Mental Illness Isn’t the Only Reason for Suicide
From The Age: Most public discussion and media portrayals of suicide assume that suicide is solely the result of mental illness such as depression and anxiety....
Patient Advocacy Groups Take In Millions From Drugmakers
Kaiser Health News has launched a new database called Pre$scription for Power, which exposes donations pharmaceutical companies have made to patient advocacy groups. The...
“Is Pain a Construct of the Mind?”
Subtitled "Pain is an emotion," Scientific American's portrait of Dennis Rogers, whose uncanny feats of strength seem predicated on his anomalous relationship to pain...
“A Little ‘o’…”: 1BoringOldMan
1BoringOldMan notes the distance traveled from Robert Spitzer's Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDC) to Thomas Insel's Research Domain Criteria (RDoC), concluding "we have a faulty...
I Spent 16 Months of My Childhood Locked in a Warehouse
From HuffPost: The warehouse was occupied by a "tough love" drug rehab program called Straight Inc., which the ACLU branded "a concentration camp for throwaway teens."
“Will following positive psychology advice make you happier and healthier?”
In Mind the Brain on PLOS Blogs, James Coyne reviews some high-profile speakers' claims about the science of positive psychology, and examines more closely whether simply thinking positive thoughts or doing small, good things for yourself can significantly improve overall health, well-being and happiness.
Pharma Direct-to-consumer Ad Spending in US Jumps to $4.53 Billion
-The pharmaceutical industry spent $4.53 billion on direct-to-consumer advertising in the US in 2014, up 18% from $3.83 billion in 2013.
Re-telling Our Stories: Liberation or Re-oppression?
-When we "re-narrate" our own stories and identities, it may be an opportunity for either liberation or re-oppression.
“Programs Expand Schizophrenic Patients’ Role in Their Own Care”
Benedict Carey at the New York Times covers the push for new programs that emphasize supportive services, therapy, school and work assistance, and family education, rather than simply drug treatment.
“Alternative Therapies Should Be Considered Before Antipsychotics for Children”
The official voice of the American Psychiatric Association covers the short and long term side-effects of antipsychotics and promotes the use of therapeutic alternatives...
Was the FDA Commissioner Paid By Drug Makers Last Year?
Pharmalot, Pharmalittle: “US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf appeared in a federal database of payments made last year by drug makers...
“I Didn’t Believe I had an Eating Disorder. But the Threat of Forced Feeding...
In this opinion piece for STAT, Carrie Arnold wades into the ethical debate over forced treatment in a case that "has set off a firestorm...
Using Shakespeare to Ease the Trauma of war
From The New York Times: Learning Shakespeare can be a valuable way for veterans to begin to understand and heal from the trauma of war.
Article →
The Persistence of the Radioactive Bogeyman
From Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: Since 1950, a noteworthy number of American and European horror movies have used radiation as a plot device. The...
Antidepressant to Blame for Frank Sinatra’s Failing Health
From Fox News: According to Frank Sinatra's manager Eliot Weisman, Sinatra suffered from several adverse effects of the antidepressant Elavil during his final years.
"...there was...
“Why ARE so Many People Being Labelled Bipolar?”
"For drugs designed for a relatively small number of very disturbed patients, antipsychotics are now among the most profitable drugs in the world, just...
“It’s the Drugs, Stupid!”
Gary Kohls, MD, revisits an article from AmericanThinker.com that suggests "Today, many of our children are prescribed the same psychotropic drugs as were given...
Is Rising Inequality Responsible for Greater Stress and Anxiety?
From The Guardian: "Now Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett, the authors of The Spirit Level, have returned with a new book, The Inner Level: How More...
Interest in Marijuana for Treating Psychiatric Problems is Risky
-Various sources discuss how marijuana could be more risky to the brain than helpful, and suggest that we should be careful about expanding its use.
“Maybe Oregon Shooting and Others Aren’t About Mental Illness”
Matthew Cooper, writing for Newsweek, reports that despite the preponderance of political rhetoric about “mental illness” after mass shootings, a review of the research suggests that the connection between mental health and gun violence is dubious.
To Save the World, We’re Going to Have to Stop Working
From The Big Think: If we don’t break ourselves of this addiction quickly, we will leave our progeny to face catastrophes on a scale which will make the current pandemic seem trivial.
“With Sobering Science, Doctor Debunks 12-Step Recovery”
NPR interviews Dr. Lance Dodes, author of The Sober Truth: Debunking the Bad Science Behind Twelve-Step Programs and the Rehab Industry. Despite the fact...
As Hannah’s Diazepam Prescription Rose, So Did Red Flags in Victoria’s Addiction Warning System
From ABC Australia: Victoria's SafeScript system was rolled out in 2018 to track the use of certain medications and 'enable safer clinical decisions.' But experts fear it may be pushing some patients towards the black market.
“Psychiatric Drugs Are Being Prescribed to Infants”
The New York Times reports that a growing number of infants and toddlers are being prescribed dangerous psychiatric drugs. “Almost 20,000 prescriptions for risperidone (commonly known as Risperdal), quetiapine (Seroquel) and other antipsychotic medications were written in 2014 for children 2 and younger, a 50 percent jump from 13,000 just one year before.”
What Happened to Britney Spears Can Happen to You
From RxISK: Inaccurate and invalid so-called "expert" psychiatric testimony is used in a number of ways - not just guardianships - to take people's rights away in court.
