I’m very sorry for the loss of Matt, may he RIP. And for all deaths that have been caused by, or contributed to, psychiatric treatment.
Thank you for your insightful article. You are so right. I believe any and all DSM enterprise “diagnosis” (labels) are harmful and truly function as curses. The curse you write about was very real for my brother, who was poly-labelled over the span of ten years, from 1991 until his sudden and unexpected death in 2001. The short and long term effects of this curse on my dear brother spanned a multitude of inhumane and harmful effects, ranging from physical ruination to spiritual degradation and everything in between. I need not spell it out, as we are well experienced and read in this sad arena, and most readers will know the usual horrors.
And in my lived experience, this curse also enveloped me as a sister, as well as my entire family, causing further fear and upset as we couldn’t understand what was happening (hospitalization, restraints, locked wards, massive bottles of drugs, cyclical psychosis interrupted by intermittent zombie existence, revolving door of “benevolent” “caring” facilities only to start the process over again. This was not normal, though it became routine). Through my ignorance, distress, fear, (etc) over what was happening to my kind and loving brother, I bought into the description you tell of above, “mental health professionals don’t intend harm when they solemnly proclaim from their position of medical authority that a person has a lifelong psychiatric disorder/disease, as is defined in the psychiatric disease model of human emotional suffering and is codified in the DSM”…
Psychiatry’s curse managed to get me to turn against my inner voice. My intuitive gut instincts knew there was nothing “wrong” with my brother’s brain when they used big neuro immunology words that even though at that time I didn’t understand them, my heart and soul knew were wrong. As a sister who grew up with my brother and friend for decades, I knew my brother much better than they did though they wouldn’t listen. He suffered a breakdown primarily from unfinished grief, and its many consequences. He never had any disease or illness until he met them. On an intuitive level I knew what was happening at their hands was all wrong, but the curse had also spread to me, which perilously caused me to ignore my inner voice. If I had only acted on my inner voice, I believe my brother would still be here today.
I’ve spent years contemplating the “how” and “why” of my brother’s unfathomably cruel and inhumane treatment by psychiatry, which lead to his death. It was truly a curse as you so accurately spelled out above. And I can say that as a sister, the curse was deeply felt and held by me for many torturous years after. It was only after my brother’s death that I finally found the truth. My advice to any family or friends reading, is to follow your intuitive voice, it will never fail you. Put your hands over your ears when those big psychosynapticobasalganglialneuroimmunological words start reeling forth (messy nonsensical word intended). Instead, put your arms around your loved one suffering this curse, and never let go. Never let go.
In Solidarity,
Patrice
Dear Mary,
Thank you for sharing your difficult experience, so that others may benefit. Your work is hugely important to your community, both near and far. You have always helped lift the voices of those who have suffered, and continue to suffer through your voice of reason and compassion. I believe the more your work educates others about the potential harm that results from the biomedical model, the less harm and devastation will occur. Thank you for always being courageous and noble in your tirelessness and wanting to help others.
Sadly, the harm and destruction that has resulted from these treatments is already incalculable and exponential; and must be redressed. It’s going to take enormous political will from leaders who cannot be bought.
I read the link, and in my understanding of what I have read, this is not causation. Critically, this is “association” and “implication”.
While I completely agree with the “anecdotal” claim that these drugs do indeed cause death and harm and devastation, this study does not identify causation at all. In my reading of this, “Causation” was not mentioned anywhere.
They may also be in a frenzy to create the studies.
I agree. Correlation is not causation. However, I feel more strongly and importantly that borrowing statistical data from the hard sciences of chemistry and biology is ineffective in exploring the heart of the matter. What I see here through the “correlation is not causation” rule is that it dismisses human behavioural studies. It simply cannot tell us anything more than that.
In this tragic case, correlation killed innocent people. That is the reality here. I have long argued against using statistical analysis that belongs to the hard sciences when exploring human behaviour. What we have here is a failure to communicate. A massive failure.
It’s time to declare that yes, these drugs often cause suicidal and homicidal ideation (as the drug makers already admitted and warned) that leads to suicidal and homicidal behaviour. Whether or not the drug companies accept this is irrelevant. The families of the innocent who died don’t want to hear about statistical evidence. They want real answers.
The real answer is that yes, these drugs too often cause someone to go from ideation to behaviour.
