Toxic Psychiatry: Why Therapy, Empathy and Love Must Replace the Drugs, Electroshock and Biochemical Theories of the New Psychiatry

"As a long term sufferer of mental illness, this book was like a light switch for me, explaining the long held feeling of powerlessness and invalidation I have experienced in being treated by psychiatrists and doctors. I had always wondered why it was that doctors would always dip straight into a drugs manual (normally published by a pharmaceutical company) to help me, when I was sitting there describing relationship and interpersonal difficulties. When their multiple antidepressant and anti-anxiety drug options did not work for me, they seemed to get irritated, sometimes angry. I was made to feel that I was making things up, being a hypchondriac. This meant I started to hide my feelings and symptoms even more. Then after finding a good, empathic therapist, I began to open up about the symptoms I have, stopped covering them up for fear of being made to feel a liar, and when I started to be honest it emerged that I have had a lifelong, serious mental illness, of PSYCHOSOCIAL origin, and that is known not to respond well to drug treatments, despite the list of neuroleptics, SSRI's and so on that are commonly given out for it despite poor results. I Am now getting the treatment I need, albeit privately - by pursung the NHS route I found myself caught ever deeper in a web of invalidation, sadness, frsutration and anger. Now that I have found an empathic therapist who listens to me and is brave enough to help me deal with my traumatic past, I am starting to heal. I have spoken with hundreds people in mental health forums who are experiencing the same sense of impotence, invalidation, self-blame and hopelessness in relying on psychiatry to help them, and who consistently begin to feel better when they find an empathic, understanding and courageous therapist to help them through their struggle. This book confirms and explains to me why, by placing my faith in doctors and psychiatrists for so long, I got progressivey iller and iller over a period of 9 years. Now I am off the drugs, I am experiencing emotions that have been locked away from me all my life. This book explains with clarity the political, commercial and sometimes (I am sad to say) arrogant factors that maintain psychiatry's dominance on mental health. I will say that some psychiatrists in the UK ARE showing signs of realising the importance of psychotherapy, and this is beginning to influence the way they treat patients. However, this is currently the exception and many will still reflect the illness-worsening attitudes that Breggin powerfully describes. If you are looking for answers in your personal life, wake up and smell the flowers and find a genuine path to healing - one that recognises that the human soul is not just a chemical reaction."
~ Written on 2008-08-27

"A very readable book and interesting to see psychiatry from another perspective. However, Breggin does present a very biased picture when it comes to the "evidence" he discusses. He's good at discussing alternative explanations for some results and picking flaws in studies, however he doesn't apply the same "scientific" analysis to the studies which support his views.

It's important to remember that this book is out-of-date when it comes to scientific studies that suggest mental illness has a biological cause. Studies of brain differences in patients with schizophrenia (who were NEVER MEDICATED) have been done and still show shrunken brains. Of-course, the "which came first" argument goes on."
~ Written on 2005-11-28

"Toxic psychiatry was one of the first books I read about the world of psychiatry and psychiatric medication. It opened my eyes to the possibility that, my belief in mental illness, was perhaps a myth. Pete Breggin, although controversial, presents mental health problems in an entirely different way and enlightens the reader about other views and opinions on this fascinating subject. I highly recommend this book to everyone - but especially to those suffering from mental distress and those currently thinking about coming of psychiatric medication."
~ Written on 2005-11-24

"I have been struggling with the effects of phychiatric drugs over the past several years with a niece on Ritalin, a brother on Prozac, and my father taking Thorazine. This book was a tremendous help in providing insight into the attitudes and motivations of the 'doctors' who have given my family members drug dependence as a 'solution' to their problems. I highly recommend it to anyone who has a loved one under the care of a physician who recommends psychiatric drugs."
~ Written on 2002-06-30

"Breggin lacks scientific evidence to support his views... It is these kind of opinions which create the stigma associated with mental illness! Just as Parkinsons and MS are neurological in origin, so is schizophrenia and other severe mental illnesses. It is ludicrous to say that someone should be able to 'think' themselves better from mental illness ..... as ridiculous as it would be to tell someone to 'think' themselves better from cancer.
However, it is an interesting read as long as what he says is regarded as being just one mans view rather than factual."
~ Written on 2001-10-18