Editorial Note: This is the second in Krista Hartmann's 4 parter on changing her medical records. See part 1, Unicorn. "What the mind doesn’t understand, it worships or fears”. Alice Walker When I encountered the psychiatric industry in 2004, I was a 53- year-old, sun-surf-beach chasing artist with a solid education and middle-class origins. I was a single, unconventional, … [Read more...] about Changing a Medical Record 2
Blog
A Unicorn: Changing a Medical Record
Editorial: This is the first of four posts by Krista Hartmann I am a real Unicorn, something whose existence is suspect, rarely sighted, and discussed even less…by the psychiatric industry, who are, ironically, my creators. My existence throws a wrench into their meta-narrative; truths inscribed on everlasting stone tablets.... until the next edition of tablets descend from … [Read more...] about A Unicorn: Changing a Medical Record
Changing your Record
If your doctor wrote in your medical record in the 1940s that you were mentally ill or had a neuropsychiatric disorder, this could have led to sterilization across most of the Western world, or in Germany to elimination. Long before a single Jew was gassed, tens of thousands of lives not worth living were eliminated at the hands of church-goers who were not members of the Nazi … [Read more...] about Changing your Record
PSSD In The Guardian, U.S. News & Lyon Capitale
The Guardian The Guardian, a British newspaper, runs a weekly feature called “My life in sex”, in which readers can write in and talk about their sex life. On June 8, 2018, they ran a piece called “After taking antidepressants, my genitals felt numb”. A 30 year old women described how she had been left with post-SSRI sexual dysfunction (PSSD) since stopping an SSRI eight … [Read more...] about PSSD In The Guardian, U.S. News & Lyon Capitale
The WARM Network: Withdrawal and Recovery Meetings
New Initiative: The Withdrawal and Recovery Meeting (WARM) Network of Groups By Jennifer Bryant and Laurie Oakley This is a new initiative to give anyone who would like to start an in-person withdrawal group in their community a way to get started. We have created a free "toolkit" that contains a Guide for Facilitators, Suggested Group Format, Suggested Readings, List of … [Read more...] about The WARM Network: Withdrawal and Recovery Meetings
What to do about Sex
The recent RxISK post on PSSD and Thermal Thresholds led to a lot of comments about what should "we" - those with PSSD or related conditions - do. There was a looking out to FDA or other regulators, doctors or politicians to do something. Coincidentally on davidhealy at the same time a pair of posts on antidepressant induced suicide in children, The Greatest Failure and … [Read more...] about What to do about Sex
Historic Summit: Flox and Tox Get Together
Editorial Note: The European Medicines' Agency are holding a public meeting today about Fluoroquinolone antibiotics and the problems they can cause. They invited submissions. RxISK submitted. But was not selected for a presentation so we will not be there. Miriam Knight who has been a vigorous campaigner on the need to warn about the hazards of these drugs … [Read more...] about Historic Summit: Flox and Tox Get Together
Antidepressants, Sex and Thermal Thresholds
Last month, we announced details of two new publications about enduring sexual dysfunction after the use of medications. We hope you found them interesting. In both articles, we discussed a couple of studies from 1991 and 1999, in which neurophysiological testing showed that taking a serotonin reuptake inhibitor reduces genital sensation. We have previously mentioned these … [Read more...] about Antidepressants, Sex and Thermal Thresholds
My PGAD Nightmare
Editorial Point: This post is both an extraordinary account of PGAD (Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder) but also an extraordinary account of what many people have to put up with from psychiatry. For some of the history of PGAD see our Citizen's Petition to FDA. See also the video clip on PGAD. At the beginning of 2017, I started a kafkaian journey that gave me a mental … [Read more...] about My PGAD Nightmare
The Woman Who Was: Looking back from Prescription Cascade
Editorial Note: This is M's story. She outlines a Prescribing Cascade. In an email she also asks a question: does anyone have any evidence of SSRI withdrawal causing Vit D deficiency? HRT HRT started it all. Peri menopausal at 45, my GP did a FSH test and prescribed Climagest – oral oestrogen and progesterone. Hot flushes disappeared and I felt myself … [Read more...] about The Woman Who Was: Looking back from Prescription Cascade