The Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) opened its traveling exhibit in downtown St. Paul on Monday, drawing an excited crowd to the Nova Event Hall on St Peter St. The exhibit, titled "Psychiatry an Industry of Death," features 14 graphic panels and 13 short documentaries that expose historical and current abuses in the mental health field.
At the ribbon-cutting event, guest speakers detailed the abuses that occur with civil commitments, where patients are held against their will, drugged without informed consent, and subjected to other human rights violations. Dr. Patrice Nerad, the main speaker, called for the formation of a coalition to change Minnesota's civil commitment laws, ensuring patients are protected from harm in the name of help. The CCHR Minnesota chapter will assist Dr. Nerad in establishing and guiding this coalition.
CCHR, an international watchdog over the psychiatric industry since 1969, has worked to change legislation that curtails psychiatric advances into educational systems and society. The organization's most recent documentary links psychiatric drugs to violence in society, particularly mass shootings in schools and public events.
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 exhibit's presence in the Twin Cities underscores the ongoing debate over mental health practices and the need for reform to safeguard patient rights.
