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First published in 1961, Thomas Szasz’s The Myth of Mental Illness remains one of the most influential—and controversial—books in the history of psychiatry. With sharp insight and unwavering conviction, Szasz challenges one of the core assumptions of modern mental health care: that so-called "mental illnesses" are medical conditions in the same sense as physical diseases. