In the past decade, suicide has become an epidemic plaguing the military and veteran community, with upwards of 20 suicides a day by veterans, service members, Guard Members and Reservists. To play a role in combatting this crisis, Mad in America has developed this resource section for veterans, service members, and their families to identify risks associated with the prescribing of antidepressants and other psychiatric medication, and to identify alternatives to the dominant drug-based model of mental health. If you have queries about this page please get in touch with Robert Whitaker at [email protected].
Mad in America is currently collaborating with the Grunt Style Foundation, a non-profit veterans organization, that has mounted a campaign for “informed consent” and safe deprescribing of psychiatric drugs. Mad in America is supporting its WAR CRY FOR CHANGE initiative by publishing the stories of veterans harmed by psychiatric drugs. Members of the veterans community can submit their stories to the Grunt Style Foundation here.
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Dear Psychiatrist â I Survived
It took me over 20 years to believe in myself enough to walk away from psychiatry and psych drugs and regain my life. I not only survived, but I am also thriving.
That Others May Live: An Airmanâs Mental Health and Medication Hurricane
âThese things we do, so others may live.â It took a small army of my brothers and sisters in and out of uniform to drag me out of my abyss.
Training Days: Surthriving an Execution, Antidepressants, then Myself â A Copâs Tale
Recovery from PTSD and from all the drugs I was prescribed was a journey filled with ups and downs, setbacks, and breakthroughs.
Green Star Mother Demands Answers from VA Secretary
If the Veterans Administration is sincere in wanting to reduce veteran suicides, the first place to start is to collect information following these deaths to try to better understand the causes.
My Red October â An Army Veteranâs Crucible to Recovery
After my VA mental health team prescribed Prozac, I began experiencing rapidly escalating behavioral changes. The drug was never considered as a potential cause.
“War Cry For Change”: Veterans Launch Campaign for Informed Consent and Safe Deprescribing at the VA
Derek Blumke and Timothy Jensen: The Grunt Style Foundation leads a new phase in the movement to combat psychiatric drug harm.
From the Archives
Tell Your Story
Mad in America is supporting the Gruntstyle Foundation’s initiative by publishing the personal stories of veterans and their families who have suffered harms from psychiatric drugs. Members of the veterans community can submit their stories to the Gruntstyle Foundation here.
Archives of Personal Stories
An archive of personal stories by veterans and their families and friends can be found here.
On Suicide
For info on suicide and antidepressants, see MIA report on Suicide in the Age of Prozac.
Resources
There are multiple resources on Mad in America for researching the effects of psychiatric drugs, alternative non-drug therapies, and withdrawal from such medications. These various resources are listed in the menu bar under drugs and parents. Specifically:
In-depth reviews of antipsychotics and antidepressants; non-drug therapies for anxiety, depression and PTSD; and withdrawal resources, includes a directory of providers who will support people who want to taper from psychiatric medications. The Parents section provides similar reviews of treatments for children and adolescents.
In addition, you can access our archival reports of findings about psychiatric drugs that have been published in peer-reviewed journals.