MIA Today

From ABC7/WXYZ Detroit: Patients, parents, and employees are coming forward to talk about their experiences at some Michigan hospitals with psychiatrist Dr. Nagy Kheir. 

One of the original Open Dialogue researchers responds to a paper presenting a prejudiced and selective review of the scientific literature.

From BristolLive: Dr. Ben Sessa has said he knew the woman had a history of self-harm and overdoses but was not aware that she had tried to take her own life during the course of their relationship.

Ayurdhi Dhar interviews psychiatrist Swapnil Gupta on psychiatric drug discontinuation, drug cocktail risks, patient choice, and the need for trust and transparency.

The widespread use of psychiatric drugs reduces important conversations about the problems of being human while limiting our options for problem-solving.

New research finds insomnia, anxiety, and depression are common symptoms of antipsychotic withdrawal, highlighting difficulties of discontinuation.

From Sociology Lens Insights: In recent decades, we have too often passed the buck of social problems to children who lack the power to say no to stigmatizing psychiatric labels.

How persistent, unbearable suffering, due to prolonged withdrawal from antipsychotics prescribed as a sleeping medication, led to euthanasia.

From NJ Spotlight News: “Imagine living in an environment where even the most basic choices are taken away from you...and, in place of psychiatric treatment, you face both boredom and violence on a daily basis,” said Bren Pramanik, a Disability Rights New Jersey attorney.

Amid mostly rude and unprofessional jibes, there were also some legitimate points, which are addressed here.

From The Times: Although Dr. Mark Horowitz wondered whether the pills were to blame for a growing raft of health complaints “I thought it was the right thing to do,” he says, “like taking your vitamins.”

Though there are obstacles, integration of peer support is already underway thanks to change agents in the mental health system.

From The Marshall Project: State officials often fail to identify prisoners with developmental disorders, a group that faces overwhelming challenges behind bars, from bright lights to noises to social dynamics.

New research finds the negative drug effects most commonly associated with initiating antidepressant discontinuation are anxiety, suicidal thoughts, vomiting, and rashes.

Psychiatry’s depression outcomes are poor because its bio-chemical-electrical treatments are based on a depression model that science has flushed down the toilet.

From The Guardian: Since the 1970s, it has been known that the epilepsy drug sodium valproate can harm babies in the womb. So why was it prescribed to pregnant women?

Why are benzos, for short-term use only, being doled out, in some cases, for years? Nicole Lamberson and Mark Horowitz weigh in.

From New York Post: A new study provides evidence that antidepressant use during pregnancy can impact child brain development and contribute to the risk of mental health disorders later in life.

Author Deborah Kasdan discusses her memoir of her late sister, "Roll Back The World."

Educators and parents must equip children with the necessary tools to meet the normal problems of childhood that psychiatry attempts to address.

From The Guardian: Expert says treatment plans set out while patients are well should be included in Mental Health Act reforms in England and Wales.

Research sheds light on the impact of antidepressants on sexual dysfunction, emphasizing the need for patient-physician communication.

From CPTSD Foundation: We are bombarded with tips to avoid, to reject, to minimize emotional distress and deep-seated trauma. But what we shut out of our minds will bubble up to the surface in ways that could be hurtful for ourselves and others.

While the study can’t confirm causality, it does contradict the notion that antidepressants reduce suicide at the population level.

This is what social media does, she says. It draws people in. It hurts people. In the worst cases, it kills people.