People on psych drugs are "consumer leaders"

The NAMI Convention  is now well underway in Chicago. Holistic types seem thin on the ground. While a convention always has an impressive list of speakers and corporate goodwill, are people missing a very fundamental point here, that all the meds and all the institutional "help" can get in the way of cure. Most people I have corresponded with over the years about their mental health have told me that recovery happens off the drugs, and is a very personal story of coming to grips with yourself. My feeling is that a lot of people get lost in the bureaucracy of health care and that becomes the on-going story. Never enough money, the wrong medications, the side effects from the medications, trouble with the insurance company, problems with social housing. The professionals are in charge of the game and making a living from it. I might feel reassured by all the convention hoopla if statistics bore out that vast numbers of people are getting better using all those new drugs and hospital and recovery programs.  Success favors the individual who makes it his or her business to recover.

From the NAMI Convention agenda

1:30pm-5:00pm    Ask the Doctor Sessions and “ASK US”

(A chance to ask questions of top researchers and clinicians sharing work underway to treat and defeat mental illness. You’ll also have the chance to hear important perspectives from our consumer leaders.)

For the record, here is a PARTIAL LIST OF PAST EXHIBITORS AT NAMI NATIONAL CONVENTION (A - M only). The full list is found here.

3dASAP Promotional Solutions
Abbott
Abraham Low Self-help Systems
Allsup
American Psychiatric Nurses Association
American Psychiatric Association
American Psychological Association
Anne Sippi Clinic Adult Community Services
Astrazeneca Pharmaceuticals
Behavioral Tech, LLC
Borderline Personality Disorder Resource Center
bp Magazine and Esperanza
Bristol-Myers Squibb
California Association of Marriage & Family Therapists
Cenpatico
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Changing Options, Inc.
College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists
Consortium on the Genetics of Schizophrenia (COGS)
CooperRiis: A Healing Community
Cyberonics, Inc.
Defense Centers of Excellence
Disability Rights Section, U.S. Department of Justice
Dominion Hospital
EmFinders
FDA Office of Women’s Health
Fred Friendly Seminars, Inc.
GlaxoSmithKline
Gould Farm
Hanbleceya Treatment Center
Harmony Behavioral Health
Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center
Hazelden Publishing & Education Services
Hopewell
Institute of Living/Hartford Hospital
International Center for Clubhouse Development
Irwin Foundation
Janssen, Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Johns Hopkins University
Keffer Software Products, Inc.
Lakewood Center
Lilly
Magellan Health Services
Maguire Publications
Maryland Psychiatric Research Center
McGraw Systems
McLean Hospital
McNeil Pediatrics
MedicAlert Foundation
Meehl Foundation
Menninger Clinic
Mennonite Media Productions
Mental Health Co-op
Merry Meadow Farm
Mytherapysession.com

and

Here is a list of NAMI donors and amounts for 1st Quarter 2011

Bristol-Myers Squibb Campaign for a Better Tomorrow $100,000

Bristol-Myers Squibb NAMI Family to Family Education Program $62,500

Bristol-Myers Squibb NAMI Corporate Supporter Membership $25,000

The George Cohee Foundation General Donation $6,034.00

The Susan Stein Shiva Foundation General Donation $5,000.00

Anonymous General Donation $200,000.00

Anonymous General Donation $200,000.00

Allsup, Inc. HelpLine $25,000.00

Pfizer Multicultural Action Center $10,000.00

Bristol-Myers Squibb Campaign for a Better Tomorrow $100,000

Bristol-Myers Squibb NAMI Family to Family Education Program $62,500

Pfizer Treatment Access Education and Outreach Project $25,000.00

Pamlab Corporate Supporter Membership $35,000.00

Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceutica NAMI Beginnings $60,000.00

Shire Child & Adolescent Action Center $150,000.00

Pfizer Campaign for a Better Tomorrow $25,000.00

The Van Ameringen Foundation Parents & Teacher as Allies $45,000.00

$1,136,034

Major Foundation and Corporate Contributions Registry

TOTAL: $2,084,568