The Online Therapy Bubble Is Bursting
From TIME: Many of the mental health startups that popped up or thrived during the pandemic are being scrutinized for prioritizing growth above all else—a common mentality among tech startups.
Rights Groups Rip NYC Mayor Over Forced ‘Hospitalizations’ for ‘Mental Illness’
From Common Dreams: "The decades-old practice of sweeping deep-seated problems out of public view may play well for the politicians, but the problems will persist—for vulnerable people...and for [other] New Yorkers," said the head of the NYCLU.
Why Highly Sensitive People Can (and Should) Trust Their Hearts — And Use Their...
From Highly Sensitive Refuge: Highly sensitive people have important perspectives to contribute to society. They must protect their process, especially when the world doesn’t.
Could the Blackfoot Wisdom That Inspired Maslow Guide Us Now?
From GatherFor/Medium: At the Blackfoot Reserve, "Maslow saw a place where what he would later call self-actualization was the norm," said researcher Ryan Heavy Head. This observation "totally changed his trajectory."
Still Looking For Answers
What is happening in my body? And has being on medication caused long-term side effects or damage? I’ll forever be searching for answers; I want to feel “normal” again and live a life of enjoyment vs fear and anxiety.
How Hospice Became a For-Profit Hustle
From The New Yorker: Hospice has evolved from a constellation of charities, mostly reliant on volunteers, into a twenty-two-billion-dollar juggernaut funded by taxpayers and rife with exploitation.
The Mental Health Industry Speaks Volumes About Our Society’s Priorities
An educated public has a much better chance of advocating from the grassroots for safe and effective treatments in the face of a pharmaceutical industry more interested in profits than people.
How Big Pharma Hijacked Patient Groups
From The Breach: Once a vibrant grassroots social movement, patient groups have become a powerful cluster of corporate-influenced organizations, with leaders whose values, beliefs and ties align more closely with the private sector than the public interest.
Gradual Tapering Recommended for Antidepressant Discontinuation
A new literature review reinforces the need to “down-titrate” or taper antidepressants, especially drugs like Celexa and Paxil.
New York City Will ‘Hospitalize’ More ‘Mentally Ill’ People Involuntarily
From The New York Times: "The common misunderstanding persists that we cannot provide involuntary 'assistance' unless the person is violent," said Mayor Eric Adams. "This myth must be put to rest."
The Tyranny of the Prefrontal Cortex
From Jeremy Lent: There is an overriding dynamic driving all the imbalances in our lives. Acknowledging it is the first step toward achieving re-harmonization within our individual and collective consciousness.
Books Under Review: Fall 2022
Reviews of three recent books reflecting various perspectives on the mental health system.
The Tapering Team: “Medications: Where Do We Stand in Psychiatry?”
From Underground Psychiatry: "The insurance companies, the patients, and the doctors are addicted to the tablets. So we are all stuck in the system. And only if you put the health of the patient as the purpose of your treatment, then you can change it.” ~ Pharmacist Paul Harder
Art and Transformation: Creating Justice in Mental Health
An upcoming conference focuses on the perspective of artists and activists in answering what it means to have a just mental health care system: Who decides who is labelled as mad?
Interview With Award-Winning Mental Health Advocate Eugene LeBlanc
From Re-Threading Madness Radio: LeBlanc was awarded the New Brunswick Human Rights Award for his work as director of the Groupe de Support Emotionnel Inc. and as publisher and editor of Our Voice/Notre Voix.
New App Aims to Predict Whether People with Psychosis Are Worth Hiring
“Unfortunately, the ethical considerations of incorporating these tools are rarely acknowledged in published prediction articles,” the researchers write.
Denmark Is the Only European Country Where the Usage of Depression Pills Has Dropped
Between 2010 and 2020, the consumption of depression pills increased by 37% in 24 European countries. Denmark was the only country where usage dropped (a 4% drop).
Mind Control: It’s Happening to You Right Now
From Jeremy Lent/Patterns of Meaning: Your mind is being controlled by distant strangers who don’t have your best interests at heart. If that sounds like a paranoid fantasy, brace yourself and read on.
Feel Hopeless About Reforming a Broken System? Incremental Change Is Still Change
Despite all our efforts, it seems that a radical transformation of the system has not yet occurred. However, incremental changes can directly improve the lives of thousands.
Debunking Pharma’s Spin on Racial Equity
From Lown Institute: What could be a fruitful conversation has been largely co-opted by pharmaceutical companies as a method for trying to get drugs with unclear benefits approved.
The Failure to Acknowledge Contributions of “Non-Professionals” in Psychiatric Research
In an essay published in Research Ethics, Will Hall writes about contributions by "non-professionals" and psychiatric survivors to research studies -- such a drug-tapering...
Improving Therapy Outcomes: The Case for Deliberate Practice
With Deliberate Practice, I doubled the number of sessions I had with my clients, cut the amount of unplanned dropouts in half, and improved the number who experienced clinical change.
I Made Professor Before Ritalin. Now I Can’t Work Without It
From Psyche: Instead of helping to maintain my self-confidence during a veritable earthquake in my life, my need for a crutch in pill form radically undermined my faith in myself.
David Healy – Polluting Our Internal Environments: The Perils of Polypharmacy
On the MIA Podcast, Dr David Healy discusses World Tapering Day, antidepressant treatment and sensory neuropathy and the difficulties that can be encountered when trying to deprescribe.
AMI-Quebec Lecture: Rethinking Psychiatry With Robert Whitaker
From AMI-Quebec and the Montreal Gazette: The way drugs shape long-term outcomes must be understood against our natural capacity to recover, said author Robert Whitaker ahead of his public lecture in Montreal.
