ICI Executive Director Laura Delano Interviewed on Mad in America Radio

I'm not sure how but it's the approach to mental health that needs to change.  Where society is now, particularly in USA anyway, it's not going to change.  Anyone in this field of study is essentially reguritating what we've been taught in the past, save for some minor changes.  I would suggest that universities, with funding, should lead the charge by studying this area for completely different approaches to making someone feel better. Otherwise, there won't be any discernable change. 

Obviously, antidepressants and the rate at which they're prescribed is a gigantic problem.  And it's a train that seems almost impossible to stop.  That being said, what's the alternative?  I would argue that some therapy, namely pschoanalysis, is just as bad for so many reasons.  Seriously, after years and years of this, who wouldn't change, who wouldn't have a different perspective....not better or worse but different....everyone would.  So, what's the difference between this and brain washing? Seriously? If you spend enough time suggesting to someone that they're a horse, while they might not canter down to the local feed supply because they suddently get a hankering for oats and hay, I bet they start looking at themselves differently in the mirror, perhaps seeing big front teeth and pointy ears, maybe even imagine themselves smelling of ode de stable.  Not only this but here's a news flash, not all psychologists/psychiatrists/therapists are good. How do you even tell until the situation is comepletely out of hand? Rather than spend ten plus years analyzing someone, come right out and brain wash them, whatever you want to call it, into thinking that they feel good.  An existential phenominological approach is better, for sure, dealing with the here and now.  But is this it? Is this all there is?

I understand there are new therapies such as magnetic pulse manipulation or MPM for short.......Actually, I just made that up but my point is, while some people, even some universities, some entities are trying, there are other avenues out there.  But it's soooo weak compared to the seemingly unstoppable locomotive churning forward, laden with pills and ridiculously old perspectives about how to help people feel better about themselves.  If the concepts of depression, anxiety, mental illness and such were people I would bet they would be flat earthers.  Considering what humans have accomplished, although even this idea is flawed to some extent(myth of progress), it's so disappointing how lame we are/were when it comes to mental health.  Thankfully, we have people like this Director to, at the very least, start pushing the discussion down another path.  While I'm sure it's fulfilling, I can't imagine how tiring it must be going up against this one way train barreling down the tracks.  I hope more entities get on board. 

I was heavily involved with my local community mental heath-care attending therapy, Dual Diagnosis class &  ACT classes weekly. I don't understand how the 'care' can even be attached to their title.  They're the ones who told me it was just fine to cold-turkey off Klonopin after taking it, along with my usual cocktail of drugs, after being prescribed it for ten years. They never once mentioned one withdrawal symptom I may experience from this withdrawal although we sat at my kitchen table and discussed it. After a trip to the psych unit, then a week later a trip to the emergency room they never believed one word I was telling them as my life descended into a Hell I never knew existed. They basically left me to die at home where they knew I lived alone with no family or friends at that time. I then filed a 'recipients abuse' case against them where they openly lied and my case was 'DENIED'.  I was so outraged and my later SSRI withdrawal magnified that anger 100 fold where I then became extremely homicidal for five long months.

I was so angry about the entire ordeal I wrote a book about what it's like to spend almost a lifetime taking psych drugs, how it destroyed not only my life but that of my children as well and how I somehow survived the multiple c/t withdrawals only to discover that I wasn't mentally ill at all, and never had been.

If mental health clinics across America can't install a safe psychiatric drug withdrawal program then perhaps they shouldn't prescribe drugs to patients such as myself like candy only to leave us to fend for ourselves. I thoroughly understand why people commit suicide during benzo withdrawals, I thoroughly understand why people become homicidal during SSRI withdrawal and I shouldn't. This isn't what I signed up for. Six years into recovery all my anger has left the building. I don't look back anymore, today I look forward. My joy comes from connecting with others enduring the same mental tortures I did coming off their drugs just to let them know - they are not alone. We understand where their minds are taking them. Sadly, we've been there, too. 

God Bless this website who's aim to help patients who desire to come off their psychotropic drugs safely, not leave them to die at home alone as my community mental health did to me.