Freedom Center | Support and Activism Community for People Labeled with "Mental Disorders"

Hearing Voices Group Tuesdays 4:30 in Holyoke

Submitted by admin on Mon, 03/19/2012 - 13:17.

Every Tuesday now, 4:30 to 6 PM at the Recovery Learning Center, 187 High St., Suite 303, Holyoke MA

Hearing Voices groups are popular and fairly widespread in Europe, especially England. Hearing Voices groups do not pathologize the experience of hearing voices or experiencing other altered states, instead they ask the voice hearer: What do the voices mean to you? Join us to get support from others with similar experiences! Co-sponsored by the Center for Human Development, RLC and the Freedom Center.

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Madness Radio New Timeslot: 4-5pm Tuesdays EST

Submitted by admin on Mon, 04/07/2008 - 19:51.

Thanks to everyone who has listened to, been a guest on, and helped make Madness Radio successful as we continue in our third year!

We have a new timeslot --

4-5pm Tuesdays on 103.3 FM www.valleyfreeradio.org

You can always listen online to the latest shows, to the archives, and subscribe via podcast at www.madnessradio.net or through the iTunes store.

Keep the madness rolling...

Will

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Freedom Center & Icarus Project Publish Coming Off Psychiatric Drugs Guide

Submitted by Will on Sun, 09/30/2007 - 14:06.

The Icarus Project and Freedom Center's 40-page guide gathers the best information we've come across and the most valuable lessons we've learned about reducing and coming off psychiatric medication. Includes info on mood stabilizers, anti-psychotics, anti-depressants, anti-anxiety drugs, risks, benefits, wellness tools, withdrawal, detailed Resource section, information for people staying on their medications, and much more.

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Free Weekly Acupuncture Clinic Mondays 4:30 Open to Public

Submitted by admin on Sat, 02/21/2009 - 03:38.

Freedom Center brings you FREE Auricular Acupuncture Clinic

Every MONDAY 430 pm -6pm Quaker Space, 43 Center St. left side entrance up stairs second floor downtown Northampton, MA

Map to Northampton clinic

Check out the Gazette article about our acupuncture clinic.

Download the general acupuncture information brochure about the clinics.

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Weekly Drop-In Support Group Thursdays

Submitted by admin on Sat, 02/21/2009 - 03:37.

Freedom Center holds support and advocacy meetings every Thursday 7:00 to 9:00pm
in downtown Northampton, 43 Center Street left side entrance up stairs second floor.

Our meetings are open to people labeled with mental disorders, survivors of psychiatric abuse, and people struggling with extreme states of consciousness/suffering. Allies and supporters willing to share their personal experiences are also welcome (mental health staff allies are welcome but should contact us first).

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Free Weekly Yoga Class Open to Community Mondays 7-8:30 PM

Submitted by admin on Sat, 02/21/2009 - 03:36.

We have free weekly yoga classes in downtown Northampton!

The class meets every monday 7:00 until 8:30pm, 32 Masonic Street back door, by the Woodstar Cafe. People arrive and settle in at 7:00, and there is time for questions and individual help before the class formally gets started at 7:15. Second class meets Thursdays ay 3:30 at FOrbes library, West Street.

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Writing Group Weds 2-3 pm

Submitted by chaya on Thu, 02/19/2009 - 16:44.

The new writing group is 2-3 on Wednesdays. AtWindhorse Associates:in Northampton (Market St turns into North St.)

This group is sponsored by Freedom Center, the RLC,
and Windhorse. I will be leading it with Dave Stark,
a hilarious and witty writer.

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Welcome

Submitted by admin on Wed, 02/21/2007 - 04:21.

Freedom Center is a support and activism community run by and for people labeled with severe 'mental disorders.' We call for compassion, human rights, self-determination, and holistic options. We create alternatives to the mental health system's widespread despair, abuse, fraudulent science and dangerous treatments.

"The Freedom Center is one of a collection of grassroots organizations springing up across the country in reaction to the prevalance of medication in America. It alerts people to the downside of psychiatric drugs but does not try to force people off them: it seeks instead to help sufferers find the best methods of coping, even if their solution is unconventional by the standards of the medical establishment."
Forbes magazine, Sept. 6, 2004 p.122

Freedom Center's goals are:

to end all force and coercion, including involuntary treatment and forced drugging;
to ensure access to resources such as housing is without strings and not conditional on treatment "compliance;"
to defend human rights and ensure protective laws and regulations are enforced;
to ensure all treatment decisions are based on true informed consent and accurate information about risks;
to change drugging as the medical standard of care for psychosis;
to end all psych drugging of children and offer alternatives instead;
to support effective alternatives such as nutrition, exercise, holistic health care, nature and animals;
to provide voluntary, non-paternalistic social supports such as peer-run programs, housing, income, and individual and family therapy;
to create Soteria House-style options;
to expose psychiatric and pharmaceutical industry myths, propaganda, and corruption;
to end wasteful bureaucracies and expensive professional elites;
to break the silence around trauma and abuse;
to end fear and misunderstanding of "madness" and extreme states of consciousness;
and to make common cause with progressive movements for social justice and ecological balance.

Also, download our general brochure (legal size paper) for info about us.

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