In Memory of Sandra Escher, Pioneer on Voice-Hearing
Sandra Escher, who helped create a foundation for the Hearing Voices movement, recently passed away. She was the first researcher in the field of children who hear voices.
No, the FDA’s Black Box Warning Did not Increase Suicides
Researchers again debunk the claim that the FDA black box warnings on antidepressants led to more suicides.
My Mother Wound: Rethinking “Fear of Abandonment”
Therapists are quick to refer to this pain I feel as a “fear of abandonment,” as if it is a figment of my mind and something not worth the time to attend to.
Welcome to Mad in America’s Family Resources Section!
This week, you’ll notice a new name and a new look on this page. The Parent Resources section of Mad in America’s website is now officially the Family Resources section.
Anticholinergic Medications Linked to Cognitive Impairment in Schizophrenia
Researchers have found further evidence that the anticholinergic effect of psychiatric drugs can lead to cognitive impairments.
Foster Kids Sent Out of State to Mental Health Facilities Faced Abuse, Neglect
From ProPublica: An investigation found repeated breakdowns in oversight as states failed to protect young people in need of specialized care.
Study Confirms Overdiagnosis of ADHD in Children and Teens
Medical researchers present evidence that ADHD is overdiagnosed in children and teens, which can lead to significant harm.
Nutrition and Mental Health: An Interview with Julia Rucklidge, Ph.D.
Dr. Rucklidge talks about the emerging field of Nutritional Psychiatry, which looks at the relationship between nutrition and brain health and how it may affect children’s moods and behavior.
Stimulant Prescribing Patterns for ADHD Not Impacted by Scientific Evidence
The article suggests that research challenging the evidence for ADHD drugs does not lead to changes without public campaigns.
Three Ways Mental Illness Is Misdiagnosed in Children (humor)
From The Situational Therapist: A marriage and family therapist offers an irreverent take on what's really going on when a child gets 'diagnosed with a mental illness.'
Interview: Is Forced Treatment Deterring Youth from Seeking Mental Health Care?
Researcher Nev Jones, Ph.D., talks about her study of youth hospitalized against their will, and how their experiences affected their attitudes about mental health treatment and providers.
Bearing False Witness: Childhood Psychiatry, Trauma, and Memory
Through journaling, I realized that my lifelong confusion surrounding my memories of traumatic events was the direct result of the psychiatric labels and drugs I swallowed alongside years of parental abuse.
Someone I Used to Know
When I sit in Billie’s office, I am still 13 years old, bitter anger saturating my body. I am 23, sobbing that I cannot do this anymore. I am 24, celebrating my first year of college. I am all of these people and none of these people.
Childhood Trauma Is Not a Mental Illness
My childhood was stolen by systems focused on labeling and medicating me instead of healing the effects of abuse and neglect.
Antidepressants Still Linked to Increased Suicide Risk
Bias and financial conflicts in antidepressant trials “contribute to systematic underestimation of risk in the published literature.”
College Tuition Sparked a Mental Health Crisis. Then the Hospital Bill Arrived.
From KHN: A student from Mumbai with an interest in comedy discovers that college tuition, hospital bills, and psychiatric treatment are all very bad jokes in America.
Remembering Jennifer Kinzie (1979-2021)
Jennifer Kinzie was a licensed mental health counselor who used her lived experience to guide her work—not only as a counselor and therapist, but also as a volunteer with psychiatric survivor groups.
More Parents Seek ADHD Diagnosis and Drugs for Kids to Manage Remote Learning
From NBC News: "I'm watching kids who used to love school become unenthused and unmotivated," said one Michigan-based pediatrician.
The Role of Love in Mental Health
The one core ingredient on which any recovery from emotional distress depends is the one that never makes an appearance in any medical handbook or psychiatric diagnostic manual—that is, love.
A 9-Year-Old Was Pepper-Sprayed by Police. Here’s What Should Have Happened Instead
From USA TODAY: To expect a child to be able to overcome a biological stress response for the sake of compliance demonstrates a lack of understanding, said child advocate Deb Rosen.
The False Memory Syndrome at 30: How Flawed Science Turned into Conventional Wisdom ...
Soon after states finally began providing adults who remembered childhood abuse with the legal standing to sue, the FMSF began waging a PR campaign to discredit their memories—in both courtrooms and in the public mind.
The Nurtured Heart Approach Instead of Drugs: An Interview with Howard Glasser
This episode of “Mad in the Family” focuses on a non-drug method to bringing out the best in challenging children, particularly those diagnosed with “ADHD.” It is called the Nurtured Heart Approach® and its essence is that, in the words of our guest, “the same intensity that drives people crazy is actually the source of a child’s greatness."
A Nurse’s Nightmare: Child Nearly Dies from ADHD Drug
My hope and prayer is that this dramatic look at a negative effect of this class of drugs will help you understand that, in my professional assessment, their risks outweigh their benefits.
Surge of Student Suicides Pushes Las Vegas Schools to Reopen
From The New York Times: Firmly linking teen suicides to school closings is difficult, but rising mental health emergencies point to the toll the pandemic lockdown is taking.
Now I See a Person: A New Model for Breaking Free of Mental Health...
NISAPI helps people achieve recovery by pairing the normalcy of a ranch and the nurturance of horses with a philosophy of postmodern collaborative practice.
