On the Right of People on Disability to Refuse Psychotropic Medications
The People With Disabilities Foundation won a judgment against SSA for illegally using a plaintiff’s right to refuse psychotropic medications as evidence she was "not disabled."
Trans Lifeline: Naming Trans-Specific Harm in Mental Health
Interim Hotline Manager Jahmil Roberts and Advocacy Director Yana Calou from the Trans Lifeline work towards connecting trans people to the community support and resources they need to survive and thrive - free of prisons and police
How Melissa Lucio Went From Abuse Survivor to Death Row
From The 19th: Some trauma victims are more likely to take responsibility for crimes even when they may be innocent.
Mad by Design: An Ancient Paradigm of Psychiatric Thought
To propose that madness may have a function is not to deny the toll it may exact on people, but to help us understand what problem it is meant to solve.
Did Psychiatry Ever Endorse the Chemical Imbalance Theory of Depression?
With the chemical imbalance theory falling out of fashion, researchers examine the claim that psychiatry never truly endorsed it.
That Time When the Psychiatric System Went Too Far… | Joanne Cacciatore
From Dr. Joanne Cacciatore: A few very persistent scholars have finally succeeding in declaring that extended expressions of grief indicate 'mental illness' — a move that offends many.
Thomas Insel and the Future of the Mental Health System
Insel says he has the answer—the same emphasis on neuroscience and genetics, which he admits led to no improvements under his leadership at NIMH.
Antidepressants Do Not Improve Quality of Life
A new study found that taking antidepressants did not improve quality of life.
A Tribute to Dr. Dean K. Brooks: The Fire Still Burns
Stories of a state hospital leader who challenged the mental health system by placing patients as the most important people: Dr. Dean K. Brooks of Oregon State Hospital.
Dhru Purohit Podcast: Does Long-Term Use of Psychiatric Drugs Do More Harm Than Good?
From Dr. Hyman/The Dhru Purohit Podcast: We’ve all heard the term "chemical imbalance," but this theory is being increasingly questioned. Dhru Purohit and Robert Whitaker dig into the questions surrounding psychiatric drugs and psychiatry's "disease model."
Ending Coercive “Help”: A Review of “Reimagining Crisis Support”
The book presents a thoughtful, comprehensive plan for replacing the current coercive medical model of crisis “support” with something that actually helps.
And Finally
With considerable misgivings, I have decided that, due to advancing age and ongoing deterioration in my health, I am no longer able to write posts or respond to comments.
An Open Letter to the Member Organizations of the Mental Health Professions
From the Coalition Against Medicalized Psychiatry and Psychology (CAMPP): By defending the medical model of human distress, the mental health professions have put themselves in an ethically untenable position that is not worthy of trust or respect.
The Song of Psychiatry: The Impact of Language
I want to share the journey I took to find a new language, a new story, around my experiences and how that journey impacted my survival.
An American History of Addiction, Part 10: My Strange Path to Recovery
Every drinking “experiment” I performed was already tainted. Every time I would try, I became angry and resentful, feeling like I had been tricked into joining a cult.
Patient Reports Reveal SSRI Antidepressants Often Lead to Emotional Blunting
According to patient reports, SSRI antidepressants most frequently lead to the subjective experience of emotional blunting.
An American History of Addiction, Part 9: How I Became an “Addict”
My current allotment of Xanax had just run out, and I remembered feeling the last dose wearing off. My heart had started racing and I had become fidgety.
Books Under Review: Spring 2022
Reviews of four recent books reflecting various perspectives on the mental health system.
Marci Webber Files Lawsuit Against Mental Facility Staff for Abuse and Medical Mistreatment
Ms. Webber says the long list of abuses and interference in her medical treatment plan demonstrate "a pattern or practice of mistreatment" of herself and other patients at the Illinois facilities where she has been confined.
From Labeled to Healer: A Road Less Traveled
We have let down our children (and ourselves) by losing touch with parental intuition and handing their care over to professionals at the first sign of a problem.
Apples and Oranges in Peer Support Research
Discussing a meta-analysis on the effectiveness of peer support: The co-opting of peer support specialists into roles that don’t fit with their purpose is a big problem.
Psych Concepts Creep Into Our Everyday Experiences: An Interview with Nicholas Haslam
MIA’s Ayurdhi Dhar interviews Nicholas Haslam about how psychiatric terms get diluted and creep into everyday language, altering our experiences.
Taking It Personally: Indignation as a Vehicle of Therapy | Alice Miller
From Alice Miller: Child Abuse and Mistreatment: The open display of indignation on the part of the therapist as witness ultimately sets off a process of liberation that has previously been impeded by society's injunction against blaming one's parents.
Saving Lives or Cementing Stigma? A Review of “Just Like You…”
In my experience, episodes of anxiety and depression dwindle in the face of hope and empowerment, while broken-brain narratives lead to deeper despair.
Mad in (S)pain
A Q&A with the team members who edit and run Mad in (S)pain: "There must be a radical change in the way mental suffering is understood and cared for."
