In two pages write about 4 discussions separately. About one or two paragraphs each. Discussion 1: Go to Mad in America, a site founded by Robert Whitaker that contains excellent information on contemporary psychiatry. Do a site search on “electroshock,” find an article you like, read it, and write a short entry describing the article you just read and how it relates to Ms. Ellies’ story. https://www.madinamerica.com/ Discussion 2: To prepare for this topic’s journal entry, watch this brief TED talk by Elyn Saks. TED talks are talks given by experts in various fields, and being invited to give a TED talk is a great honor. The moment when Saks describes the humiliation of being put in restraints, and the comment a colleague makes later about how people with mental illness don’t really notice the pain, is very striking. What feelings does this evoke in you? https://www.ted.com/talks/elyn_saks_a_tale_of_mental_illness_from_the_inside Discussion 3: Write a paragraph to share your thoughts on this topic’s videos and psychiatric compliance in general. Think of the pervasive way in which people with mental disorders are treated as incompetent and unable to determine their lives. Do you have direct experience of seeing a mentally ill person treated with disrespect (reading about it counts)? What do you think of it? Have you encountered circumstances in which you have felt powerless to decide that was best for you, even though it was your life that was at stake? Discussion 4: Write a thoughtful post on Sak’s arguments in favor and against civil commitment based on what you heard in her lecture discussion video. Do you feel strongly either one way or another?
