ps ych iat ric ▁surv iv ors '. ▁M FI ▁is ▁a ▁contemporary ▁and ▁active ▁coal ition ▁of ▁grass ro ots ▁groups ▁which ▁are ▁carrying ▁forward ▁the ▁historical ▁tradition ▁of ▁surv iv or ▁opposition ▁to ▁co er ci ve ▁psych iat ry . ▁It ▁does ▁not ▁define ▁itself ▁as ▁an ▁anti ps ych iat ry ▁organization ▁and ▁its ▁members ▁point ▁to ▁the ▁role ▁which ▁' comp ass ion ate ' ▁psych iat rist s ▁have ▁played ▁in ▁M FI . ▁Activ ists ▁within ▁the ▁coal ition ▁have ▁been ▁drawn ▁from ▁both ▁left ▁and ▁right ▁wing ▁of ▁politics . ▁ ▁M FI ▁functions ▁as ▁a ▁forum ▁for ▁its ▁thousands ▁of ▁members ▁to ▁express ▁their ▁views ▁and ▁experiences , ▁to ▁form ▁support ▁networks ▁and ▁to ▁organ ize ▁activ ist ▁campaign s ▁in ▁support ▁of ▁human ▁rights ▁in ▁psych iat ry . ▁The ▁coal ition ▁regards ▁the ▁psych iat ric ▁practices ▁of ▁' uns cient ific ▁label ing , ▁forced ▁dru gg ing , ▁solit ary ▁conf in ement , ▁rest raint s , ▁invol unt ary ▁commit ment , ▁electro sh ock ' ▁as ▁human ▁rights ▁viol ations . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁eight ▁Mind fre edom ▁members , ▁led ▁by ▁then - exec utive ▁director ▁David ▁O aks , ▁went ▁on ▁a ▁hung er ▁strike ▁to ▁public ize ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁" ch alleng es " ▁they ▁had ▁put ▁forth ▁to ▁the ▁American ▁Psych iat ric ▁Association ▁( AP A ), ▁the ▁US ▁Sur geon ▁General ▁and ▁the ▁National ▁Alliance