Debate begun by Chuck Areford about antipsychotic psychiatric drugs

Antipsychotic drugs are doing harm

The main newspaper for Eugene, Oregon, USA published this guest column by long-time mental health worker Chuck Areford questioning the use of neuroleptic psychiatric drugs, which are also known as antipsychotics. Chuck is on the Advisory Committee for MindFreedom Lane County. Update: Chuck’s column led to a response by a psychiatrist, see the link at the bottom in “Related Content.”

Antipsychotic meds have proven role

On 16 March 2008 the daily newspaper for Eugene, Oregon, USA — The Register-Guard — published a guest commentary from mental health worker Chuck Areford highly critical of neuroleptic psychiatric drugs, also known as antipsychotics. On 25 March 2008 The Register-Guard printed this rebuttal by an Oregon psychiatrist.

Letter to editor: Hugh Massengill on neuroleptic debate

Long-time human rights activist and psychaitric survivor Hugh Massengill weighs into the debate in the pages of The Register-Guard about the role of neuroleptic psychiatric drugs, also known as antipsychotics. The debate began when mental health worker Chuck Areford wrote a hard-hitting commentary critical of neuroleptics that was published 16 March 2008 in the paper.

Letter to editor: David W. Oaks on chemical-free mental health

MindFreedom director David W. Oaks talks about his personal experience in the mental health system in a debate in the pages of The Register-Guard about the role of neuroleptic psychiatric drugs, also known as antipsychotics. The debate began when mental health worker Chuck Areford wrote a hard-hitting commentary critical of neuroleptics that was published 16 March 2008 in the paper.

Footnoted version of “Antipsychotic drugs are doing harm”

Here is a version of the article warning about neuroleptic psychiatric drugs (also known as antipsychotics) by long-term mental health Chuck Areford, with footnotes. The guest commentary was published by the daily newspaper of Eugene, Oregon, kicking off an ongoing debate. A psychiatrist wrote a reply challenging the research and citations behind Chuck’s piece. Here are those references.

Resources & references for Ron Unger’s commentary in The Register-Guard

Mental health counselor Ron Unger submitted a guest commentary to The Register-Guard as part of an ongoing debate about the role of neuroleptic psychiatric drugs, also known as neuroleptics. Here are resources and references for readers interested in Ron’s commentary.

Guest commentary submitted by Ron Unger to The Register-Guard, Eugene, Oregon

When mental health worker Chuck Areford submitted his guest commentary to The Register-Guard criticizing neuroleptic psychiatric drugs (also called “antipsychotics”), it led to an ongoing debate, including a response by a psychiatrist Richard Staggenborg, MD defending neuroleptics. Here’s Ron’s response to Dr. Staggenborg, as submitted to The Register-Guard as an attached MS Word file.

How to submit a letter to editor to The Register-Guard

Especially if you live in Lane County, Oregon, USA — though sometimes letters outside the region are printed — please consider e-mailing in your own letter to The Register-Guard about the topic of human rights and mental health. [Updated 19 Nov 2012]

Debate in The Register-Guard about gifts from pharmaceutical industry to doctors

In the same month that the daily newspaper for Eugene, Oregon, USA began a debate about the wisdom of prescribing neuroleptic (“antipsychotic”) drugs, March 2008, by coincidence The Register-Guard also had a debate about the wisdom of allowing gifts from the pharmaceutical industry to doctors! The debate about drug company gifts began as a piece by a reporter who discovered that a local doctor, Gail Hacker, was the only local member of an organization, “No Free Lunch,” that criticizes gifts by drug companies to doctors. A sales person from Novartis (ironically, a manufacturer of neuroleptic psychiatric drugs) wrote a guest column complaining about the bad reputation of drug sales staff; he protested that he is a “nice guy.” A letter to the editor that same day claimed Dr. Hacker was 20 years behind the times. Dr. Hacker responded with her own guest column. Here’s the debate.

Letter to editor: Professor Pam Birrell says drug-free mental health is possible

University of Oregon professor Pam Birrell, PhD added her opinion to the controversy in the pages of The Register-Guard about the role of neuroleptic psychiatric drugs, also known as antipsychotics. The debate began when mental health worker Chuck Areford wrote a hard-hitting commentary critical of neuroleptics that was published 16 March 2008 in the paper.