November 19, 2007

Fascism Advocacy Center

Someone using the handle I Am The Brain has recently begun a new blog called the Fascism Advocacy Center, a clear reference to Fuller Torrey's Treatment Advocacy Center which advocates for laws to force powerful, unsafe medications upon people diagnosed with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. As you might expect, Brain spends a good bit of time flaying TAC and Torrey as well as the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), an advocacy group/pharma front Torrey founded in the 1980s and, then, later broke with because he felt they weren't pushing hard enough for forced medication of free Americans. The blog is a mix of satire and serious analysis.

Among patients, Torrey is the most controversial figure in psychiatry and is routinely denounced as evil. The media still regularly quotes Torrey, who believes, among other things, that cat feces cause schizophrenia and that anyone diagnosed with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder is inherently violent (regardless of data that says they are no more prone to violence than the general population). Torrey's group regularly twists studies and statistics to make their point, and they are very influential with lawmakers in some states. Among non-NAMI advocacy groups, Torrey is also viewed as evil, or so I am told by people affiliated with these groups. Why they won't say so publicly is beyond me.

I have written many times about TAC and Torrey. If you are interested, you can read those posts here.

Posted by Philip Dawdy at November 19, 2007 12:01 AM
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Torrey, who runs the $$$ Stanley Research Foundation, did one good thing that I know of - when asked for a quote for a Baltimore Sun story in March, 2003, exposing for the first time the risks of diabetes, hyperglycemia, and death that Zyprexa poses, said quite clearly that the drugs were very dangerous. One point for him for that.

My daughter went to see his partner, who focuses on bipolar research (?) at the Foundation and also has a practice, and discovered that she had run into a Dr. Mean. The guy never smiled, showed empathy, and was not sucessful with my daughter.

He made me shudder. Dr. Torrey has been around a long time and does have his advocates. I am no longer one of them.

Posted by: Turkey at November 19, 2007 05:10 AM

iamthebrain, I salute you. I put the Fascism Advocacy Center on my "favourites" list. I really hope you push this to the edge. If the Nazis at TAC ever try to shut you down, your blog traffic will go through the roof. Really good job.

Posted by: Francesca Allan at November 19, 2007 07:51 AM

Wow, I was just talking with a friend about how NAMI members should advocate forced treatment for themselves since they obviously have the smi gene they passed to their victims (uh children), and now here's FAC recommending that NAMI siblings be sterilized...a further and indeed necessary step.

Posted by: Sally at November 19, 2007 02:22 PM

The Stanley Foundation is working on a slow release Haldol disk that can be implanted under the skin,[like the birth control disk] for [in my opinion] back up of:

1. Fuller Torrey's claim that Haldol is an "anti viral medication" which, as we now know he blames SZ on the airborne virus in cat shit.

2. Forced, "outpatient" "treatment" looks easy when the disk of Haldol not only "helps" SZ, but in his opinion, can help "prevent it".

What is next? a tattoo on the forehead?

Posted by: Stephany at November 20, 2007 06:39 PM

Turkey, that man is the only one I've ever met who gave me the creeps. I know that sounds flammatory, but after I heard and saw him speak in person, I ran, I did not walk--toward the exit.

Posted by: Stephany at November 20, 2007 06:41 PM

Stephany said "What is next? a tattoo on the forehead?"

What about a yellow star?

Posted by: Francesca Allan at November 21, 2007 08:46 AM

I have no doubt that TAC is watching FAC. Do you suppose TAC will ever post a comment?

Posted by: Francesca Allan at November 22, 2007 08:15 AM

It's possible the TAC might try to post a comment on the FAC blog - they have commented on other ex-patients' blogs in the past - though I think it's kind of unlikely. I remember once someone from the TAC posted a comment on "The Trouble With Spikol" in response to a comment posted by someone else. Another time there were a couple comments from TAC supporters (people who said they benefitted from forced treatment) on the "Charlottesville Prejudice Watch." But I think they probably wouldn't want to comment on something that mocks them so directly.

Posted by: Kent at November 23, 2007 12:13 PM

These people usually jam opposing sites using techy techniques. They don't actually debate the issues because they can't.

These people advocate cruel and unusual punishment with drugs and electricity and surgery and all without a hint of due process of law. The mere accusation that someone has a thought can send him to a mental prison where his body and mind will be mangled and his assets seized. Tory and his lot are enemies of America.

How can this be happening?

Posted by: Jana at November 25, 2007 04:50 PM
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