The Mental Health Survival Guide

This book can help people with mental health issues to survive and return to a normal life. Citizens believe, and the science shows, that medications for depression and psychosis and admission to a psychiatric ward are more often harmful than beneficial. Yet most patients take psychiatric drugs for years. Doctors have made hundreds of millions of patients dependent on psychiatric drugs without knowing how to help them taper off the drugs safely, which can be very difficult. The book explains in detail how harmful psychiatric drugs are and gives detailed advice about how to come off them. You will learn: • why you should not see a psychiatrist if you have a mental health issue • that psychiatric drugs are addictive • that the biggest lie in psychiatry is the one about a chemical imbalance being the cause of psychiatric disorders • that psychiatric diagnoses are unscientific and that doctors disagree widely when making diagnoses • that psychiatric drugs can lead to permanent brain damage • that psychiatric drugs should never be stopped abruptly because withdrawal reactions can be dangerous • why psychotherapy and other psychosocial interventions should be preferred over drugs • why you should generally not believe what doctors tell you about psychiatric disorders and their treatment • why volunteers have found the book so important that they have translated it into French, Portuguese and Spanish "Peter Gøtzsche has written a very personal account of his battle to get the institution of psychiatry to accept that its drugs are not the 'magic pills' they are made out to be. Every medical practitioner who prescribes them, and every person who takes them, should read this book and be warned." -- Niall McLaren, author of Anxiety: The Inside Story "Peter Gøtzsche's new book meets patients' need to get tools on how to deal with psychoactive drugs and, above all, not to start them. Gøtzsche is very clear about the role of GPs in medicalizing grief, misfortune, opposition, and bad luck. In this he finds the American emeritus professor of psychiatry and chairman of the DSM-III committee, Allen Frances, at his side. Both Gøtzsche and Frances have repeatedly stated that psychoactive drugs should not be prescribed by GPs because they lack experience in their use. And above all, unhappiness, grief, and bad luck are not signs of brain disorders, they belong to daily life." Additionally, Gøtzsche reveals that most psychoactive drugs do not work - 'they might only achieve statistically significant differences compared to placebo, but that's not what patients need.'" -- Dick Bijl, former GP, epidemiologist, and current president of the International Society of Drug Bulletins. "Peter C. Gøtzsche wrote this book to help people with mental health problems survive and return to a normal life. His book explains in detail how psychiatric drugs are harmful and people are told how they can safely withdraw from them. It also advises on how people with mental health problems can avoid making a 'career' as a psychiatric patient and losing 10 or 15 years of their life to psychiatry. You will find precious material to help plan and accompany this process of liberation from psychiatry." - Fernando Freitas, PhD, Psychologist, Full Professor and Researcher at the National School of Public Health (ENSP/FIOCRUZ). Co-editor of Mad in Brazil "In this work, addressed to people affected by the risk of being caught in the system of attention to mental health issues, Dr. Gøtzsche succinctly exposes, without beating about the bush, the damage caused by psychiatric medications, demonstrates that their widespread use is not based on evidence, which is mainly driven by commercial pressures that have nothing to do with the recovery of patients, and present safe ways to dispose of them, always gradually and under supervision of trustworthy people to minimize the syndrome of abstinence and successfully overcome all the difficulties that the process involves." -- Enric García Torrents, writing for Mad in Spain Learn more at www.scientificfreedom.dk From the Institute for Scientific Freedom

At any given time, three million Canadians are living with some kind of mental illness. But despite its prevalence, the public and even some health practitioners are badly misinformed about its causes and treatment. This book is an essential road map to hope and recovery. It tells the reader where to get help and what pitfalls to avoid. It defines the most common forms of mental illness, discusses the advantages and drawbacks of medication, and tackles the ultimate taboo of suicide. It offers coping strategies for consumers, family members, friends, and employers, and demonstrates how they can all contribute to the recovery of a person with a mental illness. Medication and psychotherapy only go so far – housing, meaningful activity, and friendships are as crucial to recovery as any drug. In The Last Taboo, Scott Simmie recounts his own battle with a serious mental disorder, and his partner, Julia Nunes, provides a care-giver and supporter’s perspective on living with a mentally ill loved-one. Throughout they include the real stories of other Canadians, who give their own perspectives on the successes and failures of the health care system. • In any given year, one in five Canadians will experience symptoms of mental disorder • The Last Taboo provides sympathetic advice and practical information on: the causes of mental disorder/mood disorders, including depression and bipolar affective disorder / anxiety disorders / substance abuse / eating disorders / personality disorders / schizophrenia / where to go for help / giving help / medication / psychotherapy / alternative medicine / stigma / suicide • Includes Appendix, Glossary, Useful Books, and Useful Websites

A comforting and useful resource for anyone who’s struggling emotionally and looking for help―from the nation’s leading community-based nonprofit that addresses the needs of those living with mental illness It can be extremely hard to figure out what’s going on in our own heads when we are suffering—when we feel alone and unworthy and can’t stop our self-critical inner voice. And it’s even more difficult to know where to go for answers. This book is a perfect first step. Here you’ll find clear, honest, reassuring information about all the most common mental illnesses and what you can do to find help and to practice self-care. Where to Start features: jargon-free information about all the most common mental illnesses, including a first self-assessment test; tips on how to get professional help and how to talk about your mental health with friends and family; essential tools, including handy worksheets and DIY mental health content; and insightful, funny drawings by acclaimed cartoonist Gemma Correll.

This projects a memoir of Brian's severe struggles covering his denial, insight, acceptance of PTSD, Anxiety, Panic, Chronic Pain, Insomnia, OCD tendencies, and addictive tendencies. All stemming from his horrific childhood trauma and a high ACE score. Brian outlines how he learned to positively cope with chronic multi-mental health diagnosis and a few misdiagnosis. Enclosed are documented skills, tools and tips he developed as a weekly action plan to heal, to deal with life long trauma. 1st edition released in May 2015, retired November 2017. 2nd edition released in December 2017.

The purpose of this book is to address mental illness and the impact that it is having on todays society and to offer a guide to seeking professional help if needed. The author and publishing company shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to have been caused directly or indirectly. This book is intended to be a guide, and it is not intended to be used as a diagnosing tool or for the purpose of any type of treatment. The purpose of the book is only to act as a guide and a tool to gain information about mental illness and some of its signs and symptoms. If one thinks that he or she or someone that he or she knows may be suffering from a mental illness, it is recommended that the person seek professional counsel with a doctor, clinician, or person licensed to diagnose and treat mental illness. It is estimated that nearly one and every five adults in America have been diagnosed with or suffer a mental disorder each year. The issue of mental health remains surrounded by stigma and misunderstanding. The problem of mental illness requires greater attention as a major twenty-first-century public health challenge. Among millions of affected Americans, fewer than half get help even though 80 to 90 percent of mental disorders are treatable using medication and other therapies. These disorders take an enormous toll on individuals and families, as well as the society. The Quick Survival Guide for Mood Disorders is an educational tool that will help families deal with the challenges of depression, anxiety, addiction, and anger management. The guide has been created as a tool to help and support families that may be or is dealing with someone with a mental illness.