Category Archives: what’s going on?

Tasers no cure-all for police shootings

Posted on November 6, 2013 by recoverynetwork:Toronto

Is this really the only way that Toronto police can think of to “de-escalate” what they term “EPD” incidents? When the Toronto Sun editorial and campaigners against police shooting of people in mental distress can find themselves in easy … Continue reading →

Posted in policing madness, what's going on? | Tagged Alok Mukherjee, Bill Blair, mental health, Taser, Toronto, Toronto Police Service, Toronto Police Services Board | Comments Off

how unequal is your society?

Posted on October 11, 2013 by recoverynetwork:Toronto

How society makes us mad. “Mental illness” is more prevalent in unequal societies – and the more unequal a society is, then the more people in that society will be given a diagnosis of “mental illness”, including and especially “serious … Continue reading →

Posted in anatomy of an epidemic, real disorders in a crazy world, what's going on? | Tagged Distribution of wealth, Economic inequality, mental health, Tragedy of the commons | Comments Off

I have a Dream – fifty years on

Posted on August 28, 2013 by recoverynetwork:Toronto

Fifty years ago today, 28th August 1963, Dr Martin Luther King Jr talking with a few people on the Washington Mall. So, it’s now five-score-and-fifty years of waiting: and – despite much progress that has been made – the cheque that … Continue reading →

Posted in human diversity, human potential, Ideas, what's going on? | Tagged I have a dream, Martin Luther King, one mllion man, Washington Mall | Comments Off

The Backlash – On Being Sane In Insane Places pt2

Posted on July 17, 2013 by recoverynetwork:Toronto

The response to David Rosenhan’s experiment [see part 1 here] from the private members club the American Psychiatric Assciation was far from being a happy one. [see right] It was after all their game, their club and their ball and they’ll cry if they … Continue reading →

Posted in anatomy of an epidemic, making sense of "mental illlness", myths about mental illness, The Mad Ones, what's going on? | Tagged Anti-psychiatry, APA, David Rosenhan, DSM, Nelly, Sigmund Freud | 4 Comments

“Thud” – On Being Sane in Insane Places. pt 1

Posted on July 14, 2013 by recoverynetwork:Toronto

This short clip tells of David Rosenhan’s famous experiment. The clip is from Adam Curtis’ movie documentary project The Trap. Part 1: F*ck You Buddy Rosenhan had been following the work of R.D. Laing [right] who was one of … Continue reading →

Posted in The Mad Ones, what's going on? | Tagged Adam Curtis, David Rosenhan, Psychiatry, R. D. Laing, Thud, Trap | 1 Comment

the combo – psychiatric soup

Posted on July 12, 2013 by dave umbongo

[…continued from Reducing the pool of normal] The Big Book of Woe, soup-in-a-can, psychiatrists as car mechanics and dreaming of white lavender scented sheets… DSM and inclusion For all the fuss, at least DSM5 is, unlike its predecessors, inclusive – since its … Continue reading →

Posted in making sense of "mental illlness", medication madness, The Mad Ones, what's going on? | Tagged DSM-5, medication, mental health, Psychiatric medication, Psychiatry | 1 Comment

A disease called “childhood”

Posted on April 3, 2013 by recoverynetwork:Toronto

An opinion piece by Dr Allen Frances in New York Post pointing out how difficult it is to diagnose mental illness in teens, and all young people, and how the current practices lead to high levels of overdiagnosis, which in … Continue reading →

Posted in medication madness, mental diversity, what's going on? | Tagged ADHD, ALLEN FRANCES, Big Pharma, childhood, DSM-5, magical thinking | 2 Comments

Risk of death in road traffic accident 1,100 times greater than homicide by a stranger with psychosis

Posted on March 25, 2013 by recoverynetwork:Toronto

It’s a truism that the media likes to make a splash of stories of people involving people with mental illness committing violent crimes: trumpeting how “these people” represent a grave danger to society and fuelling often hysterical calls for … Continue reading →

Posted in psychosis, what's going on? | Tagged discrimination, human rights, mental health, mental illness, psychosis, schizophrenia, violence | 5 Comments

DSM-5 – Animal Pharm?

Posted on February 27, 2013 by recoverynetwork:Toronto

As DSM5 goes to press midst lots of criticism, a different perspective… Is DSM5 a spectacularly sinister and stoooopid project designed to put us all in nice little boxes – like the ones for sale at those fetishistic organising emporia … Continue reading →

Posted in what's going on? | Tagged American Psychiatric Association, Animal Farm, APA, DSM-5, George Orwell, mental health | 1 Comment

Ben Goldacre: Bad Science, Bad Pharma, not too shabby Valentine ?

Posted on February 13, 2013 by recoverynetwork:Toronto

Ben Goldacre is a UK physician, epidemiologist and writer who has been an outspoken critic of the current research / publication system. He has written two books on the topic, and also has two very engaging TED talks . He … Continue reading →