Phoenix Rising
Periodical profile published 1980
http://www.psychiatricsurvivorarchives.com/phoenix.html
Publisher: On Our Own Editorial Collective, Toronto, Canada
Year Published: 1980
Pages: 38pp Resource Type: Serial Publication (Periodical)
Cx Number: CX2099
Abstract:
This magazine, published by a collective of psychiatric inmates, contains an article on the meaning and experience of being an inmate, including a psychiatric inmate. The article states that both prison and psychiatric inmates are deprived of many of the same civil and human rights - such as freedom of movement, the right to privacy and confidentiality, and the right to refuse any treatment or program. The article goes on to say that euphemisms such as "mental patient", "mental hospital" and "mental illness" obscure the facts that "mental hospitals" are psychiatric prisons and that psychiatric "treatment" is a form of social control over uncooperative or non-conforming people.
"Phoenix Pharmacy", an article on the phenothiazine drugs given to psychiatric inmates, lists the effects of the drugs - such as changes in the brain wave pattern, impaired thought and speech, and uncontrollable movement of part or all of the body. The article also points out that people often develop long term psychological and physical dependences or addictions to phenothiazines.
A companion piece explains why Smith, Kline and French, a multi-national drug manufacture, is being boycotted: it produces phenothiazines; it has failed to inform the public of the many dangerous effects of its phenothiazines; it makes huge profits; and it exploits third world people.
The magzine also reports on the success of the On Our Own collective fleamarket and used goods store, on involuntary detention in hospitals, and on books analyzing the prison system.
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