•2. People labeled with psychiatric disabilities should
have a major role in the direction
and control of programs and services designed for their benefit. This central role must be played by people labeled with
psychiatric disabilities
themselves, and should not be confused with the roles that family members, professional advocates, and others often
play when "consumer"
input is sought.
•3. Mental health treatment should be about healing, not
punishment. Accordingly, the use of
aversive treatments, including physical and chemical restraints, seclusion, and similar techniques that
restrict freedom of movement,
should be banned. Also, public policy should move toward the elimination of electro-convulsive therapy and psycho
surgery as unproven and
inherently inhumane procedures. Effective humane alternatives to these techniques exist now and should be promoted.
•4. Federal research and demonstration resources should
place a higher priority on
the development of culturally appropriate alternatives to the medical and biochemical approaches to treatment of
people labeled with psychiatric
disabilities, including self-help, peer support, and other consumer/survivor-driven alternatives to the traditional
mental health