Mad in America and Activism
The question that is presently unanswerable is whether this crisis will stimulate progress or regression. I choose to believe that it is an opportunity but that we must fight to make it happen. My dream: To build compassionate communities where people who look, act, or think differently are supported in ways for them to develop their innate potential.
Not Stigma, Privacy: Why I Write Under a Pseudonym
If I disclose my situation, then professionally, the attributional association of “the therapist with schizophrenia“ will necessarily and inevitably follow. But this is not who I am. Rather, I am a therapist with a private medical issue and I prefer to maintain its confidentiality—no further justification needed.
Sam Himelstein – The Impact of COVID-19 and Social Distancing on Adolescents
Psychologist Sam Himelstein, PhD, talks about the impact of the coronavirus crisis and “social distancing” policies on adolescents, taking a look at the unique needs of teenagers and young adults and the challenges they may present for parents, caregivers, and other family members.
Allen Frances: Still Spinning the Story
Allen Frances' latest article: There are problems in the psychiatric field, but none of these problems can be blamed on psychiatry. But the spurious promotion of psychiatric "diagnoses" as real illnesses, and the routine prescribing of chemical and electrical "cures" were and are psychiatric inventions.
Exploring Dialogical Responses in a Time of Crisis: Are We Living in the...
Mad in America is proud to introduce a new venture: a web series of virtual “Town Hall” conversations, “Exploring Dialogical Responses in a Time of Crisis,” on Fridays at noon, eastern standard time. The first live town hall will be held on Friday, April 17.
Detroit Psych Hospital Insiders Raise COVID-19 Concerns
From WXYZ News: Three hospital current hospital employees are blowing the whistle on behavior that they say has put everyone inside the hospital at risk.
61 Mental Health Patients Test Positive for Coronavirus at Louisiana Hospital
From The Advocate: "Phillip Newton, interim president of Local 1695 at AFSCME Council 17, said the outbreak began early last week and administrators were...
We Are All in This Together
We need a new narrative of shared distress to replace the failed one of individual disorders. We need human connection and mutual support. We can learn to manage our feelings in a way that helps us through the crisis and gives us the energy to make much-needed social and environmental changes afterwards. The usual dividing lines melt away in the face of global emergency. We really are all in this together.
Antidepressant Use Continues to Climb Among Youth on Medicaid
New study finds that Medicaid enrolled youth were 14 times more likely to be on an antidepressant in 2014 than in 1987.
Suicide Hotline Sees Rise in Coronavirus-Related Calls. Counselors Feel the Pain
From the Los Angeles Times: The crisis counselors at Didi Hirsch, whose job it is to reassure, need some reassurance of their own.
A Peek Inside the Modern Asylum
The psychiatric hospital of today is a panopticon, a modern prison for the daring mind and for weird behavior. I was once inside and thus, am inviting you to have a look. I will take your hand, and encourage you to join me, on an exploration of the inside of the psychiatric institution. We'll have a small peek, but in reality, it is much more distressing for the one who is being observed.
Supreme Court Decides Case on Insanity Defense
The debate between the majority and dissent shows how distorted and destructive the stereotypes of madness are as they have passed down through the law. But there are also winds of change coming from tensions inherent in the insanity defense itself, and we should take this opportunity to develop some sensible policies.
The Kids Aren’t All Right
From The Atlantic: The youngest among us will bear the larger burdens of trauma and economic fallout from COVID-19.
Coronavirus Hits Native American Groups Already Struggling With Poor Health Care
From The Wall Street Journal: "As tribal leaders around the country gear up for the pandemic’s arrival, they worry the federal agencies that are...
Lived Wisdom on Panic, Worry and Isolation
From The Dulwich Centre: "Some of us were thinking during this period of global concern with COVID-19 about the idea of knowledges earned through...
Making a Mad Community, from Attic to Attic: Part One
This two-part piece outlines our struggle to build a mad community, Madwomen in the Attic, across locations, across differences, across challenges.
Why it’s Healthy to be Afraid in a Crisis
From The Guardian: "As a mental health professional, I disagree with the message in Paul Daley’s article (We face a pandemic of mental health...
The Persistent, Misdirected Search for Causes of Trauma-based Suffering
In the United States and other countries that have a military, there is often a great deal of talk about supporting veterans, but way too often, research aimed at learning what will be helpful is misguided and can even be harmful. The same applies to nonveterans who have been through traumatic experiences. Two new studies exemplify such wrongheaded approaches.
My Hospital Discharge Summary: An Intriguing Work of Fiction
I recalled a brief intercourse with a lady two months earlier that went something like this: “Why don’t you want to take medication?” to which I replied, “Because I think psychiatry is a sham.” Needless to say, my response hastily resulted in a temporary though adequately lengthy loss of my autonomy.
From FACT to POD: How a FACT Team Integrated Open Dialogue
Work with open dialogue always starts with a "network meeting" in which the person of concern is invited to talk with members of their social network (i.e., family, friends, co-workers) and at least two professionals from the care team. The main guideline was "nothing about you, without you."
National Boards of Health Are Unresponsive to Children Driven to Suicide by Depression Pills
Peter C. Gøtzsche reports what happened, or rather did not happen, when he contacted National Boards of Health in eight countries with his serious concern that the use of depression pills in children is increasing and leads to more suicides. The continued official denial that these drugs cause suicide and that something substantial needs to be done is appalling.
The Psychiatric Narrative & The Boston Globe: Violence, Force, & Derogatory Labels
The Boston Globe recently published an atrocious opinion piece, “Massachusetts law meant to protect people with mental illness may make them sicker.” Though framed as an attempt to shed light on a need for better mental health laws, the piece insults those of us of who have been labeled with mental health diagnoses.
Please Stop Saying Depression Is Like Diabetes
It seems more and more common for people who consider themselves mental health advocates to make the argument that “mental illness is like physical illness.” Have you heard this “depression is like diabetes” tactic? I have a hard time seeing how this is advocating for those in emotional distress.
Does Longer Duration of Untreated Psychosis Cause Worse Outcomes?
New research counters the long-held assumption that a longer duration of untreated psychosis is associated with worse outcomes.
Psychology is Not What You Think: An Interview with Critical Psychologist Ian Parker
MIA’s Ayurdhi Dhar interviews Ian Parker about critical psychology, discourse and political action, and whether psychology has anything left to offer.
