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Featured Blogs

Helpful and Hopeful Thoughts

Kjetil Mellingen

Kjetil Mellingen

September 13, 2016

The basic idea behind successful psychotherapy is that our thoughts create our feelings. And, luckily, our thoughts are changeable. I have personally experienced how liberating only one thought can be to a complex problem. That's why I would precent some of the thoughts that I have found most useful personally, and in therapy with patients, over 25 years.
Full Article →

Searching for a Rose Garden: Challenging Psychiatry, Fostering Mad Studies

Liat Ben-Moshe, PhD

Liat Ben-Moshe, PhD

September 12, 2016

Searching for a Rose Garden: Challenging Psychiatry, Fostering Mad Studies is a timely and unique collection of essays that should be of interest to anyone with personal experience with, or research interests in, mental difference, psychiatrization and its resistance.
Full Article →

Op-Ed

A Veteran’s Letter to Congress

Dave Cope

Dave Cope

September 10, 2016

I am a former Lieutenant in the US Navy, and on August 30, I sent a letter to the US Senate and House Committees on Armed Services, and their respective committees on Veterans' Affairs. I titled the letter "Concerning Mental Health Treatment and Suicide in the United States Armed Forces and the Veteran Community." Here is what I wrote:
Full Article →

Personal Story

My Daughter and Prozac

David Guttman

David Guttman

September 8, 2016

While our daughter was growing up, my ex-wife treated our daughter’s body like a temple. She was the only kid among her friends not allowed to drink soda or cow’s milk as they might negatively affect her health. But Prozac for mild anxiety? Sure, no problem. I was honestly and genuinely shocked.
Full Article →

Confessions of a Trespasser

Robert Whitaker

Robert Whitaker

September 7, 2016

In a recently published commentary in Psychiatric Times, Ronald Pies and Joseph Pierre made this assertion: Only clinicians, with an expertise in assessing the research literature, should be weighing in on the topic of the efficacy of psychiatric drugs. They wrote their commentary shortly after I had published on madinamerica “The Case Against Antipsychotics,” and it was clear they had me in their crosshairs.
Full Article →

Psychiatric Ethics

Philip Hickey, PhD

Philip Hickey, PhD

September 6, 2016

When psychiatrists conduct "diagnostic" assessments on public figures, they are drawing attention to the fact that psychiatry's "diagnostic" system is more like a children's matching test than a genuine medical nosology. They are drawing attention to the fact that the Emperor has no clothes. And we all know where that leads.
Full Article →

How Psychiatry Almost Stopped Burning Man: A Story of Hell and Liberation

Ron Unger, LCSW

Ron Unger, LCSW

September 6, 2016

As Burning Man nears its 30th anniversary, USA Today has published an article attempting to explain how this still somewhat freakish event came into existence. I enjoyed the article, but as someone involved in the origin story it tells, I believe that an important piece is being left out. This relates to how misguided “mental health treatment” came close to disabling a key organizer of the early Burning Man. This piece is a fascinating tale in itself, but more fascinating when considered as just one example of how a flawed approach to mental health treatment forms a barrier to many forms of cultural evolution and renewal, with oppressive consequences for society as a whole.
Full Article →

Other Recent Posts

Ronda Richardson

Personal Story

Backing Away from Psychiatry
by Ronda Richardson
Sera Davidow Dear Boston Globe, Part IV: A Taste of Your Own Medicine
by Sera Davidow
Tabita Green Optimizing Children’s Mental Health is a Social Justice Issue
by Tabita Green
Robert Berezin, MD The Real Narrative of Life
by Robert Berezin, MD
Claudia Gold, MD The ADHD Dilemma: Looking Beyond Big Pharma
by Claudia Gold, MD
More Blogs ... More Foreign Correspondents ... More Op-Eds ...

Personal Stories

Backing Away from Psychiatry

Ronda Richardson

Ronda Richardson

September 1, 2016

I believe now that fifteen years is more than a fair try. Fifteen years of getting treatment without returning to function is actually insanity. I should have given up after year two. Instead of trusting my intuition and insight, I pushed it down and down… until it finally fought its way back to the surface.
Full Article →

Other Recent Personal Stories

Reid Bertino

I am Insane
by Reid Bertino

Otto Douglas

They Call This “Help”
by Otto Douglas

Merry Citoli

Falling Through the Cracks
by Merry Citoli

More Stories ...

In The News

Review Calls for Critical look at Prescribing Antidepressant Drugs

September 13, 2016

The August issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics published a review conducted by André F. Carvalho and colleagues regarding the literature around the long-term use of newer generation antidepressant drugs (ADs) and their side effects. Their investigation, which focused on data obtained from populations diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), found that there were a number of safety issues and potentially serious adverse events, which occurred as a consequence of using ADs.

More →

How Can We Prevent Misdiagnosis in Medicine?

