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Headlines of Today's Posts

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Critical Psychiatry Textbook, Chapter 8: Depression and Mania (Affective Disorders) (Part Six)

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On the pharmaceutical industry's spinning of results of clinical trials to hide suicide attempts and deaths on depression pills.
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No Difference in Antidepressant Effectiveness After Genetic Testing

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Genetic testing may help reduce the length of time people experience the harmful effects of antidepressant drugs, but it is not helpful for predicting efficacy.

Everyone Is Traumatized — A Former Therapist Explains

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From Daniel Mackler: People who weren’t traumatized, who don’t split off their feelings in some ways, couldn’t cause the amount of harm that we are causing to each other, to ourselves, and to the planet.

The Nervous System in the Classroom | Gary Sharpe

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From Gary Sharpe: Many of our institutions, from schools to hospitals, seem almost designed to constantly trigger our sense of threat.
Illustration including the words "MYTHS" and "FACTS"

Cochrane’s Demise: Misleading Denigration of Benzodiazepines for Acute Psychosis

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On a misleading Cochrane review of benzodiazepines for acute psychosis, and how Cochrane responded to criticism.

Eating Disorder Helpline Disables Chatbot for ‘Harmful’ Responses After Firing Human Staff

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From VICE: “Every single thing Tessa suggested were things that led to the development of my eating disorder," said an activist who posted screenshots of her interaction with the chat bot.

Brett Deacon: Antidepressants Aren’t the Answer, the Truth About the DSM, and the Power...

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From Psychlings Podcast: The clinical psychologist and professor shares his views on why more psychologists should use exposure therapy.

State Hospital Memories: More of My Story

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The Detroit Free Press did an excellent job in bringing to light the conditions at Pontiac, its loss of accreditation, and closing. Still, they didn't quite grasp the severity of violence there.

Eating Disorder Helpline Fires Staff, Transitions to Chatbot After Unionization

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From VICE: "A chat bot is no substitute for human empathy, and we believe this decision will cause irreparable harm to the eating disorders community," said the Helpline staff in a statement.

Teenagers Pathologized by Traditional Addiction Treatment

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From Filter: Traditional treatment can pathologize normal behaviors of adolescence, thereby reinforcing stigma and existing low self-esteem.

Stockholm Syndrome Is the Norm for Children in Families | Daniel Mackler

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From Daniel Mackler/Wild Truth: People who have been traumatized, especially children, often end up not hating the people who traumatized them but rather identifying with and defending them.
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Critical Psychiatry Textbook, Chapter 8: Depression and Mania (Affective Disorders) (Part Five)

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Peter Gøtzsche continues the discussion of the pharmaceutical industry’s manipulation of depression pill trials for children and adolescents.
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Should Everyone Be in Therapy?

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A new study finds that those with mild distress are three times as likely to feel worse after therapy than to receive some benefit.

In-Depth: Patients Struggling to Shed ADHD Label

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From The Epoch Times: As the number of people seeking ADHD diagnoses surges, some may face challenges in having their official diagnosis reversed if they come to regret it at a later stage.
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Psychiatrists: The Criminals Behind the Scenes of the Conservatorship Business

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We need to dig deeper into the doctors who conduct these evaluations, who hide behind their sealed documents with no transparency and zero accountability.

CT Sen. Chris Murphy Calls for Restrictions of Restraint and Seclusion in U.S. Schools

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From CT Insider: "It's hard to believe, but there are thousands of kids who are being put in solitary confinement or having their hands bound as punishment for misbehavior at school," said Murphy.
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Not Everyone Agreed With FDA Approval of Antipsychotic Rexulti for Agitation

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Providing the sole "no" vote on the approval of Rexulti, the consumer representative on the FDA's advisory committee shares her reasoning.

Dehumanization Killed Jordan Neely—and Dominated Coverage of His Death

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From FAIR: Writes Roxane Gay for the New York Times, "Was he making people uncomfortable? I’m sure he was. But his were the words of a man in pain. He did not physically harm anyone. And the consequence for causing discomfort isn’t death, unless, of course, it is.”
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Antidepressants Have Destroyed My Sexual Function and Range of Emotions

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In 2012, in a period of low mood and anxiety, my GP prescribed an antidepressant. Little did I know that this would derail my life.
A young woman crouches in distress in a corner, while a doctor's hand reaches out to her. Everything is white

An Unacknowledged Role of Doctors: Suppressing Women

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Western culture has instilled the idea that women are inherently weak and must trust authoritative doctors to manage their distress for them.

Mental Health Services Must Be Prised From the Grip of Psychiatry

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From The Irish Times: Our mental health services are designed to protect the privilege and interests of one profession at the expense of people’s mental health. There are better ways, and we all know it.
A bottle of blue pills overturned on a wooden table

Critical Psychiatry Textbook, Chapter 8: Depression and Mania (Affective Disorders) (Part Four)

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Discussing how depression pills don’t work for children and increase their risk of suicide.

Do Not Prescribe Antidepressants for Mild to Moderate Depression or at First Visit

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World Psychiatry article challenges conventional antidepressant prescription practices.
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Psychiatric Detentions Rise 120% in First Year of 988

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As contacts to the new 988 suicide hotline number have risen, so have call tracing and police interventions.

Charity Apologizes for Banning Peer Support Worker Applicants Who Receive Psychological Support

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From The Independent: Former peer supporter Katy Stepanian said she was shocked to see such discrimination "for a peer worker role where the whole point...is to have lived experience."