PSYCHIATRIC PRACTICE PART OF PROBLEM

Editor: I am writing in response to the Oct. 7 article, “State hits CMC on death.” The events related that occurred to Frank Salini while in the CMC psychiatric unit should create outrage.



We must also recognize that this is not an isolated incident, and there are pervasive problems within the psychiatric profession that cause individuals to be robbed of their dignity and dehumanized.



Building relationship and understanding with persons undergoing emotional distress, respecting them as human beings who have undergone a human tragedy, has instead been replaced with the concept of biological determinism and so called “chemical imbalances” which, when combined with greed, has allowed the psychiatric profession to evoke more harm than any good in many situations.



People need people to resolve challenges, not chemical and physical restraints. The psychiatric profession must radically alter its course and conceptions or it will be certain that more abuses will arise, such as that which occurred with Mr. Salini.



DAN L. EDMUNDS