CHANGE AGENTS
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| David Oaks |
Since
1976, David W. Oaks, Executive Director of Mindfreedom International, has been
an activist for human rights. Other than being an activist, Oaks is also a
psychiatric survivor. Oaks was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1955 with his
working class parents, who were immigrants from Lithuania. After graduating
high school, Oaks, despite undergoing some mental health care, continued his
education to Harvard University on a scholarship in the 1970’s. At this point
in his life during the mental health care, Oaks experienced what it means to be
in the psychiatric system by being placed in psychiatric institutions five
times throughout his sophomore, junior, and senior years at Harvard University.
This is significant to the work he contributes to in mental health care later
on in his life because he experiences what he is helping others deal with.
Personal experience is an important trait to have because of the understanding
and knowledge one will have with others that is in need of the same help. Oaks
was diagnosed with both “schizophrenic” and “bipolar” disorders. What more,
Oaks underwent forced psychiatric drugging and solitary confinement (http://www.mindfreedom.org/about-us/david-w-oaks
). Due to such sever treatment and
experience, there’s no wonder why Oaks would become an activist to that others can avoid such treatments and gain
proper mental health care. Many times, the greatest activists are those that
have also experienced what they are trying to prevent or help others with.
Despite the difficulties Oaks faced with mental treatment, Oaks has been off
psychiatric drugs since 1977 with the help and support of his friends and
family, and also with the use of exercise, nutrition, counseling, wilderness
trips and employment. With such tools, Oaks was able to restore his mental and
emotional well-being, which is exactly what he works at achieving for others
struggling with their mental health.
Furthermore, apart from his difficult past, the Mental
Patients Liberation Front (MPLF) was one of David’s first activisms later on in
his life. MPLF is a psychiatric survivor human rights organization where Oaks
volunteered. Later in life, Oaks helped
form one of the first user-run psychiatric survivor activist drop-in centers
with the Mental Patients Liberation Front (MPLF). As well as his activist work in the field of
human rights in the mental health system, Oaks has also worked in the
environmental, peace and social justice movements (http://www.mindfreedom.org/about-us/david-w-oaks).
To add to his involvments, Oaks has worked and researched on many issues
concerning mental health, such as “community organizes for independent systems
change in the mental health system” with a diverse range of participants,
including Chile, Norway, Ireland and throughout the United States of America. In
1986,
Oaks helped found what has become MindFreedom International; this is an
independent activist coalition united to win human rights and alternatives in
mental health. MindFreedom International is now one of the main organizations
winning campaigns for the vision of a peaceful revolution in the mental health
system (http://www.mindfreedom.org/about-us/david-w-oaks).
Too add, one of the community problems/social issues confronted
in life by David Oaks is the “Mad Pride” movement (MindFreedom), which is a
campaign that rejects the biomedical model that defines contemporary
psychiatry. According to “Mad Pride”, mental
illness is caused by severe emotional distress, often combined with lack of
socialization. However, “Mad Pride” does not agree with the use and sale of
prescription drugs, which have doubled since 1998 (Davis, 2003). Oaks believes that
there is no evidence to dispute the medical-scientific model of mental illness.
Oaks also stresses that he does have self-reflect evidence about his recovery
from mental illness, often accomplished by not taking medication. “Boycott
Normal” is one the latest campaign by MindFreedom International to show there
is hope for those given psychiatric labels that often use when those found to
have mental health issues are prescribed medications. There is life after labels,
and life after psychiatric drugging, which Oaks works to help others find as he
did. (http://www.mindfreedom.org/campaign/boycott-normal).
Campaigns, like “Mad Pride” give young people hope, because it also helps them
understand that who they are is not determined by their mental disorder, our
mentality should not define who they are. Such campaigns, like “Mad Pride”
bring awareness to the psychiatric drug usage in the United States. What Oaks
and campaigns like “Mad Pride” try to convey is that medication is not always
the answer for one’s problems. What Oaks represent through his personal mental health
struggles and life work is that there is help out there and this is why social
workers work for, to help others become more aware of social issues happening
in our world.
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| Nawal Nour |
Aside
from David Oaks, another important activist and founder of the African Women’s
Health Center, physician, and an advocate for the elimination of female
circumcision is Nawal Nour. Nour is originally from Sudan and has been
aware of this cultural practice since her childhood. Female genital cutting is certainly a
community problem because of the dangers to women’s health and well-being in
its physical and mental damage it poses, and Dr. Nour sees it as both a health
and human rights issue.
