David Oaks facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David William Oaks
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David William Oaks, 2009
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| Born | September 16, 1955 |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Harvard University, St. Ignatius College Prep |
| Occupation | revolutionary consultant |
| Years active | 47 |
| Known for | Psychiatric Survivor Human Rights |
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Notable work
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Co-founder and former Executive Director of MindFreedom International |
| Movement | psychiatric survivors movement |
David William Oaks was born on September 16, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois. He is a civil rights activist. He also helped start and used to lead an organization called MindFreedom International, which is based in Eugene, Oregon.
Contents
David Oaks' Work and Activism
David Oaks helped create MindFreedom International. This group includes people who have experienced mental health challenges, often called "psychiatric survivors," and some doctors. They don't agree with the idea that all mental health issues are just about brain chemistry.
Instead, they believe that strong emotional upset, especially when people feel alone, can cause mental distress. They are concerned that too many people are given prescription medicines for these issues. They also speak out against a treatment called ECT, or electroshock, because they believe it can go against people's human rights.
Oaks has said that some mental health medicines can make people feel weak or have bad side effects. He believes that people can get better without these medicines. He has protested against drug companies and even gone on hunger strikes. He wanted proof that medicines could fix "chemical imbalances" in the brain.
David Oaks has called for big changes in the mental health system. He wants a peaceful "revolution" to make things better.
David Oaks' Personal Journey
In the 1970s, while studying at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, David Oaks was in a hospital and given medicine he didn't want. Doctors said he had schizophrenia. He has shared that he got better by choosing not to take the medicines. He also found support from his family and friends.
To stay mentally healthy, Oaks uses exercise, eats well, talks with others who understand his experiences, and goes on trips into nature. These ways of staying well are different from what many doctors suggest. He also served on the board of directors for the United States International Council on Disability.
On December 2, 2012, David Oaks had an accident. He fell from a ladder, broke his neck, and became paralyzed. After this, he stepped down from his role as the leader of MindFreedom in December 2012.
Awards and Recognitions
David Oaks has received several awards and honors for his important work. The United States International Council on Disability has listed some of them:
- In 1994, he received the David J. Vail National Advocacy Award from the National Mental Health Association of Minnesota.
- He won a Project Censored award in 2000.
- In 2002, he got the Distinguished Achievement Award from the International Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology.
- He received the Barrier Awareness Day Leadership Award in 2003.
- Utne Reader magazine named him one of "50 Visionaries" in 2009.
- He received an award from the Lane Independent Living Alliance in 2011.
See also
- Anatomy of an Epidemic
- Psychiatric survivors movement
- Anti-psychiatry
- Rethinking Madness
- Judi Chamberlin
- Peter Lehmann
- Involuntary commitment
