MindFreedom Alert:
Montana State Hospital Forces Woman to Take Powerful Psychiatric Drug
Tracy McKee Needs You to Contact Montana Governor!
A few days ago, Tracy McKee phoned the MindFreedom office about a
complaint that is getting all too common:
Montana State Hospital is holding Tracy against her will, and forcing
her to take powerful psychiatric drugs against her will. For years,
MindFreedom International has received a half dozen similar complaints
about Montana State Hospital forcibly drugging and holding citizens
for long lengths of time.
According to reliable sources, Tracy McKee is a 42-year-old female
currently locked up on the Forensic Unit at Montana State Hospital on
a 90 day psychiartric commitment order. She is being forcibly injected
with the psychiatric neuroleptic drug Zyprexa supposedly to get her
"fit to proceed" in a criminal charge of felony burglary and
misdemeanor theft.
Tracy family has a history of diabetes, and Zyprexa is known to
exacerbate or induce diabetes. She has identified herself as
claustrophobic, but is being housed in a solitary confinement area
"for observation."
Tracy has experienced homeless in her life, and she told MindFreedom,
"I've come a long way and I don't want to be pushed backward into
homelessness and helplessness." Tracy said she has asked for
counseling and other non-drug alternatives, but none have been provided.
~~~~~~~
ACTION ACTION ACTION
How YOU can help in a few moments, show Tracy she is not alone.
Phone and/or use this web comment form to send a strong but civil
message to the Montana Governor Brian D. Schweitzer.
Phone: 406-444-3111
Web comment form:
http://governor.mt.gov/
~~~~~~~
Sample message -- your own words are best:
Dear Governor Brian D. Schweitzer:
I understand from a MindFreedom alert on the web, that Tracy McKee is
a 42-year-old locked up in Montana State Hospital. The alert says she
is being forced to take powerful psychiatric drugs against her will.
She's not been offered any talk therapy even when she asked for it.
Please investigate.
~~~~~~~
PLEASE FORWARD THIS ALERT to all who are interested.
~~~~~~~
More information about Tracy's story at Montana State Hospital:
Tracy's daily activities are disturbed, including the ability to
sleep, because the lights are on 24/7, and she is under constant
surveillance from cameras in the room.
She talks to the cameras because she knows there are people watching,
and she says she is communicating with the staff behind the cameras,
but she is being labeled as "psychotic" for doing so.
Tracy says she has experienced trauma from homelessness.
She entered a local church at night through a window in order to get
out of the elements. There was some vandalism in the church. Police
apprehended her, and she was held in a county jail for approximately
five weeks prior to psychiatric institutionalization. She was not on
any psychiatric drugs while in the county jail and was never offered
any.
She improved when she was in the general population at the jail and
not isolated. The mental evaluation at Montana State Hospital was
recommended by a mental health professional (MHP) who saw her at the
jail. The MHP questioned her ability to defend herself against the
charges and said she was "insightless" and "refused necessary
psychotropic medication." She was sent to the psychiatric institution
without the ability to defend herself in court and without a hearing.
It was called an "emergency."
Ms. McKee believes she needs treatment for acute and long-term trauma
induced by homelessness, as well as by the treatment she has received
at Montana State Hospital and from other mental health providers.
Because she is being involuntarily medicated with intramuscular (IM)
Zyprexa, she is fighting back in the only ways she can. For this, she
fears she has been labeled "violent and aggressive," which will limit
her ability to obtain transitional services in the community.
In reality, she says, she has never been in a fight in her life other
than when psychiatric staff forcibly medicate her.
Ms. McKee alleges there is a history of diabetes in her family, and
she is very anxious and afraid of the weight gain and type II diabetes
side effects of Zyprexa. She alleges neither her psychiatrist nor any
other professional visits with her on any kind of a regular basis
about any of her medications, and they certainly do not provide
"therapeutic treatment" or counseling.
In the limited amount of time spent with Tracy by any of the staff, it
is only to tell her that she must accept the IM Zyprexa to avoid the
ensuing physical altercation, restraint and locked solitary confinement.
The day before she was apprehended and sent to jail. Ms. McKee learned
she has been approved for Social Security Disability. For the first
time in 10 years, she will have a means of support. She will also
receive Medicaid with which she can get much -needed medical
attention. Tracy says is unfortunate that help was not available to
her earlier, and it is not available to her while institutionalized.
She says all she wants is the opportunity to leave the psychiatric
institution, whether that be to a transition program or her own
apartment, and to demonstrate that she is capable of living on her
Social Security benefits, staying out of trouble and living a life of
her own choosing. If she cannot leave the psychiatric institution,
now, she wants the forced psychiatric drugging to stop because she is
not a danger to herself or others and never has been.
