Mad in America’s Family Resources section provides information and resources for parents and other family members who wish to explore alternatives to conventional, drug-based psychiatric care for their relatives— especially children of all ages. Our mission becomes all the more urgent at a time when prescription rates for psychiatric drugs for children and adolescents are on the rise globally, particularly in the United States. Meanwhile, the effects of these powerful substances on the developing brain are under-researched. What we do know isn’t encouraging. For example:
- Longer-term studies of children given a diagnostic label of ADHD have found worse outcomes for medicated youth.
- A large study from the National Institute of Mental Health concluded that few youth “benefit long-term” from antipsychotics (neuroleptic drugs prescribed for psychosis and mood disorders, as well as “off label” for other diagnoses).
- Research shows that the use of marijuana, stimulants, and antidepressants increases the risk that a youth will receive a diagnostic label of bipolar disorder.
This information is important to consider when considering whether your loved one should take or discontinue these drugs, but is often not offered (or even known) by most care providers. To assist with this process, Mad in America has summarized the research on the use of both psychiatric drugs and alternatives in children and youth (see links below). We are also co-sponsoring a Town Hall on the topic.
An Important Event
Next week, Mad in America—along with the Council for Evidence-Based Psychiatry, the International Institute for Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal, and A Disorder4Everyone—will bring together four international experts to outline the extent of the problem and discuss solutions. This event will be the fourth in a series of live, online Town Hall discussions focusing on issues related to psychiatric drug withdrawal.
When: August 13 at 12 pm EDT
Where: Online. You can register here.
You will receive a Zoom link on the day of the event, which will also be live-streamed on Mad in America’s Facebook page and post to YouTube afterward.
Speakers
As always, the Town Hall will feature a panel comprising a mix of professionals and people with lived experience. Following the discussion, there will be an opportunity for viewer questions.
Laura Delano is a former psychiatric patient and the founder and Executive Director of Inner Compass Initiative, a non-profit organization that helps people make more informed choices about psychiatric drugs and diagnoses.
Mo Therese Hannah, PhD
Mo Hannah is a New York State licensed psychologist, a Professor of Psychology at Siena College in Loudonville, New York, and a practicing psychotherapist. She specializes in grief therapy, relationship therapy, traumatic stress, grief, and protracted psychiatric drug withdrawal syndrome. (Listen to an MIA Radio interview about her own family’s experience with psychiatric drugs here.)
Elia Abi-Jaoude is a psychiatrist and assistant professor at the University of Toronto. He works mainly with children, adolescents, and their families. He is particularly interested in how social factors influence how we view the experiences of youth.
Sami Timimi, MD
Sami Timimi is a UK-based child and adolescent psychiatrist who writes from a critical psychiatry perspective. He is the author of over 130 published articles, dozens of chapters, and co-author of 12 books. His latest book, Insane Medicine, is available in serialized form on the Mad in America website.
Host: John Read
John Read is Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of East London. He has published over 150 research papers, primarily on the relationship between adverse life events and psychosis. John is Chair of the International Institute for Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal.
IIPDW Administrator Lucy Fernandes will moderate the chat and MIA’S James Moore is technical advisor.
Please join us! In the meantime, you can explore MIA’s drug information resources:
Resources
Research on psychotropic drug use in children and adolescents:
- Stimulants for children with a diagnostic label of ADHD
- Antidepressants for children with a diagnostic label of depression/anxiety
- Antipsychotics (neuroleptics) for children with a diagnostic label of psychosis, bipolar disorder, and more
Research on non-drug treatments:
- Non-drug approaches for ADHD
- Non-drug approaches for depression
- Non-drug approaches for psychosis, bipolar disorder, and more
Information on withdrawal from psychiatric drugs
Directory of therapists/providers who support drug withdrawal.
I’d love to join you, but have another commitment at that time. But make no mistake, my other commitment does also stand in support of your societal concern.
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Global class action , multiple ongoing lawsuits ,real legal representation for real individuals of all ages ,prioritizing the most vulnerable ,far and wide , exposing and opposing psychiatry, psychiatrist’s, and their “assistants”, their “business” associates ,including manufacturers of brain damaging poisons advertised as medicine and electrical torture devices advertised as therapy. Also the AMA MD’s that also dole out most of the brain , and body damaging, life shortening, pharma created poisonous concoctions while pharma and gov. at the same time deny the population of humanity, through its own self- serving regulatory suppression and supervision the people’s natural right to freely use proper strength natural herbs & proper strength supplements, and the right to use insurance to pay natural doctors ,natural dentists and teams of attorneys that will really represent the tortured. Affordable organic foods should be available and promoted as well as safe housing . Justice must be sought in every available place and to turn every kangaroo- courtroom into a non- kangaroo courtroom as soon as possible to even just maybe slow down the exponential growth of atrocity crimes against humanity’s children even while all people are potential forced “customers” of psychiatric torture. These children are humanity’s future . Somehow there must be a legal way to protect the children. After all , look at all the legal protections the perpetrators of crimes against humanity hide behind and their countless support systems. This could all be just as huge of a problem as global warming . I guess to these pharma lab owners and employees it’s all the same whether they invent and release brain and body shut down poison concoctions, or pandemic viruses . It all falls under some kind of broad generic scientific research umbrella and must just happen to be what the wealthy feel they need to protect their power so they can print more money and distance themselves even further from justice. I hope the Town Hall does some good .
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Thank you for this important, powerful and deeply moving Town Hall. Five courageous and committed people, including two ‘Doctors of Conscience’. The sincerity and integrity of all contributors is palpable.
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