Things are changing in the mental health business. People of various persuasions are attacking the medicalization of human problems on the grounds of spuriousness and destructiveness. Others are drawing attention to the ineffectiveness of the drugs, the dangerous side-effects, and the corrupting links between psychiatrists and big pharma.
But perhaps the change that ultimately is going to have the greatest effect is the fact that more and more service users are shucking off the archaic legacy of silence and shame, and are telling their stories. They are telling us that the “treatment” in many cases hurt them rather than helped, but more importantly, that they are now finding their way not through psychiatry, but through something much more powerful and effective: people helping people!
There’s an interesting and inspiring personal story here on KIP Central. Please read it and pass it on. Thanks to zebdot on Twitter for the link.