Tracy McKee Needs You to Contact Montana Governor!
A few days ago, Tracy McKee phoned the MindFreedom office about a
complaint that is getting all too common:
Montana State Hospital is holding Tracy against her will, and forcing
her to take powerful psychiatric drugs against her will. For years,
MindFreedom International has received a half dozen similar complaints
about Montana State Hospital forcibly drugging and holding citizens
for long lengths of time.
According to reliable sources, Tracy McKee is a 42-year-old female
currently locked up on the Forensic Unit at Montana State Hospital on
a 90 day psychiartric commitment order. She is being forcibly injected
with the psychiatric neuroleptic drug Zyprexa supposedly to get her
"fit to proceed" in a criminal charge of felony burglary and
misdemeanor theft.
Tracy family has a history of diabetes, and Zyprexa is known to
exacerbate or induce diabetes. She has identified herself as
claustrophobic, but is being housed in a solitary confinement area
"for observation."
Tracy has experienced homeless in her life, and she told MindFreedom,
"I've come a long way and I don't want to be pushed backward into
homelessness and helplessness." Tracy said she has asked for
counseling and other non-drug alternatives, but none have been provided.
~~~~~~~
ACTION ACTION ACTION
How YOU can help in a few moments, show Tracy she is not alone.
Phone and/or use this web comment form to send a strong but civil
message to the Montana Governor Brian D. Schweitzer.
Phone: 406-444-3111
Web comment form:
http://governor.mt.gov/
~~~~~~~
Sample message -- your own words are best:
Dear Governor Brian D. Schweitzer:
I understand from a MindFreedom alert on the web, that Tracy McKee is
a 42-year-old locked up in Montana State Hospital. The alert says she
is being forced to take powerful psychiatric drugs against her will.
She's not been offered any talk therapy even when she asked for it.
Please investigate.
~~~~~~~
PLEASE FORWARD THIS ALERT to all who are interested.
~~~~~~~
More information about Tracy's story at Montana State Hospital:
Tracy's daily activities are disturbed, including the ability to
sleep, because the lights are on 24/7, and she is under constant
surveillance from cameras in the room.
She talks to the cameras because she knows there are people watching,
and she says she is communicating with the staff behind the cameras,
but she is being labeled as "psychotic" for doing so.
Tracy says she has experienced trauma from homelessness.
She entered a local church at night through a window in order to get
out of the elements. There was some vandalism in the church. Police
apprehended her, and she was held in a county jail for approximately
five weeks prior to psychiatric institutionalization. She was not on
any psychiatric drugs while in the county jail and was never offered
any.
She improved when she was in the general population at the jail and
not isolated. The mental evaluation at Montana State Hospital was
recommended by a mental health professional (MHP) who saw her at the
jail. The MHP questioned her ability to defend herself against the
charges and said she was "insightless" and "refused necessary
psychotropic medication." She was sent to the psychiatric institution
without the ability to defend herself in court and without a hearing.
It was called an "emergency."
Ms. McKee believes she needs treatment for acute and long-term trauma
induced by homelessness, as well as by the treatment she has received
at Montana State Hospital and from other mental health providers.
Because she is being involuntarily medicated with intramuscular (IM)
Zyprexa, she is fighting back in the only ways she can. For this, she
fears she has been labeled "violent and aggressive," which will limit
her ability to obtain transitional services in the community.
In reality, she says, she has never been in a fight in her life other
than when psychiatric staff forcibly medicate her.
Ms. McKee alleges there is a history of diabetes in her family, and
she is very anxious and afraid of the weight gain and type II diabetes
side effects of Zyprexa. She alleges neither her psychiatrist nor any
other professional visits with her on any kind of a regular basis
about any of her medications, and they certainly do not provide
"therapeutic treatment" or counseling.
In the limited amount of time spent with Tracy by any of the staff, it
is only to tell her that she must accept the IM Zyprexa to avoid the
ensuing physical altercation, restraint and locked solitary confinement.
The day before she was apprehended and sent to jail. Ms. McKee learned
she has been approved for Social Security Disability. For the first
time in 10 years, she will have a means of support. She will also
receive Medicaid with which she can get much -needed medical
attention. Tracy says is unfortunate that help was not available to
her earlier, and it is not available to her while institutionalized.
She says all she wants is the opportunity to leave the psychiatric
institution, whether that be to a transition program or her own
apartment, and to demonstrate that she is capable of living on her
Social Security benefits, staying out of trouble and living a life of
her own choosing. If she cannot leave the psychiatric institution,
now, she wants the forced psychiatric drugging to stop because she is
not a danger to herself or others and never has been.
1 comment:
Done.
Thanks for posting.
Duane
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