“Progress Only Occurs when People Make Demands”: Paolo del Vecchio Reflects on a Life...
Paolo del Vecchio speaks with Leah Harris about his decades of public service at SAMHSA, what worries him most about mental health in today’s America, and where he sees hope in the recovery movement that he helped create.
Call to Action: Submit a MedWatch Report to the FDA
From Antidepressantinfo.org: "We’ve submitted a petition to the FDA calling for stronger warnings and safer tapering guidance for SSRIs and SNRIs. Now we need...
Depsychiatrization: Dispelling Harmful, Diagnostical Self-Concepts in Therapy and Community Health Work
Depsychiatrization is a way of reclaiming the right to be understood through a nonpathologizing, rehumanized lens.
The Rampant Reach of Pharma’s Hidden Hand
From Patients for Affordable Drugs: "The influence of pharmaceutical companies on patient advocacy organizations is well-documented. Major drug companies and their trade associations pour...
More Than Half of top 100 Mental Health TikToks Contain Misinformation, Study Finds
From The Guardian: "People are increasingly turning to social media for mental health support, yet research has revealed that many influencers are peddling misinformation,...
Elderly Patients Who Stop Antipsychotics Have Better Outcomes
Older adults are often prescribed antipsychotics off-label for behavioral control in the hospital. But there’s no evidence for antipsychotics helping, and a great deal of evidence of harm.
Screen Time for Children Under Three: A Trigger for Virtual Autism?
"A Stone Unturned" weaves together the research and stories of autism symptoms reversed by removing screens and adding more parent engagement.
Alan Cassels: Are We Looking In The Right Place For Answers To Violent Attacks?
From The New Westminster Times: "In the aftermath of one of the worst days in the history of Vancouver, a recent Canadian Press headline...
Depression: Biological or Psychological?
Scientific evidence tells us that depression is psychological and should be treated by behavior therapy, not by antidepressant drugs.
Safety or System? – Seeking Soteria
From Dr. David Healy's blog: "Samizdat has just been graced with Gene Larkin’s Seeking Soteria accompanied by Bill James fabulous artwork (graced is the...
From EMPOWER to Exercise: What Actually Helps Older Adults Quit Benzos?
Despite clear risks, benzos and z-drugs remain widely prescribed to the elderly. New research explores what helps—and what doesn’t—when trying to stop.
Blindsided by Benzos: Had I Known
Doctors are not disclosing the harrowing truth that discontinuing these medications can plunge patients into relentless mental and physical torment.
Exposure to Antidepressants in the Womb Makes for Sad, Scared Adolescents
SSRI exposure in utero “alters the offspring’s brain structure,” causing a hyperactive amygdala and fear circuits, leading to anxiety and depression.
Mapping Identity Through Moonlight: A Narrative Therapy Reflection
Healing didn’t mean fixing the chaos or wrapping it in a bow, it meant refusing to be erased or silenced by it.
“Life Unworthy of Life”: Historical Amnesia, Ausmerzen and the Rhetoric Surrounding Autism
The idea that human value can be reduced to economic contribution is not merely reductive—it is deeply dangerous.
Life in the Hospital Before Deinstitutionalization
Accounts of deinstitutionalization fail to describe recovery, peer support, or what it was actually like to be in the state hospitals.
Fighting Forced Treatment in Court: A Victory to Be Celebrated
It is very difficult to get off a mental health commitment. The counties fight tooth and nail to keep people in the system.
Spotify is Scrambling to Remove Dozens of Podcasts Promoting Online Prescription Drug Sales
From CNN: "If you search “Adderall” on Spotify’s podcast page, you’ll find health podcasts about ADHD, shows about addiction recovery and comedy podcasts where...
The Poetics and Politics of Our Mental Health Metaphors: An Interview with Laurence Kirmayer
Ayurdhi Dhar interviews influential cultural psychiatrist Laurence Kirmayer on how metaphors, histories, and social structures contour our experiences of suffering and healing.
Family Traditions and the Inheritance of “Madness”
Families are not merely a source of comfort and support but also a breeding ground for dysfunction, unhealed trauma, and emotional neglect.
Court Gives Approval of Settlement Providing Better Mental Health Care for Iowa Children
from KCRG.org: On Friday, a federal court gave its approval of a settlement agreement in a lawsuit against the Iowa Department of Health and...
What Does Consent Mean in Practice? A Lived Experience Perspective
Every time I agreed to 'treatment’, I was told that it was necessary to save my life. I was sold a bunch of lies.
Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS): Why Don’t We Know More About It?
Persistent antidepressant withdrawal is a debilitating experience, but little research exists about its prevalence and treatment.
Mad in Portugal
Mad in Portugal's readers can find blogs, book reviews, and first-person testimonials from voices less present in mainstream narratives.
Heritability Explains Less About Mental Disorders Than You Think
The focus on diseased brains and genes obscures the significance of social and environmental influences.
