Dorothea Buck’s Memoir Tells of the Horrors of Twentieth Century Psychiatry: A “Hell Amidst...
Sterilized under Nazi law, Dorothea Buck fought throughout her life for psychiatric reform.
‘Illuminating Journeys’: Using Creativity for Change in Mental Health Treatment
From Health Justice: The Illuminating Journeys project supported people with lived experience of involuntary mental health treatment in British Columbia to inform mental health public policy by sharing their lived experience expertise in creative ways.
Grief Is Horrible – But It’s Supposed to Be. We Have to Feel a...
From The Guardian: An undead, colourless half-life lies ahead if we cannot find the courage to give ourselves the cacophonous gift of grief.
Antiseizure Drug Exposure in Pregnancy Linked to Large Risk of Autism, ADHD, and Intellectual...
Harms are “largely overlooked by psychiatry despite widespread usage,” according to the researchers.
Dramatic Rise in Police Interventions on 988 Callers
New data reveals that four times as many callers to 988 as previously publicly claimed are getting visited by police or emergency medical services.
Stealing My Mother From Me: The Horrors of Conservatorship
My beloved mother was mistreated, cheated, abused mentally, and alienated from her family by her conservator and the courts.
In the House of Psychiatry, a Jarring Tale of Violence
From The New York Times: At the American Psychiatric Association’s annual meeting, a patient described a restraint that haunts him, more than eight years later.
Don’t Call Me a Therapist
Psychology is closer to philosophy than medicine, laying a foundation for personal development that can lead to better adaptation.
How Anecdotes Sell Drugs: On the 30th Anniversary Edition of “Listening to Prozac”
From L.A. Review of Books: Listening to Prozac’s 30th anniversary edition is a tribute of sorts to the power of celebrity and to the persistence of the myth that depression is a brain disorder that can be abolished by ingesting one of Big Pharma’s magic bullets.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
‘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.
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.
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...