They seemed to understand the civil rights aspects of these issues. But the question is when. They wanted us to wait until after the election. We demanded an answer by May 31 and mentioned that we would be protesting her appearances. In recent years, as SCI has grown, people with psychiatric disabilities have become a larger part of the disability-rights movement.
Psychiatric survivors are no longer the stepchildren of the disability movement.
Yet, leaders say, there is still a segment of the disability community which discounts the psychiatric survivor movement as a radical fringe with irrational ideas. We've been demonized in such a way that people think, 'I'm not like that. Ultimately we're just like everybody else. The report suggests that only one-third of those needing treatment are receiving it. The proliferation of Prozac and Ritalin indicate that mental health is a mainstream issue.