Nour stated that about 170,000
girls and women in the United States are "at risk" or have undergone
female genital cutting, even though it was outlawed by Congress in 1997
(Mehren,2004). According to the World Health Organization, about 140 million
girls and women worldwide has either already undergone some form of female
genital excision or will have before reaching adulthood. Nour launched the
African Women's Health Practice at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital in
1999, and won a MacArthur "genius" fellowship to help her continue
the work of helping women who have undergone female genital cutting and spread
awareness of the health risks of such practices in the past year (Mehren,
2004). Nour found herself
increasingly involved in the lives of refugees while educating and spreading
awareness of the health risks of this tradition, from Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan
and other countries where female circumcision was common. She heard stories
about African women in the United States who refused to seek medical treatment
because doctors here either were horrified or turned the women into teaching
objects. Much like Oaks spreading awareness of other possibilities to mental
health other than through medications, Dr. Nour is fighting to raise awareness
for African women on getting health care after having the genital cutting done,
and also to bring awareness of the health factors and dangers of such a
tradition. With awareness, this tradition can be reconsidered by others in the
communities that follow such a tradition, thus preventing any more health risks
to other women.
Moreover, Dr. Nour educates women
who have been circumcised and their partners and lets them know that reconstruction
is available and the procedures that they would go through. It is important to make these women feel comfortable
by building a relationship with them, because women could then share anything
pertaining to this issue and also because of her familiarity with the cultural
traditions. Dr. Nour is changing the
thoughts of pregnant African women circumcising their daughters at such an
early age, which is not only widely supported, but also demonstrates how Nour
is an activist for human rights. It is important that this serious human rights
issue that has been going on for so many years stops, because this is degrading
women.
To add, domestic violence is a
social issue that actually hits close to home for me because of the verbal
domestic violence at home for the past 6 years.
Domestic violence can be defined as a pattern of behavior in any
relationship that is used to gain or maintain power and control over an
intimate partner. (http://www.thehotline.org/get-educated/what-is-domestic-violence/)
My father had verbally abused me and my family since we immigrated to the
United States in 2002. He was incarcerated and deported for this. This was a
very difficult and life affecting time in my life. Much like Nour and very much
like Oaks, being personal exposed and involved in an issue others face makes me
drive to helping others, especially having experienced it myself.
Besides my personal concern for
domestic violence, according to domestic violence statistics in 2010, domestic
violence is the leading cause of injury in women more than car accidents,
muggings, and rapes combined. In the United States alone every 9 seconds a
women is assaulted or beaten. It is important to support these women in all
aspects, psychologically, mentally and physically; because women could then feel
safe and confident to share their experiences and move on with their lives. I
strongly feel that my personal experience can help me with guiding others in
the right direction because of the understanding I have in relations to similar
struggles.
Much like the activists previously
mentioned, some of my personal strengths that lead me to have strong leadership
skills are that I am motivated, sympathetic, sensitive and non-judgmental. I
strongly believe that I am an advocate for social justice. Like Oaks and Nour, I am always willing to fight for the client’s
rights because we are all created equal. Also, being an immigrant, having a
disabled brother, and having a mother who was a victim of domestic violence,
had a huge impact on my decision to become a social worker.
Overall, this change agents assignment
has helped me explore and obtain a better understanding of the great work that
these two activists have done for our society. It is also important to be
committed, compassionate, considerate and dedicated in order to be able to make
a change in our world. Without people
like Dr. Nour and David Oaks, this world would never change for the
better. It gives hope to the ones who
are struggling because there is hope for a better way. Every type of abuse should be addressed and
work towards in ending, including domestic violence, which should not happen to
anybody. Unfortunately, issues like domestic violence do occur, and when it
does, there is help, which I hope to be a part of. (http://www.domesticviolence.org/)
Worked
Cited
Davis,
David. (2003). Losing the Mind: David Oaks and Others in the ‘Mad Pride’
Movement Believe Drugs Are Being Overused in Treating Mental Illness, and They
Want the Abuse to Stop. Los Angeles
Times Sunday Magazine, Retrieved from http:// www.latimes.com
Mehren,
Elizabeth. (2004). Patients Embrace Culturally Sensitive Care. Los Angeles
Times. Retrieved from http://articles.latimes.com/2004/jun/02/nation/na-doc2
Mindfreedom
International. About David W. Oaks, Mindfreedom International Executive
Director. Retrieved from http://www.mindfreedom.org/about-us/david-w-oaks
Mindfreedom
International. Mindfreedom Launches Campaign to “Boycott Normal”. Retrieved
from http:// http://www.mindfreedom.org/campaign/boycott-normal
Mindfreedom
International. About David W. Oaks, Mindfreedom International Executive
Director.
Retrieved from http://www.recoveryxchange.org/DavidOaks.html
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