The Thoughts on Record podcast of the Ottawa Institute of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy talks with Robert Whitaker about the core themes of his 2010 (updated in 2014) book Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America.
“In this discussion we cover the evidence around neurochemical ‘imbalances’ in the brain, findings around the long-term outcome data around the use of antipsychotics & antidepressants including the possibility of these compounds contributing to relapse and chronicity of illness, a brief consideration of problems associated with anxiolytics like benzodiazepines and finally, a discussion of the kinds of shift in narrative required around ‘mental illness’ to move our understanding and treatment strategies forward.”
