How Non-Industrial Cultures View ‘Mental Illness’
From Big Think: Other societies are not so frightened by the prospect of madness or even certified psychosis, and are much more likely to see it as a special ability to be nurtured.
‘We’re the Workaholics of the World’
From The Atlantic: Where traditional religion once lent people meaning, community, and self-actualization, work has stepped in to fill the void.
‘I’m Gonna Die in Here’: 19-Year-Old ‘Mentally Ill’ Woman in Jail for Spitting
From Phoenix New Times: "This incident exposes systemic problems within Arizona jails and prisons in which people are dehumanized, abused, and treated unjustly," said a spokesperson for the ACLU of Arizona.
Health Agencies Muzzled After Trump’s Remarks on Mass Shootings
From The Washington Post: "To say that scientists and experts who know the data and facts best are not allowed to speak — that’s very concerning," said University of Pennsylvania professor Dominic Sisti.
We Have Ruined Childhood
From The New York Times: Children today are more depressed than they were during the Great Depression and more anxious than they were at the height of the Cold War.
A Psychiatrist Tries Antipsychotics: Seroquel
From Fugitive Psychiatrist: "I can’t believe I have patients walking around on 800mg of this stuff. There’s no way in good conscience I could dose this BID (sic) unless a patient consented to 20 hours of sleep a day."
For-Profit Psych Hospital Corp. US HealthVest Brings Peril to 3 States
From The Seattle Times: No private mental-health care operator in Washington state in recent years has pushed to expand as rapidly or racked up as many serious violations as quickly.
Are You Coming to the Drug Lunch?
From Council for Evidence-Based Psychiatry: In 2009, the Royal College of Physicians recommended banning the ever-present drug company sales-talks. Ten years on, this still looks unlikely.
The Hypersane Are Among Us, if Only We Are Prepared to Look
From Aeon: If there is such a thing as hypersanity, the implication is that mere sanity is not all it’s cracked up to be, a state of dormancy and dullness with less vital potential even than madness.
Historical Trauma, Hawaiian Resilience Play Out on Mauna Kea
From Hawai'i Public Radio: Mauna Kea has been a catalyst for native Hawaiians to seek emotional healing – and in ways that traditional western interventions don’t provide.
When Side Effects Turn Deadly
From Elemental, by Medium: Akathisia is a side effect of medication characterized by extreme inner restlessness. For some, the turmoil is so strong it quickly leads to death by suicide.
Trump Orders VA to Buy “a Lot of” Esketamine for Veterans
From MilitaryTimes: The president said the drug has shown a 'tremendously positive' effect in early testing and he is optimistic it can help with mental health problems in the veterans community.
When Hospitals Sue for Unpaid Bills, It Can Be ‘Ruinous’ for Patients
From NPR: In Virginia, 36% of hospitals sued patients and garnished their wages in 2017. Four of the five hospitals with the most lawsuits were nonprofits.
Big Pharma’s Trail of Greed, Power and Cruelty Must Be Stopped
From AlterNet: Exposure has not stopped the worsening behavior of Big Pharma because it controls most of Congress—candidates rely heavily on the industry for campaign budgets.
Second Teenage Girl Dies at Middlesbrough West Lane Hospital
From BBC News: A second girl has died at a UK mental health unit for young people where staff face being disciplined for allegedly mistreating patients.
Opioid Addiction Requires Safe Injection Sites, Not Old Rhetoric From War on Drugs
From NBC News: Though recognized as critical to curbing the epidemic, harm-reduction advocates have been unable to open a single safe injection site anywhere in the U.S.
The Psychiatric “Prescribing Cascade”: A Patient Story
From Lown Institute: It wasn’t until Steve was admitted to the hospital for multi-organ failure that a gastroenterologist set him on a path to deprescribe his psychiatric medications.
‘Dear Doctor’ – Toronto Rapper Calls for Greater Humanism in Psychiatry
From MC FÜBB: New single by rapper/psychotherapist MC FÜBB is a response to over-medicalized, disease-focused treatment in psychiatry and calls for greater humanism in mental health care.
You Can’t Stop Mass Shootings by Punishing People With ‘Mental Illness’
From The Washington Post: Ironically, the "care" I was given—forcibly taking me out of my community and medicating me against my will—started to *actually* make me a danger to myself.
For 20 Years, Delivering Therapy in Exchange for Doing Good
From the Hartford Courant: Volunteers in Psychotherapy, a West Hartford-based non-profit, allows people to get absolutely private therapy in exchange for volunteering at an organization of their choice.
The Violence-‘Mental Illness’ Myth, ‘Risk Assessment,’ and Crisis Response
From the American Psychological Association "Speaking of Psychology" podcast: We know that all human behavior is an interaction between a human being and the circumstances or situations in which they find themselves.
Open Letter to Politicians: How to Resolve the Mental Health Crisis
From Dr. Gary Sidley/Tales from the Madhouse blog: The illness-like-any-other approach to human distress, as espoused by Western psychiatry, has been an abject failure. We do not need more of the same.
Understanding Aboriginal Parenting Goals
From CultuRecode DhuriNya Project: Cultures which emphasize Individualism are more likely to make the fundamental attribution error—explaining behavior by reference to innate character traits rather than external sources.
Statement of APA President About Mass Shootings in TX, OH
From the American Psychological Association: The combination of easy access to assault weapons and hateful rhetoric is toxic. Psychological science has demonstrated that social contagion is real.
Austerity and Inequality Fuelling Mental Illness, Says Top UN Envoy
From The Guardian: Special rapporteur on health Dr. Dainius Pūras says social justice is more important for mental health than therapy and medication.
