Miriam Putnam – ADVOCATE & CONSULTANT

About Me

Experiencing the mental health system motivated me to become a human rights advocate for others in the field of mental health.

I grew up as an heir to Putnam Publishing and Crayola Crayons. My family’s prestige didn’t prevent us from contending with “mental illness”.

In 2001, my mom lost her father plus a few close friends, was experiencing a tough marriage and was going through hormonal changes. Basically, she was exhibiting instability, which resulted in many mental illness diagnoses and ineffective psychiatric treatment.

Over the following 16 years, my mom was hospitalized almost 20 times against her free will with countless human rights abuses, plus two guardianships through court where psychotropic drugs were mandated. During this time, our entire family went through extreme heartache and emotional agony.

My family and I experienced intense emotional pain watching my mom go through the trauma of “mental illness” and the ineffective help given by the doctors that treated her. I saw firsthand the mental health atrocities in the current broken system. The help that was promised arrived in the form of human rights abuses and suffering for my mom and our family. Our struggle over wanting to help her and using this ineffective solution ruined our family.

 

 

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Unfortunately my mom died in 2017, which was the final crescendo to the sad failure of the psychiatric mental health treatment.

In the beginning stages of the mental health fiasco, I looked for other solutions and questioned the psychiatrist, asking why is a drug the solution to my mom’s situation and why are there no medical tests to prove that she has a mental “illness”.

I never got an answer for WHY there’s no test to prove a mental illness is real and drugs are necessary.

I became extremely determined to understand the problem and find real solutions to mental health issues.

Now I passionately advocate for others’ human rights.

Psychiatric treatment does not produce success stories, none that I have read or witnessed. Losing my mom to psychiatric treatment is the product of the current and incredibly broken mental “health” system.

I understand the system now and what individuals and families are going through. I am dedicated to helping people avoid a terrible experience. I have an inside understanding and knowledge of the psychiatric industry. This is why I am dedicated to educating people on mental health laws with Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR).

I wish I had found CCHR before the crisis with my mom occurred. I would have been able to help my mom and family navigate the confusion to a much healthier and happier outcome.

Please contact me if you have questions and/or concerns. Wishing you success in this journey!!

– Miriam

Miriam currently works with the following groups:

 

  • Works with Miracles Outreach, Florida’s largest girls’ home, for girls that have been abused or trafficked.
  • Helping organizations establish and fundraise for holistic wellness programs and forming wellness teams, including nutritionists, coaches, trainers, and integrative and functional doctors.
  • Works with mental health watchdog non-profit, Citizens Commission on Human Rights Florida, to protect human rights in the mental health field.
  • Consults families regarding mental health.
  • Hosts a monthly webinar with Attorney Carmen Miller to train mental health professionals and interested public on Florida mental health law, the Baker Act.
  • Certified through DCF (Department of Child and Family).
  • Certified as a Notary in order to help people with any of their legal needs regarding mental health.
  • Volunteers as a Guardian ad Litem, a court appointed advocate for foster children.
  • My profession is a technically trained coach/counselor that’s protected under religious law, meaning I cannot be subpoenaed to testify regarding a client/situation, so an individual’s privacy is protected personally and professionally. I adhere to a strict ethical code that protects the individual and any information disclosed.
  • Worked and volunteered with charities for about 20 years and received a B.A. in Communication Studies from Cal State Northridge.

Disclaimer:

If you are someone that has been on medication for a long time, please refer to the resource list and consult your doctor for the safest ways to get off the psychotropic drugs. Nothing on this site should be considered medical or legal advice.

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MENTAL HEALTH SPEAKER,
ADVOCATE & CONSULTANT

Miriam Putnam

ADVOCATE & CONSULTANT