Thank you for your kind words, Mary. The feeling is mutual. Yours and Jim’s support, love and friendship over the years has been so vital and inspirational to me. I believe our work is carved from love and compassion, rather than ego. Like many of our friends in common, the work we do is a true service for our community. I will always support MindFreedom Ireland, it is aligned with an ethics and humanity that promote true healing and wellbeing.
I could fill this page with my thoughts on Mary and Jim, for all they have done for so many people who suffer, and what they mean to me personally. At times it is emotionally difficult to educate others about the injustice and harm that happens to many people as a result of the biomedical model in psychiatry. I lost my 33 year old brother in 2001 to neuroleptic malignant syndrome brought on by far too many psychiatric drugs (poly pharmacy) which caused sudden death by cardiac arrest. Despite my presentations of refutation through medical evidence, “natural causes” was recorded on his death certificate, and injustice was permanently recorded. Only months before his death, I asked the doctors and psychiatrists for more information about “what was happening to my brother” as he would cycle in and out of their facilities, spending more time in there than not in the last year of his life. They all said the same ‘mis-truth’, it was his “mental illness getting worse”. But I knew intuitively that this was false, my gut instinct told me this was all wrong. I intuitively knew it was the drugs and the treatment. I told my family that he would die if we “didn’t get him out of there and away from all those pills”…and unbelievably that is exactly what happened only 6 weeks later.
In the same way that Mary and Jim help many who suffer from psychiatric treatment, they help me too, even though I mercifully never experienced psychiatric treatment. Mary and Jim helped me transform my trauma of injustice and loss into my voice for research, education, awareness, and life work to help others heal from trauma. I know there is a very real spirituality and sacredness in Mary and Jim’s work, because I feel it unconditionally from them. It is undeniably their love that helps those who suffer; and their leadership that helps other allied “mental health” practitioners understand and avoid the harm that can often come from the biomedical model. In my opinion, these wonderful people are two of the most genuine and authentic souls on this planet, selflessly giving so that others may benefit.
Another soul of such humanity is certainly Dr. Terry Lynch. When I read Dr. Terry Lynch’s first book “Beyond Prozac” (2001) I was devastated. It was too late for us, my brother had just died. And in these pages were the very things I had intuitively known all along, but sadly could never find though I tried. This book highlighted everything my body “knew” without intellectually knowing how to say it. The psychiatrist pathologized my brother’s hidden trauma and unresolved grief and drugged him to cardiac arrest. They also lied to me when I asked what was going on with him, causing me to ignore my gut instinct when it might have saved my brother. “Beyond Prozac” confirmed everything that I was too ill-informed to understand. I knew this book was changing my life as I wept through the pages.
In Terry’s new book, “Depression Delusion”, he forensically exposes the myth of the chemical imbalance theory, the same myth that lead to the death of my dearly beloved brother. The level of research Terry has meticulously constructed in this first volume (with further volumes on the way) is a concrete levelling of the truth. It is a thorough and final eviction of a bad tenet (pun intended) within the biomedical model of psychiatry. No self respecting practitioner could possibly still believe in the chemical imbalance theory after reading this exposé.
In a few short decades, the biomedical model as a treatment model has yielded a population of death, suffering, and trauma on a level known by no other medical entity in history. However, as our collective history has shown, human resilience is powerful. Such resilience in the form of human suffering caused by the biomedical model has inspired an indivisible and emergent global network of human dignity, unity, and camaraderie and has given many who suffer a voice within which they may finally be heard. It seems Pope Francis is certainly listening, as he has very recently voiced his concern for human suffering when he said people must work closely together against individual delusion and ideological extremism,
“….Our response must instead be one of hope and healing, of peace and justice. We are asked to summon the courage and the intelligence to resolve today’s many geopolitical and economic crises. Even in the developed world, the effects of unjust structures and actions are all too apparent. Our efforts must aim at restoring hope, righting wrongs, maintaining commitments, and thus promoting the well-being of individuals and of peoples. We must move forward together, as one, in a renewed spirit of fraternity and solidarity, cooperating generously for the common good”.
An intelligent and courageous voice for healing, peace, and justice can be heard universally. In Ireland, that voice is certainly strong and growing in a spirit of fraternity and solidarity through people like Jim and Mary Maddock, and Dr. Terry Lynch.
