edition of The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is being worked on by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) for release in 2013.  Again, they continue to sit around making up things as they go.  This must stop!  We need your support!

Comments from Dr. Dan Edmunds, psychologist, on the fraud of psychiatry’s bible (DSM V)

“The current revision process of the American Psychiatric Association regarding the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual is lacking in any objective science. It appears that the creation of new ‘disorders’ and the re-classification of some existent disorders are fueled by political machinations and not by any true desire to aid distressed persons. It is (more…)

The Florida State Senate reported, “in 1971, the Florida Legislature passed into law the ‘Florida Mental Health Act,’ also known as the ‘Baker Act’ (chapter 394 [part I], F.S.). This Act brought about a dramatic and comprehensive revision of Florida’s mental health laws…” (Florida State Senate 2009)

This drastically changed the process of involuntary commitment, (also known as civil commitment) and the civil rights of individuals in psychiatric facilities.  There have been several revisions to the Baker Act since then.  The goal was to increase outpatient psychiatric care and significantly decrease involuntary commitment.  Yet beginning July 2004 through June 2007 there had been 71 orders for outpatient commitment and 41,997 adults having two or more 72-hour holds for observation in psychiatric institutions under Florida’s civil commitment law. (Petrila and Christy 2009)

Florida has a population of approximately 19 million.  In contrast, the State of New York has a population of over 19 million and in the five years following their new statutes on the subject only 10,000 individuals were referred for outpatient care.  And of those 10,000, only 4,041 petitions were actually filed; and 93% of those were granted. (Appelbaum 2005) (more…)