tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1098361547792425611.post575748032423051865..comments2023-11-14T20:22:36.929-08:00Comments on Knowledge Is Necessity: Rebutting Whitaker: Not Such a Good IdeaJohn McManamyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11857174305041382349noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1098361547792425611.post-90558457847082775502011-11-30T03:57:57.636-08:002011-11-30T03:57:57.636-08:00Hi John
I haven't delved enough into Whittake...Hi John<br /><br />I haven't delved enough into Whittaker's theories and research to know if I agree with him on all counts, but so far what I've read of Whittaker's stance makes sense to me and I welcome his perspective.<br /><br />You say Whittaker claims that 'many of our meds actually worsen the very conditions they were meant to be treating.'<br /><br />YES! So very Jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03834219386682067062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1098361547792425611.post-46709394848752024552011-11-29T09:18:36.267-08:002011-11-29T09:18:36.267-08:00Hey, Gianna. Very glad to hear from you again. I h...Hey, Gianna. Very glad to hear from you again. I hunted down our exchange. It came in relation to a piece I posted back in early 2009:<br /><br />http://knowledgeisnecessity.blogspot.com/2009/03/rush-limbaugh-nihilism-and.html<br /><br />I really enjoy your comments. One time you noted a factual error of mine, which I corrected. And you always cause me to think and reassess my positions, which John McManamyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11857174305041382349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1098361547792425611.post-79522324926052412792011-11-29T08:13:53.505-08:002011-11-29T08:13:53.505-08:00ha ha! I just read part of the comment thread that...ha ha! I just read part of the comment thread that mentions my work. (after already linking to your two artcles, that I so enjoyed) I've never considered myself anti-psychiatry. Ever. Though early on I considered what that meant...and talked a wee bit about it. <br /><br />I don't remember the conversation you speak of between you and me, though. <br /><br />I've always thought you Giannahttp://beyondmeds.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1098361547792425611.post-8331200698705546832011-11-15T09:15:01.698-08:002011-11-15T09:15:01.698-08:00Hey, Maria. I appreciate your comments. I have alw...Hey, Maria. I appreciate your comments. I have always been in the middle-ground group as a journalist/advocate and believe in working side by side. But that isn't as easy as it sounds. The middle ground is rapidly shifting and doctors for the most part are not willing to work with us.<br /><br />I have very good relations with a good many psychiatrists and mental health professionals. Many John McManamyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11857174305041382349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1098361547792425611.post-71745198970773833812011-11-15T06:42:24.299-08:002011-11-15T06:42:24.299-08:00Hi John,
I am not a mental health professional, n...Hi John,<br /><br />I am not a mental health professional, nor do I have a scientific background. <br /><br />I do agree that knowledge is a necessity when it comes to mental health care, but so is common sense.<br /><br />Professionals seem to have the upper hand when it comes to knowledge and having a voice of influence. <br /><br />There are many underlying medical conditions and substances Participatory Concepts in Mental Health Carehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05076469386942289034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1098361547792425611.post-66882827610037893052011-11-13T13:29:45.396-08:002011-11-13T13:29:45.396-08:00Hey, Lizabeth. I'm definitely in your corner. ...Hey, Lizabeth. I'm definitely in your corner. There is another twist - mood stabilizers (eg lithium, Depakote, Lamictal) are the only major class of psychiatric meds that Whitaker did not attack in his book. My view: very good long-term meds strategies can be based on very low doses of these meds, bumping up to higher doses as needed. Also, instead of handing out antidepressants like candy, John McManamyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11857174305041382349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1098361547792425611.post-2779660609854090732011-11-13T11:46:38.237-08:002011-11-13T11:46:38.237-08:00Part of me will always wonder if the ADs I was on ...Part of me will always wonder if the ADs I was on ignited the BP2. The other part of me remembers having BP2 symptoms as a child, especially anxiety, insomnia, and extreme anger.<br />But I have to deal in the now. Now I know how I feel without meds vs. how I feel with them. Speaking for myself, I'm keeping my meds.<br /><br />If I had been caught with effective, non med intervention as a Lizabethnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1098361547792425611.post-12002604461737931812011-11-12T22:57:46.235-08:002011-11-12T22:57:46.235-08:00Hey, Corinna. I suspect these supportive docs are ...Hey, Corinna. I suspect these supportive docs are fearful of speaking out for fear of professional recrimination. We need them to speak out. Reform only comes from the bottom-up, not the top down. The future of psychiatry depends on the docs you refer to speaking up.<br /><br />I take your point about correct identification. I know we're on the same page. Here's a quote from a recent John McManamyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11857174305041382349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1098361547792425611.post-31001375142712934682011-11-12T20:50:15.925-08:002011-11-12T20:50:15.925-08:00Hi John,
What I've heard is that many doctors...Hi John,<br /><br />What I've heard is that many doctors who take the time to fully dig into Whitaker's research end up coming to agree with him. It's tougher for doctors than mental health survivors because for us it's a good news story telling the possibility of complete recovery and exiting the mental health system.<br /><br />I do ask, please, that you correctly identify thoseCorinna Westhttp://corinnawest.comnoreply@blogger.com