Tennessee Scientologist Stands Up for Patients’ Rights

Scientologists are standing up for the rights of those who aren’t able to stand up for themselves.

In Tennessee, Scientologists are outspoken about helping those being abused in the mental health field. They work with the Nashville chapter of Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR Nashville) to help victims of psychiatric abuse document their cases and file complaints.

On the CCHRNashville.org website, the question is posed: “Victim of Brain Stimulation?” followed by the text, “Do you know someone who has been damaged by experimental psychiatric treatments including transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), deep brain stimulation (DBS) or any other electric shock or magnetic wave to the brain? Report abuse.”

CCHR has long been an advocate for human rights, especially patients’ rights in the field of mental health. Per the international CCHR website, cchr.org, “CCHR has long fought to restore basic inalienable human rights to the field of mental health, including, but not limited to, full informed consent regarding the medical legitimacy of psychiatric diagnosis, the risks of psychiatric treatments, the right to all available medical alternatives and the right to refuse any treatment considered harmful.”

Brian Fesler, who serves on the board of CCHR Nashville, said, “CCHR volunteers are getting the word out and finding more and more people coming forward with stories of abuse. They are working hard every day to help those who have been hurt at the hands of psychiatrists.”

CCHR is a non-profit, non-political, non-religious mental health watchdog. It was founded in 1969 by the Church of Scientology with the mission to eradicate abuses committed under the guise of mental health and enact patient and consumer protections. Fesler says, “CCHR has supporters from many faiths.  Human rights abuse doesn’t discriminate and neither do we.”

CCHR receives reports about abuses in the field of mental health and is especially interested in situations where persons experienced abuse or damage due to a false diagnosis or unwanted and harmful psychiatric treatments, such as psychiatric drugs, electroshock (ECT) and electronic or magnetic brain stimulation (TMS). CCHR is often able to assist with filing complaints, and can work with a person’s attorney to further investigate the case. To contact CCHR Nashville for more information, visit cchrnashville.org.