Tampa Bay has a population very active in all matters to do with helping the community, from the. development of the City to how to take care of the individual himself. Forums and conversations on social matters take place at all levels, from homes, schools and neighborhood associations up to the Florida State Attorney's Office. On a daily basis “Mental health" is part of the vocabulary, as in the statement that "The biggest problem of our population is "Mental Health."

Which brings us to the Law: The Florida Mental Health Act, commonly known as the Baker Act. It’s description allows for involuntary psychiatric examination :what some call emergency or involuntary commitment, of anyone of any age, which can be initiated by judges, law enforcement officials, physicians, or mental health professionals. There must be evidence that the person possibly has a mental illness, is in danger of becoming a harm to self, harm to others, or is self-neglectful. The tests can last up to 72 hours, after which a person can be considered medically stable and put into the society again.

This Issue of the Florida Mental Health Act must be studied and understood, because sometimes the application of it is beyond reality. It could be that your child is at the school and throws a "tantrum". The school decides to call the police, and the responding officer must decide if the kid needs to be Backer Acted. This involuntary institutionalization is often without parental consent. It results in a child being hand cuffed and taken to a psychiatric facility for 72 hours, all without the express authorization of their parents, to be evaluated and medicated with psychotropic drugs and to then be delivered back.

There are 195,000 cases of BAKER ACTED (against your will) in Florida, USA, in just one year. Mass shootings make the titles in the media, however, they do not name what is behind them; these shooters were under the "SIDE EFFECTS" of psychiatric medications. Yes, some psychotropic medications (antidepressants) have side effects, including suicide and homicide.

In many cases and in simple words, your son is kidnapped legally, without anyone telling you as a parent and taken to a psychiatric hospital for up to 72 hours. And still without you knowing what’s happening, he is drugged. And only then is delivered back to you, and with an appointment in 29 days to come back so you do not run out of his psychotropic drugs. Then you continue to drug him enough so that someday he's just sitting completely absent and drooling. Or until he has a psychotic outbreak and he decides to kill his parents, classmates, teachers and ends up committing suicide.

There has been and a 117% increase in the prescription of psychiatric drugs in the USA between 1999 and 2013 with a 24% increase in the suicide rate from 1999 to 2014. 41 million Americans are on antidepressant medications. 65 acts of violence killed or wounded 693 people over the last three years and were perpetrated by individuals who were under the influence of these medications or withdrawing from these psychotropic drugs. 409 advertisements for psychiatric medications include the risks of self-harm, suicide, violence, aggression and homicidal ideas.

Find out the facts and fight for your Rights. Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) is a nonprofit guardian of mental health. This organization is responsible for helping to enact more than 150 laws that protect individuals from abusive practices. They struggle to restore inalienable basic human rights in the field of mental health, including, but not limited to, full informed consent regarding the medical legitimacy of psychiatric diagnosis, the risks of psychiatric treatment, the right to all available medical alternatives and the right to refuse any treatment considered harmful.

"Human Rights must be a fact, not an idealistic dream" L. Ron Hubbard.

www.cchr.org