Tag: psychiatry

The apex and decline of evidence-based psychotherapy and psychiatry

By Brent Potter, PhD -- I am grateful to be alive during to see the apex and decline of evidence-based psychotherapy and psychiatry. Honestly, I didn’t think that I’d see anything like it in my lifetime. It was looking pretty daunting for a while, but we’re not only making substantial progress, but winning. -- Please don’t mistake me—we have plenty more to do. We’re not in the clear yet, but we’re light years ahead of where we were roughly 20 years ago. … [click on title for the rest of the post]

Psychiatry retains power despite lost scientific credibility

Influential “thought leader” psychiatrists and major psychiatry institutions, by their own recent admissions, have been repeatedly wrong about illness/disorder validity, biochemical causes, and drug treatments; and also, in several cases, have been discovered to be on the take from drug companies—yet continue to be taken seriously by the mainstream media. While Big Pharma financial backing is one reason that psychiatry is able to retain its clout, this is not the only reason. More insidiously, psychiatry retains influence because of the needs of the larger power structure that rules us. And perhaps most troubling, psychiatry retains influence because of us—and our increasing fears that have resulted in our expanding needs for coercion. … [click on title for the rest of the post]

Open Letter to the Psychiatric Institute of Washington After the Death of My Friend

By Will Hall Dear Post-traumatic Disorders Program, Psychiatric Institute of Washington, A close and dear friend is dead. She was a patient at your hospital, and a few days ago she sent me this text: "I left the trauma program after 48 hours. I was appalled at the environment, the terrible therapy and being treated like a prisoner. I went there looking for healing and support and found the experience even more traumatic. Western mental health systems are dehumanizing and insane." That was the last message I ever received from her. I got a call that my friend's body was found in the river: she drowned herself. … [click on title for the rest of the post]

Community Rights Movement: ending forced psychiatry from the ground up

Beginning in Pennsylvania, and now stretching across nine states from Maine to New Mexico, 160 communities have passed legally binding, locally enforceable Community Rights laws that for the first time in U.S. history enshrine the inherent right of a local majority of residents to protect the health and welfare of their local places. Each of these new-paradigm laws defines what the community wants, and reins in corporate so-called "rights", stopping legal but harmful practices dead in their tracks. … [click on title for the rest of the post]

Myths about Depression and PsychoPharma

a-large-green-leaf-with-the-word-myth-in-darker green for myths about depression and psychopharm

Myth 1: Your disease is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain Myth 2: It’s no problem to stop treatment with antidepressants Myth 3: Psychotropic Drugs for Mental Illness are like Insulin for Diabetes Myth 4: Psychotropic drugs reduce the number of chronically ill patients Myth 5: Happy pills do not cause suicide in children and adolescents … [click for the rest of the post]

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Beyond medication: Mental Health, Holistic Healing and Nutrition (webinar)

Kelly Brogan MD, a Mad in America blogger, is offering a webinar at Green Med Info that promises to be a wonderful and pragmatic introduction to many of the ideas I present on this blog by a psychiatrist who gets it. Nutritional approaches to healing body/mind/spirit is one very important aspect of total well-being. … [click on title for the rest of the post]

When Psychiatry Retraumatizes

by Laura K. Kerr -- Before I became a psychotherapist, I often wrote, lectured, and blogged about damaging aspects of psychiatry. I am more hopeful now — not about psychiatry improving, but about truly helpful mental healthcare for people who might otherwise be labeled “chronically” mentally ill and forever take medications to tranquillize their internal demons. Since I began combining Sensorimotor Psychotherapy with CG Jung’s growth-focused theory of human nature, I have witnessed meaningful, lasting change happen without medications. I have also heard others talk about improved outcomes (both providers and clients) when trauma becomes the focus of care and joined with faith in lasting transformation.

But hope can be blinding (although it sure feels good). The following poem by Franz Wright, from his collection Wheeling Motel, reminds me the problem with psychiatry goes beyond pushing dubious drugs. … [click on title to read more]

This is how mental health professionals argue against informed consent

Graphic reads the worst thing about being lied to is kinowing you weren't worth the truth informed consent

MHP: It can be questioned as to whether this was the best forum for such a speech as family members and patients were present. Would this be better served to have been presented only to professionals to prevent patients from grasping onto this view as a reason to stop their medications? ME: yeah...lets keep on infantilizing everyone...they can't handle the truth, right? Can't make analytical choices or listen to debate? This is exactly what has been wrong with mental health treatment as currently practiced....the truth is routinely withheld and people cannot make informed choices. It's nothing short of criminal when considered from that stand point. Some of us have been gravely harmed because we were not given choices. That's why we're motivated to share the whole truth...then people can decide what risks they want to take or not. MHP: Monica, some people really can't handle the truth, make analytical choices or listen to debate precisely because of their mental illness. On the other hand, many can despite any mental illness. That is what makes balance in this field so difficult to achieve. ME: I was a social worker for many years in social services with the "seriously mentally ill." The only people I routinely dealt with who couldn't handle the truth were some of my colleagues and the administrators...that was my experience. And it continues to be my experience now. Mental health professionals are often terrified of the truth to the detriment of those they serve.

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David Oaks says: SPEAK UP! FIGHT INJUSTICE!

Damn, I'm inspired.

David Oaks, co-founder and former executive director of MindFreedom International, is a leader and a visionary. After experiencing forced drugging and solitary confinement in the mental health system as a young man, he's devoted his life to fighting against stigmatizing psychiatric labels, forced drugging, and human rights abuses. He led the 2003 MindFreedom Hunger Strike/Fast For Freedom where 6 psychiatric survivors fasted for weeks, challenging the American Psychiatric Association to provide solid evidence for the biological basis of mental/emotional distress. Despite an unbelievably COLD initial response from the APA, the strikers did not give up, and the APA was ultimately forced to admit that it had no scientific evidence that mental distress was a “neurobiological illness.”

New advertising for antipsychotics forecasts another change in the language

The Internet wants me to take drugs. I know this, because nearly every site I visit subtly whispers things like “Seroquel…” “Abilify…”  “Adderall, for adult ADHD…” to me from the sidebars.  It shows me pictures of a perfect life, happy smiling people trendily going about their business as “productive members of society” – everything, in... Continue Reading →

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