Yearly Archives: 2024
Psychiatric Patients Denied Period Products ‘For Safety Reasons’
From BBC: A former patient has conducted a study, backed by the National Survivor User Network, into patients' experiences after a "humiliating" stay in a psychiatric ward.
Losing You by Alshaad Kara
If destiny had a choice,
Sufferings would not be chosen
Yet the pain is a consistent
Dream that refuses to elope
With the night.
Strength comes from weakness
Blossoming as...
Americans Are Paying Billions to Take Drugs That Don’t Work
From Bloomberg: Companies are increasingly using fast-track approval processes to get unproven treatments to patients.
Remembering Bhargavi Davar: A Global Leader in the Struggle for Human Rights
Bhargavi Davar was a global leader in the struggle for human rights, with her work as a psychiatric survivor activist simply one aspect of that work.
Why You Don’t Want a ‘Diagnosis’ of ‘Borderline Personality Disorder’
From Beam Consultancy: There was a time that I thought the diagnosis was useful and people just needed to understand it better; now I’m convinced that it does more harm than good.
When Darkness Traps People, Consider The System
EDITOR’S CORNER
If you’ve been following the news over the last week or so, you’ve likely read of Zoraya ter Beek, the young Dutch woman...
FDA Sued for Not Acting on Petition About Antidepressant Harms
From Maryanne Demasi Reports: It has been six years since the FDA was petitioned to update antidepressant labels to warn of the risk of PSSD, but so far the agency has failed to act.
Demedicalizing Depression: An Interview with Milutin Kostić
Justin Karter interviews Milutin Kostić on the fundamental flaws in depression research and its neglect of human complexity.
Wunderink: Antipsychotics Can Be Tapered Safely Without Increasing Relapse Risk
Tapering antipsychotics slowly and with supported decision-making may improve care for patients with psychosis.
When HVN Ireland Meets HVN Athens
Chairperson of Hearing Voices Network Ireland Owen Ó Tuama on the joy and power of community for voice-hearers across the globe.
poem by ElizaM
Jonesing
You can say it's for drugs and think what you want, but drugs are no substitute for love.
Think what you will and say what...
The STAR*D Scandal: More on the Fraud
IPAK science webinars hosts a science webinar with Robert Whitaker on the "STAR*D Scandal: Fraud in the Largest Antidepressant Trial."
On Your Mind podcast, hosted...
Psychiatric Drugs Unmasked
Mad in America founder Robert Whitaker talks to psychiatrist Hannah Spier on her podcast "Psychobabble."
Can We Talk About Spirituality? The Medicalization of Transpersonal Experiences
Even social work and psychotherapy rarely leave space for lived experiences of spirituality, though it instills hope, strength, and meaning.
Most NYC Public Hospitals Deny Psych Patients Time Outside, Lawyers Say
From Gothamist: The lawyers from Mental Hygiene Legal Services and Disability Rights Advocates argue existing laws are sufficient to make the practice of denying New York patients outdoor time illegal.
Deconstructing the Word Trauma: What Does it Mean Today?
"Trauma" is a pandora's box of a narrative. Most writings on the subject emanate from the Global North. Is trauma the 'same' in the Global South?
Doctors Can Be Socialized to Cooperate in “Unthinkable Practices,” Says Bioethicist
From BioEdge: "Academic medicine does not easily tolerate ethical dissent," says bioethicist Carl Elliot. "I doubt the medical profession can be trusted to reform itself."
Leaving Biological Psychiatry Behind: An Interview With Rodrigo Nardi
Rodrigo Nardi is a psychiatrist and psychologist. He obtained his psychology degree in the year 2000, and following that, he obtained a certificate in...
‘I Felt Kidnapped.’ Another Patient Comes Forward After Investigation Into MI Doc
From WXYZ: "I no longer trust medical professionals to have my well-being at heart," says Sarah Guarino, after she was held against her will by Michigan psychiatrist Nagy Kheir.
When the Help Becomes Part of the Problem
The feeling of being institutionalized and medicated over minor ailments is difficult to shake. I have been to countless therapy sessions attempting to deconstruct the feelings of dehumanization into digestible morsels.
We All Want to Cut Out the ‘Bad Parts’ of Ourselves. It Won’t Work,...
From The Guardian: Better mental health is about repairing internal connections, not cutting them.
Insulin Shock Therapy by Dana Henry Martin
I hear the music again. It’s my mother
singing through the clay earth
from her grave the way she sang
from her bed at the asylum
until they...
America’s Drug Safety System is Broken
A webinar presentation byKim Witczak, who serves as the consumer representation on the FDA's psychopharmacologic advisory committee. In her talk, she tells of systemic...
Is Public Psychiatry Responding to the Mental Health Crisis or Just “Treating the Chart?”
What sense did it make that he had been through hundreds of pages of notes worth of treatment and yet was still essentially un-helped?
‘The Occasional Human Sacrifice’ Details the Dangers of Whistleblowing and Medical Research Abuse
From Star Tribune: Speaking with fellow whistleblowers, bioethicist Carl Elliott writes about how calling attention to wrongdoing can often mean stepping into trouble you can't imagine.
