The many guest writers on Beyond Meds

This is copy of a tab from the navigation menu to the right that I put together in order that the archives might be better accessed. I’m calling attention to it today.

This blog owes much of its success and influence to the great authors who chose to share their work here. Below are just a few of the more prolific contributors. There are links to their blogs or websites in the body of the posts where you can get more information about each author.

There were many more people who may have only contributed once or twice. Some of those people are represented on the Recovery Stories pages.

I will try to add to this list  as I have the time and energy as I’m sure I’ve left off many I’d like to include. The fact is if an article was on this blog I highly valued what that guest writer shared, whether it was a one time contribution or not. There are also well over 2,000 posts on this blog now, so digging through the archives is no easy task.

I’m sure I’ve forgotten great pieces. I’ve already added several people since I first posted this. It’s not because anyone is forgettable, it’s just the archives are huge and my brain is still hardly optimal. Please forgive me if I’ve left you off of this list. I will add people and articles as I remember them or am reminded by others.

Below is the list with all titles as it stands now: 

Robert Whitaker has his own page and tab here with many articles and links to other works.

Will Hall — Will both contributed as a guest writer early on in the life of the blog and then in the last year or so of the blog’s life he came on as a co-editor. This is a link to a list of the pieces he contributed as co-editor. 

Before coming on as an editor he contributed these pieces:

• Will’s Personal Story into and out of the mental health system
• Coming off medications: A harm reduction approach
• Will Hall’s thoughts on the psychotropic drug use
• Will Hall’s workshop on coming off psychiatric drugs

Altmentalities too has contributed many pieces now as a co-editor. See here.

Will Meecham: (most recent regular contributor)

• When we feel depressed, anxious, or distressed, are we mentally ill? Or are we spiritually confused?
• Pills for the Brain or Respect for the Soul?
• The death of mental illness
• A Crazy Camp Idea
• The ‘illness’ metaphor as currently used robs hope from those suffering mental distress
• Do you feel anxious, hopeless, discouraged, or depressed? Break free!
• “Acceptance underlies most of my recovery from what was once diagnosed as bipolar disorder”

Bruce Levine:

• Scientology vs. Critical Psychiatry
• Liberation Psychology for the U.S. – are we too demoralized to protest?
• Eli Lilly and the Case for a Corporate Death Penalty
• Revolutionary Road, A Beautiful Mind and Truthfulness
• Comment by Bruce Levine in response to Depression’s Evolutionary Roots
• Suicide in the military, increasing antidepressant use and can we trust NIMH Studies?
• Postpartum Depression: Cultural Disorder?
• Psychologists Profit on Unending U.S. Wars by Teaching Positive Thinking to Soldiers
• Activism necessary if we want the truth about psychiatric medications be heard

Al Galves:

• The Value of Depression
• The uses of anxiety and panic
• The purpose of psychosis

Leah Harris:

• Decolonizing Our Minds, Freeing Our Spirits
• Dharma not pharma
• Speaking with the “enemy” and speaking of recovery
• Parallels in obstetrics and psychiatry
• Beyond the dirty window — a powerful mini-documentary, memoir

Ron Unger:

• An outline of how mental health system is biased toward medication
• A Guide for Therapists (and anyone interested in drug withdrawal)
• Recovery: Why is it being redefined to mean “doing better but still mentally ill”?
• Mental “disorder” or evolved mental strategy?
• Using acceptance to move through symptoms
• How to reduce deaths associated with neuroleptics (anti-psychotic) medications
• Talking to someone convinced mental distress is all biological
• Moving Beyond Clinical Recovery and Personal Recovery: Reclaiming the Possibility of Full Recovery
• Coping with intrusive thoughts, impulses, voices etc…
• Madness Radio: Cognitive Therapy Ron Unger

Steve Morgan:

• Neuroplasticity of the brain
• A letter to NAMI
• The Wind Never Lies – Steven’s personal and very inspiring story
• Indicator Species
• Questioning every instance of medication vs. drug free recovery

Grainne Humphrys

• The incarceration of John
• Exclusion, Trivialisation and Denial; Society’s refusal to Acknowledge, Honour and Integrate the trauma and human rights violations experienced by the psychiatric survivor.
• Hope, Time and Love; three guardian angels, Alternative Routes to Recovery
• Poem of madness
• Moving Away from the Psychiatric Paradigm: The Importance of Supports and the Emergence of the Wellness Models

Paula Caplan

• Full Disclosure Needed About Psychiatric Drugs That Shorten Life
• Military families and psychiatry: what are we doing to the children of our military?
• What’s Wrong With This Picture? Psychiatrists’ Focus on Drugs and Emotional Distance
• Fattened by Pills

Vera Sharav

• Study shows 31 prescription drugs (mostly psychiatric) associated with reports of violence towards others
• In Medicine, The Power of No vs Psychiatry’s Massive Over-treatment
• Psychosurgery Promoted by the NYT — by Vera Sharav
• NAMI’s Betrayal of Its Constituency

Paul Levy:

• We are all shamans in training
• A family curse
• Possession — ideas inspired by Jung
• Psychiatry almost drove me crazy

Baylissa Frederick:

• When I think of my relationships I have no regrets
• “Wow, I survived. I made it. I am amazing. I can handle anything now.”
• Positives about withdrawal
• The aftermath: from windows to open door
• Benzo Withdrawal – Coping Tips

Sheila Joshi

• The descent experience: metaphor for serious illness
• Psychiatric drug withdrawal, kundalini and shamanic initiatory illness

Daniel Mackler

• Finnish Open Dialogue: High recovery rates leave many psychiatric beds empty
• Eleven ways to be your own therapist

John Breeding

• Drug Withdrawal and Emotional Recovery
• My Views on Psychiatry and Mental Illness

Gwen Olsen:

• Drugging our children to death
• Pharma Not in Business of Health, Healing, Cures, Wellness

Diane D’Angelo

• An Unconventional Mother’s Day Tribute to an Unconventional Mom
• Apologies for Grown-ups

By an Anonymous Friend

:

• Life is Too Short to Hang Around with Emotional Chickens

Jayme Lynch

• How I deal with mental breakdowns — a simple but profound practice that amount to a spiritual discipline that anyone can apply to their lives, diagnosed or not.

Chris Kresser

• The chemical imbalance myth

Robert Masters

• Don’t give fear a thought

Giovanna Pompele

• Daniel Carlat MD on Fresh Air — discussed by Giovanna Pompele