Thank you, Bob, for this deeply moving piece. I say this as someone who worked as a neuroscientist for nearly 25 years, before closing down my laboratory in 2000, as I did not think that drug treatments for so-called psychiatric conditions were of value. I still work in the field of mental health – I prefer the expression ‘social and emotional wellbeing’ – addiction and trauma, just in a very different way to before. I am so glad I made that career change. RIP, Zel. You are a remarkable man and your words will add to the tide of change.
Thanks for your excellent article and all the great work you do, Niall. I moved to Perth about ten years ago from the UK and was, and still am, horrified by the quality of psychiatry I hear about. We need more people like you.
Fascinating.
Thank you for this excellent article! I am sad to hear this about TEDx, but somehow not surprised. It’s certainly made me change my mind about TEDx. Here is what I said on my Facebook page:
‘Well, this excellent article has changed my views about the people at TEDx. They (or at least some of the key players) clearly are not very professional. Given that I have spent good amounts of my time over the years challenging dubious so-called ‘scientific’ claims and carrying out experiments the results of which contradicted ‘accepted’ ideas, I would be in real trouble with TEDx. And, of course, I have challenged key ‘ideas’ in the mental health field that are not just wrong, but also threaten people’s health. Would the people at TEDx tell me that I am not scientific?’
I say this as someone who worked in neuroscience for 25 years, trained with a Nobel Laureate and ran my own lab for many years, but then walked away from the field. Why? (1) I did not believe that so-called ‘mental disorders’ could be linked to simple changes in neurotransmitter function, (2) I believed that psychiatric drugs caused more harm than good, (3) Over time, I became more and more aware of the high level of dishonesty and outright scientific fraud in the neuroscience and psychiatry fields, and (4) I thought I could help people better in other ways. I still loved exploring how the brain functions – and still do today – but I started to work at the community level, empowering and connecting people to recover from substance use and mental health related problems. I find it very sad that drug companies and biological psychiatrists hold so much sway and many naive members of the public follow their words.
Thanks again Julia and keep up the great work. Also, MIA is like a breath a fresh air, which is increasing in intensity. Well done to all concerned!
Thank you for sharing your Story. It is so important that people hear stories like this. You have been amazing surviving the drugs put into your system, as well as your initial traumas. The latter alone were enough to put most people down and out. Not you!
I worked as a neuroscientist for 25 years, believing in biochemical theories. I left the field in 2000, knowing this is not what I should be doing to help people. I enjoyed trying to understand the brain, but I sure wasn’t helping people recover from mental health and addiction problems. I have completely shifted over the past 18 years, being a recovery advocate, educating people about trauma and its healing, and aiming to facilitate Indigenous healing. I know I am contributing more now.
I wish you the very best for your future. Make sure you look after YOU, and your family, first and foremost. Just telling your Healing Story will help others.
My best wishes, David (Perth, Australia)
Wonderful article, Robert. Thank you.
Excellent article David. Thank you. Even though I worked in this field, and still have an involvement, it still stuns me what goes on… how drug companies get away with what they do, and how the FDA sticks its head in the sand. Disgraceful! Keep up the great work.
Thanks Richard. I’ll pass on your message to Michaela re: Kermit. She runs our community now – she lives in UK, where most members reside. Look forward to talking further.
“Recovery is contagious”
David
Dear Richard,
Can I congratulate you on a brilliant article. I agree with all of what you have to say. In fact, it’s so refreshing to see someone write so well about the issues that I care so passionately about… and to find someone who agrees so much with what I believe!
I have blogged about your blog on our online recovery community, Wired In To Recovery.
You will note an interesting aspect of the comment from my colleague Michaela Jones, the reference to Broken Britain and the blame game that exists there – how she ties it in with some of your thinking. The Recovery Movement in the UK is very exciting, but having to struggle against strong interests wishing to maintain the status quo (treatment based primarily, but not entirely, on a medical model) and a government who seems set on widening the social divide between the rich and poor.
I should add to your blog of course that the disease model is great for drug companies, who can sell more drugs… and sadly create more psychological and physical problems.
Finally, I should add I spent 25 years as a neuroscientist – I trained with the father of dopamine research, Arvid Carlsson, and ran my own lab which focused on addiction for many years – before leaving the field because I felt that neuroscience had not helped anyone recover from addiction. It was very good at promoting itself, but the way forward for me involved a different journey, working directly with people affected with substance use and related problems. And that eventually led me to developing Wired In and the Wired In online recovery community.
Can’t wait to read your follow-up blog. Keep up the great work and please keep in touch. I now live in Perth, Western Australia.
