Monday, 20, January, 2025

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...

Electroconvulsive Therapy …. What does Canada have to say?

Electroconvulsive Therapy, also known as ECT, shock therapy, and electroshock, is a psychiatric treatment that uses electricity to induce a seizure in the person...

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...

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...

Part 4 Neurodiversity: New paradigm or Trojan Horse?

This is Part 4 of the four-part series on neurodiversity that is being jointly published by Mad in America and Mad in the UK....

Stop the madness! An indictment against the abuses in Belgian and Dutch psychiatry

Published by Mad in the Netherlands Brenda Froyen is an author, teacher and mental health activist. After two very traumatic experiences of isolation and restraint...

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...

Queer and Trans Madness: Struggles for Social Justice

This book puts Mad Studies and activism in conversation with queer and trans activism and resistance. When I first came across what would eventually...

FROM CBC NEWS: Ont. doctors’ college orders Toronto pediatrician to undergo ‘further education’ on...

Woman who suffered severe withdrawal symptoms should not have been prescribed it, assessor finds Tara Carman, journalist with CBC news writes: The College of Physicians and...

“Empire of Normality: neurodiversity and capitalism” a review: The Empire Has No Clothes

From Mad in the UK: In his book Empire of Normality, UK philosopher Robert Chapman, who identifies as “proudly neurodivergent and disabled”, linked today’s...

Review of “Beyond Reason. Chronicle of a personal experience of madness”

This book review is reprinted from Mad in Argentina. ‘Beyond reason’, with a foreword by RD Laing, was published in 1964 and describes the...

“Cured”

Bruce Levine reviews “Cured,” a PBS Independent Lens documentary about gay liberation from psychiatry to be broadcast on October 11, 2021.  Levine writes: "Cured is...

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...

Part 1: Neurodiversity—What Exactly Does It Mean?

Mad in America and Mad in the UK are jointly publishing a four-part series on neurodiversity over the next four weeks. The series was...

ECT Survey – Open until end of September!

The ECT Survey Opportunity is available until the end of September! ELECTROCONVULSIVE THERAPY (ECT) RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR INTERNATIONAL ONLINE SURVEY If you are at least 18...

The Ethics of Psychiatry

A government cannot legitimately own its citizens' bodies. Yet, under British Columbia’s (BC) Mental Health Act the BC government, not to mention governments around...

Mental Health Advocacy and Activism: Perspectives on Systems and Social Transformation

About this event This is an online event. You can register here. Note: You can register for free with the code "Freebie." Co-sponsored by Mad in America...

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...

ELECTROCONVULSIVE THERAPY (ECT) STUDY

RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR INTERNATIONAL ONLINE SURVEY If you are at least 18 years old and have had ECT, other than the last 4 weeks,...

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...

SAVE THE DATE! IIPDW Conference

Save the Date! On Friday October 20th and Saturday October 21st, the International Institute for Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal will hold its 3rd conference on withdrawal...

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...

Kassi’s Mom

Thank you for having me. I walk around angry, jaded and bitter. I am not religious but I have begged bargained and negotiated with...

PETITION TO RETRACT FRAUDULENT STAR*D REPORT

Mad in America has set up a petition on change.org that calls for retraction of the STAR*D article published in the American...

Announcing Oral History Collection on Mental Health Activists in Manitoba

Stories are us.  Finding ourselves in history, we figure out who we are and where we belong and how what we do fits with...

Liquids and Tapering Strips: Formulations in Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal

On June 28th, The International Institute for Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal (IIPDW) is hosting a webinar. Liquids & Tapering Strips: Formulations in Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal The what,...

Part 2: Are we all neurodivergent nowadays?

This is Part 2 of the four-part series on neurodiversity that is being jointly published by Mad in America and Mad in the UK....

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...

Part 3: Neuro-authenticity, neuro-identities, and the neuro-industry

This is Part 3 of the four-part series on neurodiversity that is being jointly published by Mad in America and Mad in the UK....

The WHO Calls for Radical Change in Global Mental Health

During the past decade, the World Health Organization has regularly promoted the goal of improving “global mental health.” While it has often told of...