LEAP4PDD

The Lived and professional Experience Advisory Panel for Prescribed Drug Dependence - register your interest to be consulted about NHS services in your area

[LEAP4PDD @LEAP4PDD]

Specific resources for individuals about prescribed drug dependence are available on the Lived and professional Experience Advisory Panel (leap4pdd) site:
@samaritans #antidepressants #informedconsent #panorama

https://t.co/NEs5dIV7id

[LEAP4PDD @LEAP4PDD]

@DescribeHealth @dranneguy @markhoro 😁

[LEAP4PDD @LEAP4PDD]

@mirandalevycopy @markhoro Yes, the original piece was making just that point :)

[Mark Horowitz @markhoro.bsky.social @markhoro]

An analysis of the WHO adverse effects reporting database finds that antidepressants (and SSRIs in particular) have a higher risk of withdrawal effects than buprenorphine (an opioid that is a partial agonist). Paper link below. Buprenorphine is not heroin but I think people have greatly under-estimated the risks of withdrawal of these drugs for a variety of reasons relating to the 'clinician's illusion'. Makes discussion very difficult with clinicians.

[Laura Delano @LauraDelano]

For decades, those of us speaking about the harms caused by taking and coming off psychiatric drugs have been ignored, denied or dismissed.

I’ve been labeled everything from “antipsychiatry,” “anti-science,” and “Scientologist,” to “right-wing fascist” and “anti-vax,” to simply “too mentally ill” to understand what was happening to me.

Now the APA’s own annual meeting is full of panels on deprescribing, overmedication, withdrawal, and psychiatrists openly admitting they regret not helping patients come off these drugs sooner.

The hundreds of thousands of personal stories of psychiatric iatrogenesis have become impossible to keep waving away as meaningless anecdotes.

I have deep compassion for how hard it must be to face the possibility that you’ve been inadvertently causing harm to patients you’ve been trying to help.

But fear is the master distorter of truth, and the only way out is through.

We are eager to build a big-tent coalition to begin work on these changes we all know are necessary. I hope you’ll join us.

[Prof James Davies (PhD) 💭 @JDaviesPhD]

10. Therapists take note. These blunting effects aren't rare, in fact many now consider them the ‘primary effect’ of SSRIs. Please understand this is highly relevant to your therapeutic work, despite what the status quot may have taught you...End
Source: https://t.co/sQRGBUY6JB

[Dr Joanna Moncrieff @joannamoncrieff]

An elegant plea for unity in the debate about over-medicalisation: 'Emotional pain is not necessarily a failure of the body requiring correction. It is part of being alive.'

[Antidepressant Coalition for Education @ACE_CoalitionEd]

Quick reminder from Christina, ACE’s Community Liaison, to check your email today.

We’re seeing another wave of people who previously submitted @FDAMedWatch reports receiving follow-up emails from the @US_FDA. This is really encouraging! If you’ve received one, please take the time to respond. These follow-ups matter. They help strengthen our petition and support our requests for updated labeling and evidence-based tapering guidance.

If you haven’t submitted a MedWatch report yet, we strongly encourage you to do so and share your experience with antidepressant withdrawal with the FDA. We’ll drop the link in the comments!

[Nav Toor @heynavtoor]

🚨 Brown University researchers tested what happens when ChatGPT acts as your therapist. Licensed psychologists reviewed every transcript.

They found 15 ethical violations.

Not 15 small issues. 15 violations of the standards that every human therapist in America is legally required to follow. Standards set by the American Psychological Association. Standards that can end a therapist's career if they break them.

ChatGPT broke all of them.

The researchers tested OpenAI's GPT series, Anthropic's Claude, and Meta's Llama. They had trained counselors use each chatbot as a cognitive behavioral therapist. Then three licensed clinical psychologists reviewed the transcripts and flagged every violation they found.

Here is what they found.

ChatGPT mishandled crisis situations. When users expressed suicidal thoughts, it failed to direct them to appropriate help. It refused to address sensitive issues or responded in ways that could make a crisis worse.

It reinforced harmful beliefs. Instead of challenging distorted thinking, which is the entire point of therapy, it agreed with the distortion.

It showed bias based on gender, culture, and religion. The responses changed depending on who was talking. A therapist would lose their license for this.

And then there is the finding the researchers gave a name: deceptive empathy. ChatGPT says "I see you." It says "I understand." It says "that must be really hard." It uses every phrase a real therapist would use to build trust. But it understands nothing. It comprehends nothing. It is pattern matching on your pain. And it works. People trust it. People open up to it. People believe it cares. It does not.

