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The Peter Lehmann Publishing House is orientated toward the interests of (ex-) users and survivors of psychiatry whose main concerns are self-determination and freedom from bodily harm. The publisher, Peter Lehmann, is familiar with the problems of (ex-) users and survivors of psychiatry because of his own experience. To avoid censorship from mainstream publishing houses, he founded his own publishing house in Germany in 1986.

He went on to create branch offices in Great Britain in 2003, and in the USA in 2004 (closed in 2015). The Peter Lehmann Publishing House has no connection to the pharmaceutical industry and to organizations that are dependent on them, nor to Scientology or other sects and dogmatists of whatever color. Beyond health, nothing is more valuable than freedom and independence.

Peter Lehmann publishes literature filled with a contrarian spirit and the fundamental conviction that:

1. psychiatry as a scientific discipline cannot do justice to the expectation of solving mental problems that are largely of a social nature,
2. its propensity and practice to use force constitute a threat, and
3. its diagnostic methods obstruct the view of the real problems of individuals in society.

For these reasons, Peter Lehmann Publishing pleads for:

1. developing adequate and effective assistance for people in emotional difficulties,
2. safeguarding their civil rights in treatment on a par with 'normal' patients,
3. joining forces in cooperation with other human rights and self-help groups,
4. support in withdrawing from psychiatric drugs, use of alternative and less toxic psychotropic substances,
5. ostracization of electroshock up to its ban,
6. new ways of living with madness and being different—with as much independence from institutions as possible—, and
7. tolerance, respect and appreciation of diversity at all levels of life.