September 11, 2016

In a new study, published in Perspectives on Medical Education, researchers attempted to create a workshop to reduce the risk of bias in diagnostic practices. The authors found that unless biases are explicitly examined, providers are likely to continue misdiagnosing patients based on assumptions, even after finding that a mistaken diagnosis led to the death of a patient.

More →

Review Finds Link Between Recession and Mental Health Issues

September 9, 2016

A literature review published in BMC Public Health by researchers from Portugal and the Czech Republic summarizes results from 101 studies investigating the effect of recent economic recessions on populations’ mental health. Most of the studies were conducted in countries in Europe and North America. The results indicate that, despite the lack of longitudinal data, there is growing evidence cross-nationally that periods of recession lead to an increase in the diagnosis of 'mental illness,' substance use and abuse, and suicide rates.

More →

Meta-Analysis Finds Exercise Improves Cognition in Individuals with Schizophrenia

September 7, 2016

A new review, published in Schizophrenia Bulletin, examines the effects of exercise on cognition in individuals diagnosed with 'schizophrenia.' The results of the meta-analysis provide evidence that physical activity is related to better cognitive functioning.

More →

Policies Needed to Address Strong Link Between Trauma and Psychosis, Researchers Conclude

September 6, 2016

A new study, published online ahead of print in the journal Clinical Psychology Review, investigates the underlying connection between the experience of trauma and the development of symptoms associated with psychosis. The researchers discuss both psychological and biological mechanisms that may account for this connection and conclude that there is an urgent need for both trauma-informed treatments and preventative community-based and policy level interventions.

More →

Review Examines Complementary Approaches for Pain Conditions

September 6, 2016

A review published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings used U.S.-based clinical trial evidence to examine the efficacy of complementary health approaches for chronic pain management. Conducted by researchers at the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) at the National Institutes of Health, the review includes trials of pain management techniques such as acupuncture and yoga. The results show that some approaches have strong benefits for pain treatment and management.

More →

Ioannidis Questions Strength of Psychology and Neuroscience Literature

September 2, 2016

Last week, well-known Stanford scientist John Ioannidis and his colleague Denes Szucs released a new analysis online. They examined research published in eighteen prominent psychology and cognitive neuroscience journals over the past five years and found that the studies in these fields are generally of “unacceptably low” power and suffer from inflated effect sizes and selective reporting.

Open Access → More →

Other Recent News

The FDA’s Latest Black Box Warning: Don’t Mix Opioids, Benzos

New Study Raises Doubts About fMRI Neuroimaging Research

Clinton Releases Mental Health Plan

Doctors Can Be Liable if Patients Commit Suicide, Court Rules

Financial Difficulties Facing College Students Lead to Mental Health Issues

More News ...

Initiatives

Pushing for an Informed Consent Benzo Bill in Texas

Stephen LaCorte, JD

Stephen LaCorte, JD

August 18, 2016

Dr. Raymond Armstrong and I are currently working together to push Texas lawmakers to adopt restrictions on the prescription of benzodiazepines and sleep drugs. We feel fortunate to be able to draw from the experience of the benzo movement in Massachusetts, and we are grateful for the information that long time advocates like Geraldine Burns have provided us.
Full Article →Massachusetts Bill: Informed Consent for Benzodiazepines and Hypnotics →

Inner Fire: Healing and Recovery Without Meds

Beatrice Birch

Beatrice Birch

August 16, 2016

For five years, I and others worked to create a residential healing community in Brookline, Vermont, where people could recover from debilitating and traumatic life experiences, which often lead to addiction and mental health challenges, without the use of psychotropic medications. We welcomed our first six seekers to a yearlong, therapeutic and farm-based, day program last September, and we now can report on what we have learned during this time.
Full Article →Inner Fire →

Initiative News

“Woman Hospitalized Involuntarily Wants Legal Aid for Mental Health Hearing”

The Campaign to Support CRPD Absolute Prohibition of Commitment and Forced Treatment

August 16, 2016

Pilot Study Adapts Open Dialogue for US Health Care

UK Open Dialogue

August 10, 2016

“Study Finds Mental Health Patients No Better Off Behind Locked Doors”

The Campaign to Support CRPD Absolute Prohibition of Commitment and Forced Treatment

August 8, 2016

Latest World Benzodiazepine Awareness Day (W-BAD) Video

Massachusetts Bill: Informed Consent for Benzodiazepines and Hypnotics

July 8, 2016

New Video from World Benzo Awareness Day Event in Japan

Massachusetts Bill: Informed Consent for Benzodiazepines and Hypnotics

June 29, 2016

Around The Web

“Researchers Confront an Epidemic of Loneliness”

September 13, 2016

Katie Hafner, writing in the ‘Times, describes how loneliness has become a major public health issue. “The profound effects of loneliness on health and independence are a critical public health problem,” said Dr. Carla M. Perissinotto, a geriatrician at the University of California, San Francisco. “It is no longer medically or ethically acceptable to ignore older adults who feel lonely and marginalized.

