Mind Aid 

                                           MIND AID
                          A MIND IS A BEAUTIFUL THING TO SAVE
                                           2130 Broadway Suite 2205
                                                New York, NY 10023
                                              212-787-1100 Ext. 2205
                                                 mindaid@aol.com

Mind Aid is a non-profit organization founded for the purpose of promoting
the concept of no-force alternative intervention for those in acutely
stressful traumatic situations exacerbated by nutritional deficiencies,
environmental threats, and spiritual crisis.  We are concerned that there
is a lamentable lack of services which respect the right of the "patient"
to informed consent and self-determination in their therapy and recovery
and which provide life-affirming, humane, and caring methodologies for the
betterment of the individual's condition.  We are concerned that
nutritional, herbal, and behavioral therapies are put on the back burner
while neuroleptic type drugs are freely given as a means to control the
symptoms of real problems which are often not even addressed in
institutions supposed to be designed to "treat" the so-called mental
illness.  We are concerned that behaviors which are common to the human
experience and are not biomedically based "illnesses" are being diagnosed
as disease, such as schizophrenia, multiple personality disorder,
manic-depression and ADD/ADHD among many other disorders described in the
APA's DSM (diagnostic statistics manual).  We are concerned that the
psychiatric industry pathologizes these common human behaviors in order to
create a market for mental "health" services and pharmaceutical products
which do not have any proven scientific basis as "treatments" for
"illnesses" which do not exist and which products do harm through horrific
side-effects which they invariably cause, often leading to disfigurement
and death.  We are concerned that society is oblivious of these facts for
the most part, having been fed examples by the media of extremely violent
steriotypes which are the exception and not the rule as models for mentally
ill persons,  and by its ignorance and misdirected fears propagates this
extreme psychiatric state, thereby providing a tool for social and
political control which is readily used and abused by a psychiatric
industry in which the public puts an inordinate amount of trust and which,
except for a few conscientious individuals, threatens each and every man,
woman, and child in today's world.  We are concerned that this trend will
continue if a concerted effort to stop it is not made forthwith through
coalitions of concerned activists, survivors, families and friends and
conscientious professionals joining in solidarity against the continuation
of these atrocities.  We are concerned that alternatives be developed and
implemented to compete with the psychiatric state on a large scale in order
to rescue people from forced drugging and electroshock treatments described
as torture by patients and conscientious professionals.

Mind Aid would like to see Peoples' Alternative Living Sanctuaries with
such alternative therapies developed throughout the country and throuthout
the world.  We envision the production of a National Mind Aid Television
Telethon for the purpose of taking this mission to the public sector, to
reveal the absence of a scientifically proven biomedical basis for the
psychiatric state and to provide testimony to the success of alternative
modalities such as meditation, proper pesticide-free nutrition, Yoga, Tai
Chi, massage, bio-feedback, behavioral talk therapy, re-education and life
skills development, safe housing and humane and caring staff members with
the best interests of the individual at heart.  Through this media event
contributions for projects would be raised from the viewers of the event to
fund the People's Alternative Living Sanctuary pilot project.

Contact Rita DiCarlo, founder, for further information about membership,
board positions, and other means of involvement in organizing and producing
the Mind Aid Project.   Lets put the Mind Aid Project on the MAP and
thereby map out our own futures as self-determined participants in the
human experience in all its diversity, physically and mentally.

name_______________________address________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

phone_______________________________fax__________________________

email_________________________basic membership $25 yr._________;friend of

Mind Aid $50 to $100_____________;Angel $150 to $250_______;Saint $300 to

$400______; Lifetime Member $500_________.Check made to Mind Aid.

Our first project is under way in Cranbrook, British Columbia.  We will be raising funds to build several log cabins on the property right away.  The area in which it is being developed is a small wilderness town.  The persons who own the land will be the overseers.  They are a couple who have had the personal experience of ECT memory loss in their own marriage.  Wendy lost all memory of her entire life, including her marriage and her childrens' births.  She and her husband, Dan, who remained together through all this crisis, had a son together named Conrad.  He is now eleven.  Memory wise, Wendy is only twelve years old at the age of 44.  

It is an incredible story. They have fallen in love all over  again. They are excited about forming the first Peoples' Alternative Living Sanctuary and Mind Aid Wellness Space.  We plan to build seven log cabins, a Peoples' Alternative Craft Space for crafts, etc., MAWS Mind Aid Wellness
Space for therapies such as music, aroma therapy, individual and group activities such as yoga, meditation, massage, hot tub, sauna, and eventually a pool if all goes as well as we hope.  

We plan to build solar heated green houses for growing our own organic produce as well. Wendy and Dan area already vegetarian.  Wendy plays piano at home and flute in the local
orchestra and Dan plays harmonica.  He says he is always sympathetic toward people coming to the BC who have stories about psych abuse.  He helps them out.  This is another way for him to continue to do just that.  They plan to use their talents for therapeutic purposes at PALS, BC. 

Fortunately there are no psychiatric hospitals for hundreds of miles and even the local hospital isn't open all the time.  Cranbrook was settled only one hundred years ago and is a beautifully pristine wilderness area.  They even have a health food with some organics in town.  Nearby we visited a mall where there was a vitamin store with a Gary Null book for sale.  There are lakes no
motorboat has touched with land which is still subject to squatters rights within easy driving distance.  There is also a natural Hot Spring and Banff is not a long distance away if anyone wants to ski.  Everyone in town knows about Wendy's experience and all are warmly supportive of her and all her activities.  Mind Aid is looking forward to developing this project and bringing Wendy's and Dan's dream into manifestation.  We plan to establish a small waystation in the Idaho panhandle strip which is weged into the Canadian Rockies not far from Cranbrook where Americans seeking help at PALS can have a residence just across the border where they can spend the appropriate amount of time necessary each year to maintain their American citizenship and whatever benefits they may have such as Social Security Disability etc. while they recover from psych abuse at PALS, BC.

Mind Aid is also building a network of professionals and survivors who are interested in working in the alternative mental wellness industry. Please have anyone who would like to be on our lists contact us at mindaid@aol.com and put PALS in the subject line along with the nature of the
inquiry ie. professional network, survivor network, PALS potential development site, etc. All inquiries will recieve a response.  

Opinions expressed in this web site do not necessarily reflect the views of NAMI Santa Cruz County, NAMI California or any affiliated organizations.  We attempt to present a balanced perspective on issues by presenting multiple viewpoints.

Copyright 2005 National Alliance for the Mentally Ill Santa Cruz County, All Rights Reserved.

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