The Reckoning in Psychiatry Over Protracted Antidepressant Withdrawal

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Medically-induced harmā€”affecting tens of millions of people worldwideā€”has taken the field decades to take seriously.
Ad for Paxil/Seroxat

How Academic Psychiatry Minimized SSRI Withdrawal

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If academic psychiatry is evidence-based, why did it take two decades to recognize SSRI withdrawal as widespread and chronic among patients?
Evan Durst Kreeger

Jinxed: The Persecution of Evan Durst Kreeger

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I am very concerned that Evan is about to be devoured by psychiatry's maw.Ā Things could be different if Evan were able to hire an attorney or attorneys to deal with all of these different legal actions coming at him and otherwise protect his interests such as sue the trustees for their unconscionable actions, but as I have indicated, his trustees have cut off his money so he can't hire such an attorney or attorneys.
involuntary commitment

What Itā€™s Like to Be Involuntarily Committed

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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.

The P-Value Problem in Psychiatry

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Stanford researcher writes that readers should check the effect size of results instead of looking at the p-value.
Zyprexa Papers

Big Pharma Meets Big Diagnosis, Big Courts, and Big Psychiatric Hospitals

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Gottsteinā€™s book is The Pentagon Papers of the traditional mental health system, because he exposes a mind-blowing number and variety of cold-blooded, calculating actions on the part of Eli Lilly in trying to hide what it knew to be the devastating effects of its hugely profitable Zyprexa.

Researchers: Antidepressant Withdrawal, Not ā€œDiscontinuation Syndromeā€

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

Committed at 16: Memories of a State Hospital

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While most of the sting is gone, even now ā€” almost sixty years on ā€” I canā€™t get through a single day without thinking about shock treatment and the state hospital. I regularly have dreams or nightmares about being lost in a strange place and someone making me feel like dirt.

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 ā€œcommunity mental health center,ā€ 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 cliniciansā€™ disregard for mental health patientsā€™ insight into their own condition may be detrimental to treatment.
one yellow game piece among blue game pieces

Is There a Small Group for Whom Antidepressants Are Effective?

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In a new study, researchers found no evidence of antidepressant group variance, which means that there's no particular group of patients who improve more than others on the drug.
empty medical waiting room

Higher Drop-Out Rates for Those Taking Antidepressants

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A review of 73 antidepressant studies finds that 12% more people drop out of clinical trials when taking antidepressants than when taking placebo, evidence that many find the adverse effects of antidepressants difficult to tolerate.
colorful painting of brain

Researchers Fail to Predict Antidepressant Treatment Success

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In a new study published in JAMA Psychiatry, researchers investigated whether they could use EEG (electroencephalograph) technology to predict whether people would feel better...

Researchers Set the Record Straight on Controversial Zoloft Study

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

The Mediaā€™s New Hashtag: #GuardianshipIsGood for Britney Spears

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Recent press coverage of top star Britney Spears, who remains under a personal and professional guardianship, reflects conventional attitudes about ā€œmental illnessā€ that are both stigmatizing and encourage legislation that promotes forced treatment.

Ketamine for Harmful Drinking: A Look at the Data

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

Pervasive Industry Influence in Healthcare Sector Harms Patients

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Experts across the globe point to the harms of drug companiesā€™ influence on research, practice, and education in healthcare noting that it compromises patient care.
definition of relapse

What Does ‘Relapse’ Mean? Definitions Used in Antipsychotic Trials Are Unclear

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Antipsychotic drugs are prescribed on the basis of trials that demonstrate a higher rate of ā€˜relapseā€™ in people who are withdrawn from these drugs compared to those who continue to take them. Yet, incredibly, there is no consensus about what ā€˜relapseā€™ means in this situation.

Statisticians: Current Policies Approve Ineffective Treatments

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Current standards for clinical trials rely on statistical methods that allow for ineffective treatments to gain approval.

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.Ā Julie had been an MIA blogger since 2014, including several pieces on the dangers of lithium.

Researchers Address Dangers of Polypharmacy and Inappropriate Medication Use

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A new special issue brings together articles exploring the harmful effects of simultaneous multiple medication use.

How Antidepressants Shape Young Women’s Sense of Self

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Young womenā€™s narratives indicate ways antidepressants have shaped their sense of self.
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 psychiatristā€™s response was to prescribe antipsychotics.

Rates of Opioid Use Remain High Among US Adolescents

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

No Matter Which Measure You Use, Antidepressants Arenā€™t That Effective

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