involuntary commitment

What It’s Like to Be Involuntarily Committed

40
Ten years after being fired for taking a mental health leave after the Virginia Tech massacre, I was diagnosed as "schizophrenic" and involuntarily committed to a hospital. Now I have a job and a life, but I'm still forced to take drugs and report to a social worker.

Hearing Veteran Narratives is Key to Suicide Prevention

11
Current suicide assessment practices of the VA are reductive and do not allow for the individual’s narrative to be heard.

Researchers: Antidepressant Withdrawal, Not “Discontinuation Syndrome”

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Researchers suggest that the pharmaceutical industry had a vested interest in using the term “discontinuation” in order to hide the severity of physical dependence and withdrawal reactions many people experience from antidepressants.

To Live and (Almost) Die in L.A.: A Survivor’s Tale

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After 25 years of chronic emergency, 22 mental hospitalizations, a stint at a “community mental health center,” 13 years in a "board & care," repeated withdrawals from addictions to legal drugs, and a 12-year marriage, I plan to live every last breath out as a survivor, an advocate, and an artist.

Mental Health Professionals and Patients Often Disagree on Causes of Symptoms

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A new study finds that clinicians’ disregard for mental health patients’ insight into their own condition may be detrimental to treatment.

The Day I Became Schizophrenic

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Schizophrenia, to me, is nothing more than a word. All it really means is that you experience psychosis on a regular enough basis that it’s a factor in your life. And that you actually do, as the word “schizophrenia” indicates, have a mind that you share with some sort of outside presence.

The Real Myth of the Schizophrenogenic Mother

53
Acknowledging the role of trauma inflicted by a given individual’s mother is not the same as laying all blame for “mental illness” at the feet of motherhood. Meanwhile, a mountain of evidence has accumulated linking schizophrenia to sexual, physical, and emotional abuse and many other categories of adverse childhood experiences.

Experiences of Depression Connected to Declining Sense of Purpose

29
In-depth interviews find that those who screened positive for depression did not explain their experience in terms of diagnostic symptoms.

Biogen Pushes FDA to Approve Failed Alzheimer’s Drug

2
A new analysis, published in Lancet Neurology, demonstrates how Biogen is spinning results from two failed trials for a new Alzheimer's drug.

Initial Trial of Ayahuasca for Depression Shows Promising Results

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Ayahuasca found to be effective in treating moderate to severe depression in low-income population.

Researchers Set the Record Straight on Controversial Zoloft Study

1
An issue of Lancet Psychiatry is devoted to clarifying the lack of efficacy for Zoloft (sertraline).

Ketamine for Harmful Drinking: A Look at the Data

11
New research contends that ketamine can reduce problematic alcohol use but does the data support the claims?

In Memory of Julie Greene

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With deep regret, Mad in America announces another loss in our contributor community. Julie C. Greene, writer and antipsychiatry advocate, lost her battle with kidney disease on November 29 at her home in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. Julie had been an MIA blogger since 2014, including several pieces on the dangers of lithium.

How Antidepressants Shape Young Women’s Sense of Self

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Young women’s narratives indicate ways antidepressants have shaped their sense of self.

D-Cycloserine Supplement Does Not Add Much to Exposure Therapy

3
A closer look at a new study reporting that the supplement D-cycloserine improved anxiety when used with exposure therapy.
stoned or schizophrenia

From Stoned to “Schizophrenic”: My Mental Healthcare Journey

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During a period of self-doubt, I chose to see a psychiatrist because I was engulfed in negative thoughts and couldn't find a direction in life. The slightest joys came only when I was high. Though my weed addiction was likely causing all of my symptoms, my psychiatrist’s response was to prescribe antipsychotics.

Involuntary Hospitalization More Likely With Psychosis Diagnoses and Few Resources

7
New study links involuntary hospitalization with psychotic diagnosis, previous involuntary hospitalization, and economic deprivation.

Rates of Opioid Use Remain High Among US Adolescents

3
Researchers investigate trends in opioid use, prescriptions, misuse, and access reported by adolescents and young adults.

How Race and Class Impact Schizophrenia and Substance-Use Diagnoses

4
A new article explores how psychiatric diagnoses are differentially applied to people of different racial and class backgrounds.
retraumatization psychosis

Seven Strategies to Avoid Retraumatization While Working with Psychosis

18
Stories related to psychosis can be intense, and can lead to traumatic recall when a sufferer retells them and does not feel contained or believed within the relationship. I have a number of suggestions for how to encourage the telling of stories without retraumatizing survivors in group settings and in individual encounters.

Parachute NYC Peer Support Program Presents Challenges and Opportunities

2
Anthropologists study Parachute NYC to identify challenges and opportunities for implementing peer support and Open Dialogue practices.

No Matter Which Measure You Use, Antidepressants Aren’t That Effective

18
Researchers compared the efficacy of antidepressants using different rating scales and found them to be no different—just slightly better than placebo, and not meeting the criteria for clinical significance.

Psychotherapy Less Effective for People in Poverty and Those on Antidepressants

13
A new study finds poorer depression and anxiety outcomes in psychotherapy for people in economically deprived neighborhoods and those on antidepressants.

Increased Antidepressant Use Does Not Decrease Depression Prevalence in Older Adults

4
The use of antidepressants has risen quickly among older adults but the rate of depressive symptoms in this population has not declined as a result.

Dehumanization Linked to Poorer Mental and Physical Health

6
A new review finds that dehumanizing language, including self-dehumanization, is connected to anxiety, depression, and disordered eating.