The lead researcher said it clearly. When a human therapist makes these mistakes, there are governing boards. There is professional liability. There are consequences. When ChatGPT makes these mistakes, there are none.

No regulatory framework. No accountability. No consequences. Nothing.

Right now, millions of people are using ChatGPT as their therapist. They are sharing their darkest thoughts with a product that fakes empathy, reinforces harmful beliefs, and has no idea when someone is in danger.

And nobody is responsible when it goes wrong. Not OpenAI. Not Anthropic. Not Meta. Nobody.

[Prof James Davies (PhD) 💭 @JDaviesPhD]

I'm reluctant to intervene here, but I must speak out. I genuinely believe that appointing Howard as @rcpsych president would be detrimental not only for harmed patients, but for progressive thinking in psychiatry & for the profession's public standing ... 1/2

[Prof James Davies (PhD) 💭 @JDaviesPhD]

....Over many years, he has treated numerous people & patients on this site with what many have experienced as disrespect, dismissal & even contempt. It is therefore deeply concerning that he is even being considered as a candidate for president of the @rcpsych ....

[Antidepressant Coalition for Education @ACE_CoalitionEd]

ACE is launching a media campaign to raise awareness about the risks of antidepressant withdrawal and the need for safe, evidence-based tapering guidance.

We’re looking for individuals who have experienced antidepressant withdrawal and may be willing to share their story as part of this project. Participation can take many forms and there’s no pressure. Any level of involvement is appreciated.

If you’re interested, please take our short survey to learn more about how you might participate.

Survey link in comments

[Prof James Davies (PhD) 💭 @JDaviesPhD]

My profession continues to feel no shame/guilt labelling people’s personalities 'pathological' & their reactions 'dysfunctional' - it even believes the move is medically justified. Let's be clear - its not. There's no biological evidence to condone these stigmatising ascriptions.

[Dr Joanna Moncrieff @joannamoncrieff]

More disease-mongering from the Royal College of Psychiatrists. As if middle aged women aren't medicated enough (25% take antidepressants). https://t.co/1BeGHoyVdT

[Brian Allen @allenanalysis]

🚨 Rep. Ansari just said it out loud in Congress:
The DOJ was caught red handed withholding FBI witness interviews of a woman who accused Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her as a minor.

Not alleged. Not rumored. Caught. Red handed.

And Pam Bondi — who is supposed to enforce the Epstein Files Transparency Act — is nowhere to be found.

This is why he started a war.

Not for Iran. Not for Israel. Not for America.

To make sure you never hear what Rep. Ansari just said on the floor of Congress.

[LEAP4PDD @LEAP4PDD]

@KevinRo90321458 @BadreNicolas You’re lucky you only have a mild version - just a quick browse in this forum with over 24000 members shows others are not so fortunate https://t.co/J7uc5ybCdC

[PSSD Institute @PSSDInstitute]

We worked with The New York Times Magazine to speak to young people in our community about how the absence of informed consent has resulted in impactful, life-altering consequences for them.

This landmark investigation shines a light on what has been a dark, hidden space for decades: its earned place on the cover signals that now, more than ever, conversations are happening that people who have been harmed by SSRIs and other psychotropic drugs so urgently need.

We hear you. You deserve to be heard.

#PSSD

[Justin Garson @justin_garson]

If you’re in the NYC area, please come to @joannamoncrieff’s talk on Tuesday, Dec 2, at Columbia University, on her wonderful and timely book, Chemically Imbalanced.

[Mad In America @Mad_In_America]

A new qualitative study from Trinity College Dublin reveals the emotional and physical toll of psychiatric drug withdrawal—and the lack of professional support available to those trying to stop.

https://t.co/8l0zhU8v2N

[LEAP4PDD @LEAP4PDD]

It’s Medicines Safety Week - have you experienced an adverse effect from a prescribed drug? If you haven’t already, do report it through the Yellow Card Scheme - here’s a link to a step-by-step toolkit.
#medsafetyweek #patientsafety @JDaviesPhD
https://t.co/lYWMjZrJhe

[Mark Horowitz @markhoro.bsky.social @markhoro]

We published a paper on why to hyperbolically taper opioids with Professor Sir John Strang, Director of the National Addiction Centre. The law of mass action dictates all drug relationships. NICE issued advice (NG 215) based on a draft of this paper. https://t.co/KIpHZLuQw1