MIA Today

Headlines of Today's Posts

When Homosexuality Was a “Disease”: My Story of Abuse

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The horrors I was forced to undergo to “treat” my homosexuality are now unthinkable, but continue to raise questions about psychiatry’s ethics.

Kendra’s Law Must Be a Beginning, Not an End

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I believe that, as things are right now, forced treatment can be justifiable. But we need to move studies and research forward, move mental health treatment forward into an era where forced treatment is obsolete.
A photo of Mayor Eric Adams at a podium, with many other people behind him wearing suits.

Consumer Advisory Board Chair: NYC Mayor Adams Did Not Consult With Us on New...

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I chair the Consumer Advisory Board for the NYC Department of Mental Hygiene (DOMH). And I can tell you firsthand: We were not consulted before this plan came to fruition.

And Now They Are Coming for the Unhoused: The Long Push to Expand Involuntary...

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Mayor Adams' plan to "involuntarily remove" unhoused people has met with backlash from activists and the unhoused, who say it violates their rights and further entrenches systemic racism.

Review of the Conference on Withdrawal and Side Effects: IIPDW

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The online conference Withdrawal From Psychiatric Drugs was held on Friday May 6th and 7th. Here we summarize each of the speakers' points.

Martin Harrow: The Galileo of Modern Psychiatry (1933 – 2023)

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Harrow's research over the years told of how long-term antipsychotic use is associated with worse outcomes, even after controlling for psychosis severity.

Winding Back the Clock: What If the STAR*D Investigators Had Told the Truth?

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The STAR*D Study has been cited as real-world evidence of the efficacy of antidepressants. In truth, it told of a failed paradigm of care.
assorted open law books with legal gavel, in dramatic light

You Have the Legal Right to Informed Consent

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My doctor didn’t tell me about any side effects, and I didn’t ask. I assumed that if there were any risks with taking Paxil, he would tell me.

Depression May Not Stem From a “Chemical Imbalance” After All – Suggesting the Problem...

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From Salon: Scholars have argued for decades that depression has a social and political cause. A new study reinforces that view.

FDA OKs New ‘Antipsychotic’ Drug Combo That ‘Limits the Pleasure of Food Intake’

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From MedPage Today: A newly approved 'medication' for 'schizophrenia' and 'bipolar disorder' promises to reduce usual weight gain with olanzapine (Zyprexa) by making it less pleasant to eat food.

Parental Rescue Fantasy: Exploration of the Psychological Concept

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From Daniel Mackler: People who were failed in important ways as children often grow up with the hope of finding someone who will finally meet all their unmet childhood needs.

Connecting the Dots: My Toxic Workplace Made Me “Mentally Ill”

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In 1996, I suffered my first manic episode. My mother was convinced it had been caused by chemical exposure. But I wouldn’t hear it, and neither would my psychiatrists.
Painting of Dostoevsky by Vasily Perov

Dostoevsky: A Psychologist We Can All Learn From

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Psychology has greatly broadened its scope since Nietzsche’s day and yet his implied criticism is one the discipline is still wrestling with.

Man Arrested in Mistaken Identity Case Locked in Hawaii Mental Hospital for Two Years

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From The Guardian: The more Mr. Spriestersbach asserted that he was not Mr. Castleberry, the more he was declared delusional and psychotic by Hawaii State Hospital staff and doctors and heavily medicated, a court petition said.

Breaking Off My Chemical Romance: Reassessing Antidepressants

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From The Nation: Some medical professionals are concluding what until recently felt too heretical to say out loud: Antidepressants may often cause more harm than good.

STAR*D: It is time to atone and retract

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From Psychiatric Times: Two psychiatrists write in the Psychiatric Times that the response of the STAR*D investigators to a reanalysis of STAR*D data by Ed...
Close-up photo of two textbooks, open, one on top of the other

Psychiatry Textbooks Are Filled with Errors and Propaganda

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The coming generations of healthcare professionals are being taught information that is incorrect, to the detriment of their patients.

‘A General Theory of Love,’ Part 2: Limbic Resonance

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From Don't Try This Alone: The development of an infant’s brain after birth depends on the mother’s close affectionate attention, using a deep eye contact called "limbic resonance."

NYC: Social Workers, EMS to Replace Cops on Non-Violent Mental Health Calls Citywide

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From PIX11: A pilot program that has kept NYPD officers away from many mental health crisis calls in parts of Manhattan will expand to every precinct citywide, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Monday.

Patients as Partners: A Social Empowerment Approach to Health and Mental Health

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Hugh Polk and Ann Green discuss social medicine with Jessie Fields, a medical doctor working in Harlem, a community leader, and an advocate for transforming our health and mental health care system.

Head of FDA’s Neuroscience Unit to Depart

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From Fierce Biotech: The embattled regulator, Billy Dunn, has been accused of having had a too-cozy relationship with the pharma company Biogen prior to the approval of their Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm.

Ready to Quit Antidepressants? New Approach Helps Avoid Dreaded Withdrawal Symptoms

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From Toronto Star: A growing number of people are choosing a “hyperbolic tapering” protocol, which takes into consideration how the drug actually works in the brain.

Books Under Review: Fall 2022

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Reviews of three recent books reflecting various perspectives on the mental health system.

Informed Consent for Antidepressants

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From The Guardian Letters: Dr. John Read argues people must be told of the high likelihood of emotional blunting and withdrawal effects when they are first offered antidepressants.
Scowling teenage boy holding up pills sealed in blister packs in his hand as he leans on a wooden table with an intense stare

Risk of Depression Spikes When Kids Take Ritalin

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Risk of depression increased when children were taking methylphenidate for ADHD, but once they stopped taking the drug, depression risk dropped to normal levels.