Robert Whitaker has authored a book that challenges the mind with regard to the medication treatment paradigm the U.S. embraces with all of its might. The book, Anatomy of an Epidemic is a must read for patients, doctors and anyone remotely involved with mental health.
Whitaker challenges you, the reader to consider:
"The astonishing increase in the disability numbers during the past fifty years raises an obvious question: Could the widespread use of psychiatric medications--for one reason or another--be fueling this epidemic? Anatomy of an Epidemic investigates that question, and it does so by focusing on the long-term outcome studies in the research literature. Do the studies tell of a paradigm of care that helps people get well and stay well over the long term? Or do they tell of a paradigm of care that increases the likelihood that people diagnosed with mental disorders will become chronically ill?"
About the author of Anatomy of an Epidemic
Robert Whitaker:
"Robert Whitaker has won numerous awards as a journalist covering medicine and science, including the George Polk Award for Medical Writing and a National Association for Science Writers’ Award for best magazine article. In 1998, he co-wrote a series on psychiatric research for the Boston Globe that was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service."
Further reading, and reviews
Person of the year-blogger Rossa Forbes December 2010
Saturday, June 12, 2010-Robert Whitaker author of "Anatomy of an Epidemic" on Mindfreedom Radio -Stan's blog
Thursday, July 29, 2010-Do Psychiatric Drugs Do More Harm Than Good? A Review of “Anatomy of an Epidemic” by Robert Whitaker-Harry Magnet blog
'Anatomy Of An Epidemic': Could Psychiatric Drugs Be Fuelling A Mental Illness Epidemic? -April 2010-Huffington Post
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Sunday, September 26, 2010-A Doctor's letters to Robert Whitaker after reading "Anatomy of an Epidemic"-soulful sepulcher blog
I found these letters from Dr. Mark Foster to be quite interesting. As a doctor in the receiving end of seeing patients on psychiatric medications Foster's letters are a revealing insight into what in the world to do--as a doctor---to "undo" what psych meds have done to a person, and what one doctor is saying after reading the book, Anatomy of an Epidemic, by author Robert Whitaker.
Letters from the Front Lines:
Robert Whitaker"Robert Whitaker’s Note:
These letters are selected from an exchange that Dr. Foster and I have had since he finished reading Anatomy of an Epidemic. They describe his interactions with his patients, and his changing thoughts about the prescribing of psychiatric medications. In all of these letters, the specific patient situations he describes are real, but identifying characteristics have been changed, or permission has been sought, in order to protect patient privacy."Excerpt from one letter:
"...when I first met her two months ago, my immediate assumption was that she fit into the "broken person/drug seeker" category, somebody who would keep looking for pills and doctors until she found a provider willing to grease the squeaky wheel and snow her into oblivion with pain meds or antipsychotics. I will admit that when I first dealt with her, I never even considered taking her off of antidepressants, because I assumed, I guess, that she was in essence an emotionally unstable, psychosomatic dysfunctional patient. But I looked at her with new eyes today, new compassion for the apparent iatrogenicity of her condition."
Dr.Mark Foster's review of Whitaker's book "Anatomy of an Epidemic"
"It is an evidence-based, highly persuasive critique of psychiatry's devastating failure as a medical specialty."
Whitaker challenges you, the reader to consider:
"The astonishing increase in the disability numbers during the past fifty years raises an obvious question: Could the widespread use of psychiatric medications--for one reason or another--be fueling this epidemic? Anatomy of an Epidemic investigates that question, and it does so by focusing on the long-term outcome studies in the research literature. Do the studies tell of a paradigm of care that helps people get well and stay well over the long term? Or do they tell of a paradigm of care that increases the likelihood that people diagnosed with mental disorders will become chronically ill?"
About the author of Anatomy of an Epidemic
Robert Whitaker:
"Robert Whitaker has won numerous awards as a journalist covering medicine and science, including the George Polk Award for Medical Writing and a National Association for Science Writers’ Award for best magazine article. In 1998, he co-wrote a series on psychiatric research for the Boston Globe that was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service."
Further reading, and reviews
Person of the year-blogger Rossa Forbes December 2010
Saturday, June 12, 2010-Robert Whitaker author of "Anatomy of an Epidemic" on Mindfreedom Radio -Stan's blog
Thursday, July 29, 2010-Do Psychiatric Drugs Do More Harm Than Good? A Review of “Anatomy of an Epidemic” by Robert Whitaker-Harry Magnet blog
'Anatomy Of An Epidemic': Could Psychiatric Drugs Be Fuelling A Mental Illness Epidemic? -April 2010-Huffington Post
-------
Sunday, September 26, 2010-A Doctor's letters to Robert Whitaker after reading "Anatomy of an Epidemic"-soulful sepulcher blog
I found these letters from Dr. Mark Foster to be quite interesting. As a doctor in the receiving end of seeing patients on psychiatric medications Foster's letters are a revealing insight into what in the world to do--as a doctor---to "undo" what psych meds have done to a person, and what one doctor is saying after reading the book, Anatomy of an Epidemic, by author Robert Whitaker.
Letters from the Front Lines:
Robert Whitaker"Robert Whitaker’s Note:
These letters are selected from an exchange that Dr. Foster and I have had since he finished reading Anatomy of an Epidemic. They describe his interactions with his patients, and his changing thoughts about the prescribing of psychiatric medications. In all of these letters, the specific patient situations he describes are real, but identifying characteristics have been changed, or permission has been sought, in order to protect patient privacy."Excerpt from one letter:
"...when I first met her two months ago, my immediate assumption was that she fit into the "broken person/drug seeker" category, somebody who would keep looking for pills and doctors until she found a provider willing to grease the squeaky wheel and snow her into oblivion with pain meds or antipsychotics. I will admit that when I first dealt with her, I never even considered taking her off of antidepressants, because I assumed, I guess, that she was in essence an emotionally unstable, psychosomatic dysfunctional patient. But I looked at her with new eyes today, new compassion for the apparent iatrogenicity of her condition."
Dr.Mark Foster's review of Whitaker's book "Anatomy of an Epidemic"
"It is an evidence-based, highly persuasive critique of psychiatry's devastating failure as a medical specialty."
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2 comments:
Very very well done! Steph, it has been truly heart-wrenching and devastating to find that you and your family have experienced so much of what my own has.
It is what it is. and I am so very grateful that you are "somewhere out there." I hold you and your family in my heart.
My son, Nathan and I very much would like to as he put it, "reach out to her." This was said when I realized from reading your blog, you live in the same state! Awareness!
Thank you for sharing all of your gifts; most especially,your journey...
Love,
Becky
Hope is a good thing. ((hugs))
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