Making Peer Counseling Radically Accessible
I imagined a world in which anyone can hit a button on their phone and be connected with a compassionate and empathetic listener, 24/7. So in 2019, I founded Peer Collective. Today, there are 30 peer counselors on the platform offering 30-minute counseling sessions for just $14.
Power Means Never Having to Say Youâre Sorry
I wonder how this system would be changed if, tomorrow, every provider (past and present) woke up and made it their mission to find someone whoâs been through their services in one way or another, and told them they were genuinely sorry for something specific that had happened during that time.
The Real Myth of the Schizophrenogenic Mother
Acknowledging the role of trauma inflicted by a given individualâs mother is not the same as laying all blame for âmental illnessâ at the feet of motherhood. Meanwhile, a mountain of evidence has accumulated linking schizophrenia to sexual, physical, and emotional abuse and many other categories of adverse childhood experiences.
Remembering Bonnie Burstow
Dr. Bonnie Burstow was a legend in her own time. She died too young, at 74, surrounded by close friends and loving students, after a short stay in the palliative care unit of Toronto General Hospital. The world has lost a truly great woman: a phenomenal antipsychiatry/anti-electroshock warrior, and a tireless fighter for human rights. And I have lost a beloved sister.
Opening Doors in the Borderlands: An Interview with Liberation Psychologist Mary Watkins
MIAâs Micah Ingle interviews Mary Watkins about reorienting psychology toward liberation and social justice.
Higher Drop-Out Rates for Those Taking Antidepressants
A review of 73 antidepressant studies finds that 12% more people drop out of clinical trials when taking antidepressants than when taking placebo, evidence that many find the adverse effects of antidepressants difficult to tolerate.
âEvidence-Based Medicineâ and the Expulsion of Peter GĂžtzsche
From Undark: GĂžtzscheâs expulsion has crystalized debates about the pharmaceutical industryâs influence on medicine, the research communityâs tolerance of dissent, and the proper role of data in the practice of medicine.
The Invisibles: Children in Foster Care
Millions of current and former foster children experience multiple kinds of trauma, as documented in a six-part investigative series published in the Kansas City Star this month. Too often invisible, these young people deserve our attention and our care.
Zel Dolinsky: I Have a Right to âDeath With Dignityâ
Researcher Zel Dolinsky once taught at medical school and worked as a medical writer in the pharmaceutical industry. In his last emails, he told of how the adverse effects of psychiatric drugs led him to choose to end his life.
Healing Youth with Nature and Connection: An Interview with Peter Mayfield
An interview with Peter Mayfield, founder and Executive Director of the Gateway Mountain Center. Peter talks of his journey from mountaineering to his role as an educator and mentor, and how enabling children and adolescents to connect with nature has such a profound effect on their health and wellbeing.
Twin Studies and Ken Burns’ Upcoming Documentary on âThe Gene: An Intimate Historyâ
Siddhartha Mukherjee clearly knew little about the evidence supporting his claim that schizophrenia is a âgenetic disease,â yet he thought he knew enough to reach strong conclusions in favor of genetics in what would become an award-winning book that was turned into a Ken Burns documentary.
Growing Research Connects Nutrition and Mental Health
A new article reviews studies in the field of nutritional psychiatry and how nutrition can prevent and treat mental health issues.
Are Regulatory Bodies Prioritising Drug Company Interests Over Public Safety?
The UKâs Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency is refusing to respond to the concerns of psychiatrists, parliamentarians, patients and other experts about the impending licensing of the street drug ketamine as a treatment for depression.
Whatâs in a Name? Ghostly Spirits Stalk the Medical Literature
From FairWarning: In an age of distortion, propaganda and fake news, medical literature might seem to be a safe space for honest scientific inquiry, with no room for bias or spin. It isnât so.
Peter Breggin and Michael Cornwall – Stop the Psychiatric Abuse of Children
An interview with Drs. Peter Breggin and Michael Cornwall who discuss their new initiative, Stop the Psychiatric Abuse of Children (SPAC!). SPAC! was formed in response to the introduction of the Monarch eTNS, an electrical stimulation device worn on a childâs forehead at night that was fast-tracked by FDA with little testing.
The Field of Mental Health Has Gone Astray, But We Can Fix It
People should have real choice. The research and knowledge about how to work differently are already there. Now we need politicians and policymakers to force the change and make it happen in the established services. Mad in Norway will be a leading voice in ensuring this change.
Half of Millennials, 75% of Gen Zers Have Left a Job for Mental Health...
From CNBC: The statistic highlights several issues plaguing millennials, like a rise in depression and 'deaths of despair' (death from drugs, alcohol and suicide), unaffordable living costs and burnout.
Psychological Support for Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal
We discuss the release of guidance which has been specifically written to support UK psychological therapists and their clients in having discussions about taking and withdrawing from psychiatric drugs. The guidance is a collaboration between counsellors, therapists, psychologists, peer support specialists and psychiatrists.
A Tribute to Stephen Gilbert, Warrior Behind Enemy Lines
Stephen Boren, who posted here under the name Stephen Gilbert, passed away November 12 after a battle with cancer. Stephen offered a unique perspective, working as peer support staff at the same hospital where he had once been held as a patient. We will miss his daily presence on MIA.
Wellcome Photography Prize 2020 Explores Poverty + Mental Health
From the British Journal of Photography: One of the categories in this yearâs Wellcome Photography Prize, currently calling for entries, is Mental Health. The open call is inviting projects like SiĂąn Daveyâs commission that will counter visual clichĂ©s and stigmas associated with mental health conditions.
On Human Rights and Surviving Race: A Conversation with Celia Brown
An interview with Celia Brown: psychiatric survivor, human rights activist, and president of MindFreedom International.
Anthropologists Contemplate the Future Role of Psychiatry
Anthropologists who study the psychiatric field recently had papers published in two highly influential journals. While they both call for or describe reform initiatives, they point us in different directions with regard to the future role of psychiatrists. With a shift in resources, might psychiatry finally get it right?
Flintâs Children Suffer in Class After Years of Lead-Poisoned Water
From The New York Times: The cityâs lead crisis has migrated from its homes to its schools, where neurological and behavioral problems â real or feared â among students are threatening to overwhelm the education system.
High Time for Anarchism in Mental Health
Anarchism has much to offer the debate. It can present a clear voice saying: Liberty is not an obstacle for quality treatment, it is rather the very basis of it. Research shows that the anti-authoritarian elements in methods such as Open Dialogue and Stabilizing Homes actually promote a stronger, fuller recovery in patients.
Fear and Belief in “Chemical Imbalance” Prevent People from Coming Off Antidepressants
Researchers interviewed people who were given medical advice to discontinue antidepressants.
