DoctorYourself

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Reprinted with permission of Merrily Manthey. Film Star Margot Kidder Supports Proposed New Ordinance for Mental Health: Getting Patients Well is the New Goal By Merrily Manthey, M.S. In a stunning presentation four years to the day of her very public exposure that branded her "crazy," actor Margot Kidder urged support for a landmark ordinance about to be voted on in King County, Washington (greater Seattle). People deserve "the right to wellness," she pointed out, "as opposed to a pharmacological lobotomy, which is usually what you get." On April 25, the international film star stood before Councilmember Kent Pullen, PhD, and his "customer services" committee agreeing that getting people well should be the goal of county mental health programs. Kidder also urged the use of natural medicine to treat the mentally ill. The Canadian born actress, who starred as Lois Lane in the blockbuster movie series, Superman, told the Council that she had been "treated" for mental illness for most of her life. Boldly she revealed that conventional medicine provided her with very little help. But by taking charge of her own healing, discovering natural methods that dealt with the root cause of her problem, and with the help of family and friends, she got herself well. The treatment she "discovered" and assembled on her own was, in effect, orthomolecular medicine, developed by Dr. Abram Hoffer, MD, PhD and his colleague Humphrey Osmond, MD., over 40 years ago. I had met Margot Kidder at the orthomolecular conference held to honor Hoffer ’s 80th Birthday. I mentioned to Councilman Kent Pullen, PhD, that I wanted ask the extremely articulate and knowledgeable film star to speak to the 13-member elected body in support of our new ordinance. I imagined she would make an impassioned and reasoned argument to help people change the way they view existing treatment of those diagnosed with a mental illness. Thankfully, natural medicine advocate Pullen was tremendously supportive of my idea. And I was deeply grateful Ms. Kidder agreed to come to Seattle to make the case for important change. Her appearance generated widespread US media attention and favorable "reviews" for the concepts she was presenting. Observers said she impressed them deeply with her humanity and personal success story, and, they told me, they would never feel the same about anyone suffering with symptoms of mental distress. Through her powerful testimony, Margot Kidder made them think differently about the biochemical differences that influence good mental health. (More information at http://www.margotkidder.com ) I learned through public hearings in 1999 that 5% of patients treated in the county ’s current mental health system were made well in the prior year. Shocked by the dismal numbers, we set out to raise the bar. The successful passage of this ordinance, Pullen notes, will "create a significant paradigm shift" in government policy. I will add here, we hope this concept will "catch fire" all across the North American continent.

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