Thank you, Bob, for this deeply moving piece. I say this as someone who worked as a neuroscientist for nearly 25 years, before closing down my laboratory in 2000, as I did not think that drug treatments for so-called psychiatric conditions were of value. I still work in the field of mental health – I prefer the expression ‘social and emotional wellbeing’ – addiction and trauma, just in a very different way to before. I am so glad I made that career change. RIP, Zel. You are a remarkable man and your words will add to the tide of change.
Thanks for your excellent article and all the great work you do, Niall. I moved to Perth about ten years ago from the UK and was, and still am, horrified by the quality of psychiatry I hear about. We need more people like you.
Fascinating.
Thank you for this excellent article! I am sad to hear this about TEDx, but somehow not surprised. It’s certainly made me change my mind about TEDx. Here is what I said on my Facebook page:
‘Well, this excellent article has changed my views about the people at TEDx. They (or at least some of the key players) clearly are not very professional. Given that I have spent good amounts of my time over the years challenging dubious so-called ‘scientific’ claims and carrying out experiments the results of which contradicted ‘accepted’ ideas, I would be in real trouble with TEDx. And, of course, I have challenged key ‘ideas’ in the mental health field that are not just wrong, but also threaten people’s health. Would the people at TEDx tell me that I am not scientific?’
I say this as someone who worked in neuroscience for 25 years, trained with a Nobel Laureate and ran my own lab for many years, but then walked away from the field. Why? (1) I did not believe that so-called ‘mental disorders’ could be linked to simple changes in neurotransmitter function, (2) I believed that psychiatric drugs caused more harm than good, (3) Over time, I became more and more aware of the high level of dishonesty and outright scientific fraud in the neuroscience and psychiatry fields, and (4) I thought I could help people better in other ways. I still loved exploring how the brain functions – and still do today – but I started to work at the community level, empowering and connecting people to recover from substance use and mental health related problems. I find it very sad that drug companies and biological psychiatrists hold so much sway and many naive members of the public follow their words.
Thanks again Julia and keep up the great work. Also, MIA is like a breath a fresh air, which is increasing in intensity. Well done to all concerned!
Thank you for sharing your Story. It is so important that people hear stories like this. You have been amazing surviving the drugs put into your system, as well as your initial traumas. The latter alone were enough to put most people down and out. Not you!
I worked as a neuroscientist for 25 years, believing in biochemical theories. I left the field in 2000, knowing this is not what I should be doing to help people. I enjoyed trying to understand the brain, but I sure wasn’t helping people recover from mental health and addiction problems. I have completely shifted over the past 18 years, being a recovery advocate, educating people about trauma and its healing, and aiming to facilitate Indigenous healing. I know I am contributing more now.
I wish you the very best for your future. Make sure you look after YOU, and your family, first and foremost. Just telling your Healing Story will help others.
My best wishes, David (Perth, Australia)
Wonderful article, Robert. Thank you.
Excellent article David. Thank you. Even though I worked in this field, and still have an involvement, it still stuns me what goes on… how drug companies get away with what they do, and how the FDA sticks its head in the sand. Disgraceful! Keep up the great work.
Thanks Richard. I’ll pass on your message to Michaela re: Kermit. She runs our community now – she lives in UK, where most members reside. Look forward to talking further.
“Recovery is contagious”
David
Dear Richard,
Can I congratulate you on a brilliant article. I agree with all of what you have to say. In fact, it’s so refreshing to see someone write so well about the issues that I care so passionately about… and to find someone who agrees so much with what I believe!
I have blogged about your blog on our online recovery community, Wired In To Recovery.
http://wiredintorecovery.org/blogs/entry/15536/highly-recommended-reading/
You will note an interesting aspect of the comment from my colleague Michaela Jones, the reference to Broken Britain and the blame game that exists there – how she ties it in with some of your thinking. The Recovery Movement in the UK is very exciting, but having to struggle against strong interests wishing to maintain the status quo (treatment based primarily, but not entirely, on a medical model) and a government who seems set on widening the social divide between the rich and poor.
I should add to your blog of course that the disease model is great for drug companies, who can sell more drugs… and sadly create more psychological and physical problems.
Finally, I should add I spent 25 years as a neuroscientist – I trained with the father of dopamine research, Arvid Carlsson, and ran my own lab which focused on addiction for many years – before leaving the field because I felt that neuroscience had not helped anyone recover from addiction. It was very good at promoting itself, but the way forward for me involved a different journey, working directly with people affected with substance use and related problems. And that eventually led me to developing Wired In and the Wired In online recovery community.
Can’t wait to read your follow-up blog. Keep up the great work and please keep in touch. I now live in Perth, Western Australia.