Article → More →

“How the Sugar Industry Shifted Blame to Fat”

September 13, 2016

The New York Times’ Anahad O’Connor investigates how the sugar industry paid scientists as far back as the 1960s to downplay the link between sugar and heart disease. “Even though the influence-peddling revealed in the documents dates back nearly 50 years, more recent reports show that the food industry has continued to influence nutrition science,” they report.

Article → More →

“Thin Slices of Anxiety: An Illustrated Meditation on What It’s Like to Live Enslaved by Worry and How to Break Free”

September 9, 2016

Brainpicking’s Maria Popova reviews “Thin Slices of Anxiety” by Catherine Lepage  — “an illustrated meditation on what it’s like to live enslaved by one’s own worries and what one can do to break free.”

Article→ More →

How We Can Inherit Trauma and Resilience

September 9, 2016

Philip Perry, writing for Big Think, covers studies in epigenetics revealing how trauma can be passed on through generations.

Article → More →

Other Around the Web

“The Disrespectable Pharmaceutical Industry”

“The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone”

“Singulair, Montelukast: Asthma Medication Linked to Serious Psychotic Episodes in Children”

Petition Calls on Pharma Companies to Offer Tapering Kits for Depression and Anxiety Drugs

ECT Survivors Take On the FDA

More Around the Web ...

Upcoming Events

  • October 7, 2016 – October 9, 2016
    ISEPP Annual Conference
    Portland, OR
  • October 28, 2016 – October 30, 2016
    ISPS-US Annual Meeting
    Boston, MA

Drug Info News

The Case Against Antipsychotics

Mad in America Foundation has published a paper that reviews  research, spanning six decades, into the long-term effects of antipsychotics. The paper is written by Robert Whitaker, and updates his exploration of this topic in Anatomy of an Epidemic.

What's Hot This Week

  1. Confessions of a Trespasser [3836 Views]
  2. My Daughter and Prozac [2473 Views]
  3. A Veteran's Letter to Congress [1803 Views]
  4. Stopping SSRI Antidepressants Can Cause Long, Intense Withdrawal Problems [1235 Views]
  5. Psychiatric Ethics [1120 Views]

Latest Comments

  • boans on A Veteran’s Letter to Congress"But it sounded like Dave Cope is no longer being treated by psychiatrists, so he is no longer in danger...
  • Elizabeth498 on Review Calls for Critical look at Prescribing Antidepressant DrugsI wish my doctor never prescribed me these drugs. Instead, it would have been better if he referred me for...
  • Rossa Forbes on Helpful and Hopeful ThoughtsI've lost the thread here. Is "schizophrenia" good or bad? There's something missing from the explanation. "There is a theory...
  • Kjetil Mellingen on Helpful and Hopeful ThoughtsGreat! I hope many will tell their stories in this comment section.
  • Julie Greene, MFA on My Daughter and ProzacI have learned that "malpractice" is a buzzword. Do not ever say it. It is as bad as the S...

Sunshine Campaign

New on our drug info page:

Antidepressants In Pregnancy: Risks to the Fetus and Child

This comprehensive review of the research literature reveals that antidepressant use in pregnancy poses considerable risks to the fetus and the long-term health of the child. These risks include preterm birth, birth defects, abnormal brain development, and behavioral abnormalities in early childhood.

Featured Video

Therapist and folk artist Daniel Mackler discusses the major barriers to creating a more effective and compassionate psychiatric system, the practice of Open Dialogue in Finland, and the importance of recognizing pain as a motivator for growth.

MIA Continuing Ed

The Emperor's New Drugs: Antidepressants and the Placebo Effect

In his course, Dr. Irving Kirsch makes the case that the bulk of symptom improvements patients experience while on antidepressants can be explained by the placebo effect. He reviews the ways in which many antidepressant studies have been flawed in both design and interpretation, and offers responses to some of the common counterarguments that critics of his theory make.

Best of MIA

A random selection from our most popular blogs

Healing is in Our Stories

Deron Drumm

Deron Drumm

December 17, 2014

I have spent a lot of time talking to politicians, media members and those working in the mental health system about the failings of the current method of viewing and treating emotional distress. I have come to the conversations armed with stats and outcomes about the bio-medical paradigm. I have found that the people I speak with do not doubt the facts conveyed. They seem to agree that the current state of affairs is not good. The difference is that I think the tragic outcomes demonstrate the failure of the current system. The folks I talk to tend to think things are so bad because “mental illness is just that serious.”
Full Article →

More Popular Blogs ...

About Mad In America

Screen Shot 2013-11-09 at 2.15.55 PM

A few minutes with Robert Whitaker in a video about the purpose, history, achievements, community, and future plans of Mad In America.
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MIA Online Store

Healing from Psychiatry: The Artist's Perspective

A compilation art book featuring the art and personal stories of 60 people from around the world who have been harmed by the institution of psychiatry. The book features short essays, poems, paintings, photographs, mixed media, and more.

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