Michael,
I’m very sorry for the loss of Matt, may he RIP. And for all deaths that have been caused by, or contributed to, psychiatric treatment.
Thank you for your insightful article. You are so right. I believe any and all DSM enterprise “diagnosis” (labels) are harmful and truly function as curses. The curse you write about was very real for my brother, who was poly-labelled over the span of ten years, from 1991 until his sudden and unexpected death in 2001. The short and long term effects of this curse on my dear brother spanned a multitude of inhumane and harmful effects, ranging from physical ruination to spiritual degradation and everything in between. I need not spell it out, as we are well experienced and read in this sad arena, and most readers will know the usual horrors.
And in my lived experience, this curse also enveloped me as a sister, as well as my entire family, causing further fear and upset as we couldn’t understand what was happening (hospitalization, restraints, locked wards, massive bottles of drugs, cyclical psychosis interrupted by intermittent zombie existence, revolving door of “benevolent” “caring” facilities only to start the process over again. This was not normal, though it became routine). Through my ignorance, distress, fear, (etc) over what was happening to my kind and loving brother, I bought into the description you tell of above, “mental health professionals don’t intend harm when they solemnly proclaim from their position of medical authority that a person has a lifelong psychiatric disorder/disease, as is defined in the psychiatric disease model of human emotional suffering and is codified in the DSM”…
Psychiatry’s curse managed to get me to turn against my inner voice. My intuitive gut instincts knew there was nothing “wrong” with my brother’s brain when they used big neuro immunology words that even though at that time I didn’t understand them, my heart and soul knew were wrong. As a sister who grew up with my brother and friend for decades, I knew my brother much better than they did though they wouldn’t listen. He suffered a breakdown primarily from unfinished grief, and its many consequences. He never had any disease or illness until he met them. On an intuitive level I knew what was happening at their hands was all wrong, but the curse had also spread to me, which perilously caused me to ignore my inner voice. If I had only acted on my inner voice, I believe my brother would still be here today.
I’ve spent years contemplating the “how” and “why” of my brother’s unfathomably cruel and inhumane treatment by psychiatry, which lead to his death. It was truly a curse as you so accurately spelled out above. And I can say that as a sister, the curse was deeply felt and held by me for many torturous years after. It was only after my brother’s death that I finally found the truth. My advice to any family or friends reading, is to follow your intuitive voice, it will never fail you. Put your hands over your ears when those big psychosynapticobasalganglialneuroimmunological words start reeling forth (messy nonsensical word intended). Instead, put your arms around your loved one suffering this curse, and never let go. Never let go.
In Solidarity,
Patrice
Dear Mary,
Thank you for sharing your difficult experience, so that others may benefit. Your work is hugely important to your community, both near and far. You have always helped lift the voices of those who have suffered, and continue to suffer through your voice of reason and compassion. I believe the more your work educates others about the potential harm that results from the biomedical model, the less harm and devastation will occur. Thank you for always being courageous and noble in your tirelessness and wanting to help others.
Sadly, the harm and destruction that has resulted from these treatments is already incalculable and exponential; and must be redressed. It’s going to take enormous political will from leaders who cannot be bought.
I read the link, and in my understanding of what I have read, this is not causation. Critically, this is “association” and “implication”.
While I completely agree with the “anecdotal” claim that these drugs do indeed cause death and harm and devastation, this study does not identify causation at all. In my reading of this, “Causation” was not mentioned anywhere.
They may also be in a frenzy to create the studies.
I agree. Correlation is not causation. However, I feel more strongly and importantly that borrowing statistical data from the hard sciences of chemistry and biology is ineffective in exploring the heart of the matter. What I see here through the “correlation is not causation” rule is that it dismisses human behavioural studies. It simply cannot tell us anything more than that.
In this tragic case, correlation killed innocent people. That is the reality here. I have long argued against using statistical analysis that belongs to the hard sciences when exploring human behaviour. What we have here is a failure to communicate. A massive failure.
It’s time to declare that yes, these drugs often cause suicidal and homicidal ideation (as the drug makers already admitted and warned) that leads to suicidal and homicidal behaviour. Whether or not the drug companies accept this is irrelevant. The families of the innocent who died don’t want to hear about statistical evidence. They want real answers.
The real answer is that yes, these drugs too often cause someone to go from ideation to behaviour.
