News:
Robert Whittaker: Stories that Need to be Told
This episode relates to Peer Support Services in a MHOTRS clinic because it underscores the importance of relationships over medications in a person’s recovery. The peer supporter needs to understand and address these components, as a counterpart to the treatment team, by forming personal connections with the people they support. It is important to understand the complete narrative of a person so they can make informed choices about treatment during their journey.
Meet Robert Whittaker
Robert Whitaker is an investigative journalist and author of three best-selling books that cover the history and practice of modern psychiatry. He is committed to uncovering underreported truths and unethical practices within the mental health system. Robert has earned the George Polk Award for Medical Writing and a National Association for Science Writers’ Award for best magazine article. He is also a Clinical Assistant Professor (Adjunct) in the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science. Find out more about Robert Whittaker on his website: www.madinamerica.com.
What is in this episode:
- Information on Robert Whittaker’s books:
- Mad in America: Bad Science, Bad Medicine, and the Enduring Mistreatment of the Mentally Ill
- Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America
- Psychiatry Under the Influence
- Eye-opening, unconventional information on the different approaches and outcomes of people with mental health needs within developed and developing countries.
- A counter-narrative on the effect of medication in treatment.
- The power of employment on a person’s sense of identity and value.
- The importance of relationships and environment for a person’s recovery.
Medicine has become the cornerstone of treatment within the traditional healthcare system in the United States, but the stories told around the outcomes of medication use are often incomplete. Another narrative exists which shares the challenges and negative effects of pharmacological interventions in mental health. Robert Whittaker’s mission through the Mad in America project…is to reveal the counter-narrative that exists around the treatment of mental illness so a more balanced understanding can be had.
Summary by Stephen Nawotniak, OTR/L, NYCPS, CPRP, Psychiatric Rehabilitation Specialist, Alliance for Rights and Recovery.
Relevant Links:
Check out the Recovery Resilience Solutions website.
About Viva La Evolution and Crestwood
Developed by Crestwood Behavioral Health
With Contributions by the Alliance for Rights and Recovery (formerly New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services)
For PeerTAC
