The Madness of Psychiatry

Thanks to Bob Sapey of Lancaster University for the heads up re: David Healey's blog

http://davidhealy.org/the-madness-of-psychiatry/

And All That Szasz!

Formerly, when religion was strong and science weak, men mistook magic for medicine; now, when science is strong and religion weak, men mistake medicine for magic.

Thomas Szasz, The Second Sin (1973) "Science and Scientism

Thomas Szasz RIP

Rebecca Ley: Doing it for Dad

Looking forward to Saturday again to read Rebecca Ley's weekly piece in the Guardian about her Dad Peter who happens to have dementia. Such a compasionate, sensitive and caring journey she takes the reader on. Very moving and should be read by all who work in Mental Health Care. If you fancy a read beginning with 28th July click HERE. If you do read these come back and comment how you might use these in education.

Antipsychotics: is it time to introduce patient choice?

I encourage everyone to read the Tony Morrison et al Editorial in the British Journal of Psychiatry(2012, 201, 83-4). Professor Morrison and colleagues challenge psychiatry and mental health systems to consider introducing true informed choice for service users who recieve a diagnosis of schizophrenia or psychosis. To date much of the focus has been on concordance (compliance), yet as the authors point out antipsychotics efficacy may has been over-estimated and side effects underestimated. If we have nothing better in the chemotherapeutic toolbox, then at least a full discussion of risks v benefits should happen... Or perhaps we need to invest more in PSI's What do you think?