“Global Psychiatry’s Crisis of Values”
American psychiatrist Awais Aftab, leads the series 'Conversations in Critical Psychiatry' for Psychiatric Times. His June 3rd installment, an interview with Dainius Pūras, MD,...
Will We Wake for Pity’s Sake
Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States. While antidepressants, and other psychotropic, mind altering medications, are designed to decrease...
Responses to the ‘No Chemical Imbalance Study’: A Long-awaited Watershed Moment?
Initial reactions to the 20 July publication of the Moncrieff et al. study have included widespread media coverage in some places, and the metaphorical...
Fernando de Freitas: A “Dear Friend” Who Was a Warrior for Radical Change
Written by Robert Whitaker and posted to Mad in America on February 3, 2023
Over the past decade, the call for radical change in psychiatry...
What is “Psychosis”?
There are different hypotheses about what psychosis is. One hypothesis that has been repeatedly disproven is that of the medical model belief that psychosis...
How are we doing?
We’re 21 months and counting into this global pandemic. And just when we think we’re getting close to the end, this wicked virus dumps...
The ERNI Declaration: Making Sense of Distress Without “Disease”
The ERNI (Emotions aRe Not Illnesses) declaration is based on the idea that distress does not equate to disease, dysfunction, dysregulation, or chemical imbalance....
Thomas Insel Makes A Case for Abolishing Psychiatry
Thomas Insel’s book Healing: Our Path From Mental Illness to Mental Health is getting a fair amount of media attention, which could be expected...
Richard Bilkszto: The man who finally wakes up employers to the dangers of workplace...
Richard Bilkszto was a principal with the Toronto District School Board. He died by suicide on July 13th. He was just 60 years old.
According...
Rethinking Psychiatry …. Robert Whitaker Speaks in Montreal
Robert Whitaker, founder and president of Mad in America, gave a public lecture at Concordia University on November 10th. 'Rethinking Psychiatry: How the Failure to...
New Canadian Benzodiazepine Documentary – AIRS FEBRUARY 15th!
Radio-Canada's Enquête presents "Cauchemar Sur Ordonnance" (Season 17: Episode 17)
The episode's title translates to 'prescription nightmare' in French, and it will focus on the...
Is psychiatry such a fragile house of cards?
On October 9, 2021 an opinion piece was published in the Globe and Mail entitled ‘Woke’ psychiatrists have lost sight of the biological causes...
In Memoriam: Paula Joan Caplan
Paula Caplan, a prolific writer, playwright, and social activist, who for decades was one of the most prominent critics of psychiatry and its diagnoses,...
Benzodiazepines in Canada: Is a Withdrawal Crisis Looming?
On February 15th, Radio-Canada’s Enquête aired ‘Cauchemar sur ordonnance’ (translation: Nightmare on prescription), a documentary about the dangers of benzodiazepines and z-hypnotics.
Enquête’s description:
Des pilules...
887 Deaths from Psychoactive Meds Reported to Health Canada in 2021
I guess I started seriously considering the potential of antipsychotics to kill after I lost my friend Cameron. Cameron Fray was a husband, father...
MAID and Mental Illness: An interview with Dr. Jeffrey Kirby
Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) became legal in Canada in June 2016.
In October 2020, Bill C-7: An Act to amend the Criminal Code (medical...
Bell Let’s Talk: Are These “New Conversations” Helpful?
January 26th is Bell Let’s Talk Day. From the Bell Let’s Talk website:
"In September 2010, Bell Let’s Talk began a new conversation about Canada’s...
Shamanic Approaches to Dis-Ease: Working with the Whole Person
The shamanic practitioner approaches illness, or “dis-ease” from a spiritual perspective. The focus is not on treating a condition, but on working with the...
On “knowing,” activism and writing: Remembering Graeme Bacque
We owe a debt of gratitude to activists who over the years have written, recorded, created art and cultural work that exemplifies how, when,...
PETITION – World Tapering Org
World Tapering Org (www.worldtaperingday.org) is launching a global petition to make stopping antidepressants and other psych meds/drugs safer.
WTO is calling for:
- better guidelines for...
Medical Assistance in Dying for ‘Mental disorders’: Fatally flawed without expertise of service users/survivors
Now that people suffering exclusively from mental distress will be eligible for medical assistance in dying (MAiD) from April, 2023, the debate has shifted...
STAR*D UPDATES: Petition for Retraction of STAR*D Summary Article Submitted to AJP Editor Ned...
On September 9, 2023 (updated September 20, 2023) Mad in America published Robert Whitaker's MIA Report on the STAR*D fraudulent data scandal. Since then...
Why We Need a National Organization
“We become aware of the void as we fill it.” ― Antonio Porchia
I have been privileged! At the mere age of 22 with lots...
Appeal to Board of Health to Ban ECT in Ontario
In January of 1984 seven members of the Ontario Coalition to Stop Electroshock, three psychiatrists, and a psychiatric social worker gave personal testimony. I...
The STAR*D Scandal: Scientific Misconduct on a Grand Scale
The American Journal of Psychiatry Needs to Retract Study That Reported Fraudulent Results
By Robert Whitaker, published...
A Disorder for Everyone – Online Festival 2023
A Disorder for Everyone! - The Online Festival 2023
Friday September 22nd, 9am-8pm GMT
https://youtu.be/2Mlw_GTN17o?si=pDrPmpcwORIU_8Xc
This is a donation only event to ensure that it is as...
A Disorder for Everyone! – The Online Festival 2023
Part of the Workshops that offer non-pathologising approaches collection.
A whole day of change-making talks, presentations, conversations, poetry etc challenging the culture of diagnosis and...
Good-bye to Christy Huff, MD
On March 5th the Benzodiazepine Information Coalition announced the death of Dr. Christy Huff, MD.
Christy was a cardiologist and the Benzodiazepine Information Coalition's Medical...
NEW VIDEO: Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome & its Management
The International Institute for Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal has released a new video: 'Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome & its Management"
From the IIPDW:
Stevie Lewis is a campaigner and...
When Tapering Antidepressants, is Going Slow Always the Best Strategy?
I start this blog with an apology. There may be people reading who, like myself, look back with frustration and despair that they cannot...