Problem is David Oaks, President and Founder of MindFreedom has recovered from schizophrenia.
David Oaks from MindFreedom sent an email to the group list I’m on today sharing his experience when he called NPR today to try to be a guest caller on the show I mentioned in an earlier post today. What happended is unfortunately not surprising but it’s still very disturbing that someone at NPR who makes first contact with the public would be so horribly ignorant. David has actually been a guest on NPR in the past as well. So much for having an array of perspectives and experiences on a news program.
David’s email:
Classic. I called and called to do a call-in for NPR Talk of the Nation segment on author Ethan Watters. I managed to reach the screener. She said they wanted to talk to people who had been in the mental health system. I told her I had been diagnosed with “schizophrenia” decades ago, was concerned about spread of drug company and electroshock internationally, etc.
SHE REPLIED THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO RECOVER FROM ‘SCHIZOPHRENIA”….put me on hold… and it eventually got disconnected.Wow, proving my point.I’m retrieving my password to comment on their blog.
If anyone else wants to e-mail a civil comment of complaint, their email address is: talk@npr.org
David
You can read David’s comment about this on NPRs site and leave your own comment here.