**there is now a page with a collection of posts on: About having been both a mental health professional and a psych patient
For Tracking the American Epidemic of Mental Illness – Part IV, by Evelyn Pringle Redirect: go here.
The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious
The fairest thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. He who knows it not and can no longer wonder, no longer feel amazement, is as good as dead, a snuffed-out candle. It was the experience of mystery—even if mixed... Continue Reading →
Robert Whitaker on C-SPAN this evening and tomorrow
Taken from BookTV on C-SPAN (now available to view on the website) update Sunday, June 20th at 5pm (ET) Monday, June 21st at 5am (ET) Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America About the Program The 1998 Pulitzer Prize Finalist and author of "Mad in... Continue Reading →
Communicating, Not Fighting
When we are angry it may be important for us to communicate what we feel. But how we do this is critical. Simply blasting other people with our anger is not skillful or kind. We may think, “Well, they’re so thick-headed, I need to yell in order to get through to them.” But it’s difficult... Continue Reading →
Life is such as it is…nothing more nothing less. We are all ordinary.
Lovely dharma talk! From Shambala SunSpace In my view, Buddhism is very ordinary. In fact, the Buddha was just an ordinary man, and his Teachings are most ordinary. Bodhisattvas are ordinary, Zazen is ordinary, Enlightenment is nothing special; simply ordinary. Needless to say, this whole universe and all of life are totally ordinary, you and... Continue Reading →
Free John (psychiatric prisoner)…action requested
Sign the petition here. John Hunt is a trauma survivor with a diagnosis of 'paranoid schizophrenia'. He has spent over four years locked up in Carraig Mor psychiatric treatment centre in Cork city, Ireland. He has been over-medicated on an array of psychotropic medications with dangerous adverse effects. He has had tardive dyskinesia, akathasia and... Continue Reading →
Sara Carlin’s inquest (Canada), teenage Paxil suicide
Sara Carlin lost her life due to her use of Seroxat (Paxil). This is what her family is fighting GlaxoSmithKline in court in Canada. Bob Fiddiman of Seroxat Sufferers is covering the story. Here are the latest links in chronological order: Sara Carlin Inquest - Latest Sara Carlin Inquest - Failure of Oakville Medical Profession... Continue Reading →
Yeah, shit happens…and then good stuff does too
An ancient Chinese story tells of a farmer in a poor country village. He was considered well-to-do because he owned a horse that he used for plowing and transportation. One day his horse ran away. All his neighbors exclaimed how terrible this was, but the farmer simply replied, "Maybe." A few days later the horse... Continue Reading →
Trauma and schizophrenia, poor diet and depression, pharma backs a “documentary” about female sexual dysfunction, and Generation Monsanto, demand GMO labeling: Friday news and blogs
Sexual Trauma May Spark Mental Health Problems -- Science Daily -- This should be from the department of "no shit, Sherlock," but the fact is the psychiatric community just doesn't seem to want to deal with the fact that almost ALL people who have been labeled with serious psychiatric labels have been traumatized in childhood.... Continue Reading →
NIH Reform Compromised By Chief NIMH Psychiatrist: more doctors behaving badly
This is a story I've been neglecting because my poor brain can handle just so much. I was glad to see Vera Sharav at AHRP do a nice little synopsis of the coverage today. From Sharav's email: An investigative report by The Chronicle of Higher Education (June 6, 2010) revealed that Dr. Charles Nemeroff, who... Continue Reading →