Bennett Braun was perhaps one of the most evil psychiatrists I ever met or investigated. The anti-religious, criminal kidnap-deprogramming groups of the 1980's just loved him, because he made all "cults" seem even more dangerous, with his presentations including 11x17 glossy photographs of severed genitalia and tales of horrendous "international, multi-generational, satanic ritualistic conspiracies" that were secretly embedded in every community, stealing, raping, murdering, skinning and eating innocent children. Braun and his cohorts, including Colin Ross, Roberta Sachs, Jerry Siman ..read more

The psychiatrist Dr. Cash and a nurse manager named Michael Fitz held an impromptu meeting of a treatment team today, with a high-functioning patient named Ethan on their unit. The patient called me beforehand, wondering whether this might be an attempt to pre-empt his regular treatment plan review, which is scheduled for next week and which he does not want to occur early without his attorney's or his advocate's presence. Treatment teams often prefer to have patients at the normal disadvantage (5- or 6-on-one with no attorney present), so they can assert control and intimidate the patients mo ..read more

My guy Gus has supposedly been offered "a deal" by his treatment team a EMHC. Nobody is really sure what the "deal" is because they are unwilling to write it down, or to let Gus write it down. Nevertheless, they insist that Gus must formally accept the invisible, unwritten, undefined "deal" by a date certain, lest he will never get a conditional release, even if he qualifies for one under the law. The psychiatrist in charge of this nonsense is Vikramjit Gill. Vik repeatedly admonishes Gus that he'd "better accept the deal" soon, or he'll lose his chance and he'll "never get out" of EMHC. Vik f ..read more

Jules Evans recently interviewed Steve Rolles about "What comes after the war on drugs?" A transcript of that conversation is a fascinating demonstration or dramatization, in my opinion, of what Max Weber (and many others) have called "the apotheosis of reason." Psychedelic drugs basically turn loose the best, and the worst, intentions and experiences accessible to individuals. Both the best and the worst are far more extreme than modern day humans can easily imagine. We have historical references like Christ/Buddha/Gandhi, and Torquemada/Hitler/Manson; but we do not find or confront those ext ..read more

I have always loved the concept of the Christian Resurrection as an ultimate triumph over death. In retrospect, I'm not sure what sort of "death" needs to be triumphed over, or that human life is anything like an ultimate game. My favorite New Testament bit is the angel's question on Easter morning, "Why do you look in a place of the dead?" I know my mother never feared death. (I'm not sure about my dad.) Among the other dead people whom I miss most are my wife's dad, a rare violin expert named Robert, and John Prine. My parents loved music. When I hear certain Jimmy Buffet songs, or Don McCle ..read more

I have a 2-year-old Airedale Terrier named Spensur who weighs about 93 pounds. Big dog with no real manners, and we don't know everywhere he's been, he's a rescue. Trying to get him groomed, which should be done every couple months, has become an interesting project. One place after another has said no, they won't take him again, he doesn't cooperate and (just imagine!) nobody wants to get bitten. The most recent groomer, Paul, called me after Spens had been at his place for about an hour last week, and told me to come get him, he couldn't get him into the washtub. I went in and tried to get h ..read more

Illinois' Attorney General and the Inspector General for the Illinois Department of Human Services recently announced a triumphant victory against sexual abuse of disabled people. Barry Smoot sent me the January 30, 2023, article from RiverBender.com, perhaps with the idea that I could find a good civil lawsuit in the story. People reasonably believe that I am interested in bringing lawsuits because, like other attorneys, I want to make money. Well I do, and I really should, but... many people would also say that I am insufficiently motivated by financial gain for ..read more

I recently heard a psychiatrist say something in a staffing that absolutely astounded me: "Part of my job is to not write anything down that will hurt you with the court." First of all, I'm pretty sure she meant anything untrue... because of course, if she in fact perceives an EMHC "patient" to be suicidal or threatening, or symptomatic of psychosis, it would certainly be part of her job to write that down, even though it would probably convince the court to deny requests for privileges, or release. My question is: Why didn't it occur to the "doctor" to specifically clarify this ..read more

The following is an excerpt from pages 139-142 of The Last Innocent Year: America in 1964 (The Beginning of the "Sixties), by Jon Margolis (New York: William Morrow and Company, 1999). __________     Thanks to his engaging manner, his eagerness to please, and his velvety voice, radio host William B. Williams was master of most that he surveyed. He was the host of The Make-Believe Ballroom, the radio program created by Martin Block, the one-time shoe salesman who had become the world's first disc jockey.      That position made William B., as he called himself, fir ..read more

Other than Baker, the EMHC "patient" about whom I have most frequently written in recent years might be Gustavo Rodriguez. Gus' current slave cabin is on the section of the plantation known as N Unit (at least I think so--they move him around so much, I can hardly even keep track!). Gus complains a lot, but probably quite appropriately. The thing about complaints by "patients" is, they are almost never believed, and they are very likely to draw retribution, from staff and other "patients" who act at the behest of staff or with apparent permission from staff. Gus has been incessantly bullied la ..read more