Thank you for your kind words, Mary. The feeling is mutual. Yours and Jim’s support, love and friendship over the years has been so vital and inspirational to me. I believe our work is carved from love and compassion, rather than ego. Like many of our friends in common, the work we do is a true service for our community. I will always support MindFreedom Ireland, it is aligned with an ethics and humanity that promote true healing and wellbeing.
I could fill this page with my thoughts on Mary and Jim, for all they have done for so many people who suffer, and what they mean to me personally. At times it is emotionally difficult to educate others about the injustice and harm that happens to many people as a result of the biomedical model in psychiatry. I lost my 33 year old brother in 2001 to neuroleptic malignant syndrome brought on by far too many psychiatric drugs (poly pharmacy) which caused sudden death by cardiac arrest. Despite my presentations of refutation through medical evidence, “natural causes” was recorded on his death certificate, and injustice was permanently recorded. Only months before his death, I asked the doctors and psychiatrists for more information about “what was happening to my brother” as he would cycle in and out of their facilities, spending more time in there than not in the last year of his life. They all said the same ‘mis-truth’, it was his “mental illness getting worse”. But I knew intuitively that this was false, my gut instinct told me this was all wrong. I intuitively knew it was the drugs and the treatment. I told my family that he would die if we “didn’t get him out of there and away from all those pills”…and unbelievably that is exactly what happened only 6 weeks later.
In the same way that Mary and Jim help many who suffer from psychiatric treatment, they help me too, even though I mercifully never experienced psychiatric treatment. Mary and Jim helped me transform my trauma of injustice and loss into my voice for research, education, awareness, and life work to help others heal from trauma. I know there is a very real spirituality and sacredness in Mary and Jim’s work, because I feel it unconditionally from them. It is undeniably their love that helps those who suffer; and their leadership that helps other allied “mental health” practitioners understand and avoid the harm that can often come from the biomedical model. In my opinion, these wonderful people are two of the most genuine and authentic souls on this planet, selflessly giving so that others may benefit.
Another soul of such humanity is certainly Dr. Terry Lynch. When I read Dr. Terry Lynch’s first book “Beyond Prozac” (2001) I was devastated. It was too late for us, my brother had just died. And in these pages were the very things I had intuitively known all along, but sadly could never find though I tried. This book highlighted everything my body “knew” without intellectually knowing how to say it. The psychiatrist pathologized my brother’s hidden trauma and unresolved grief and drugged him to cardiac arrest. They also lied to me when I asked what was going on with him, causing me to ignore my gut instinct when it might have saved my brother. “Beyond Prozac” confirmed everything that I was too ill-informed to understand. I knew this book was changing my life as I wept through the pages.
In Terry’s new book, “Depression Delusion”, he forensically exposes the myth of the chemical imbalance theory, the same myth that lead to the death of my dearly beloved brother. The level of research Terry has meticulously constructed in this first volume (with further volumes on the way) is a concrete levelling of the truth. It is a thorough and final eviction of a bad tenet (pun intended) within the biomedical model of psychiatry. No self respecting practitioner could possibly still believe in the chemical imbalance theory after reading this exposé.
In a few short decades, the biomedical model as a treatment model has yielded a population of death, suffering, and trauma on a level known by no other medical entity in history. However, as our collective history has shown, human resilience is powerful. Such resilience in the form of human suffering caused by the biomedical model has inspired an indivisible and emergent global network of human dignity, unity, and camaraderie and has given many who suffer a voice within which they may finally be heard. It seems Pope Francis is certainly listening, as he has very recently voiced his concern for human suffering when he said people must work closely together against individual delusion and ideological extremism,
“….Our response must instead be one of hope and healing, of peace and justice. We are asked to summon the courage and the intelligence to resolve today’s many geopolitical and economic crises. Even in the developed world, the effects of unjust structures and actions are all too apparent. Our efforts must aim at restoring hope, righting wrongs, maintaining commitments, and thus promoting the well-being of individuals and of peoples. We must move forward together, as one, in a renewed spirit of fraternity and solidarity, cooperating generously for the common good”.
An intelligent and courageous voice for healing, peace, and justice can be heard universally. In Ireland, that voice is certainly strong and growing in a spirit of fraternity and solidarity through people like Jim and Mary Maddock, and Dr. Terry Lynch.