Judi Chamberlin (1944–2010)

An important book that any mental health professional, patient, ex-patient or person looking to understand the mental health system. Its from a 1970s POV, so its limited to the kind of perspective of a white, middle class, American woman but it still has a relevance today because little has changed in the 50 years since and something are worse. I had no idea that the author stayed in what I would now call a 'peer respite center' in 1975, 40 years before I knew of them and that is a crime against humanity that they are still considered 'radical'. It shows how psychiatry still doesn't understand the harms of any form of institutional psychiatry. There is no benevolent, benefical form, its just prison. And both of those result in people becoming institutional subjects. And mental patients are prisoners who have committed no crime and who have no recourse in any legitimate court. After their release, because of stigma, they are burdened with discrimination for the rest of their lives like prisoners.… (mais)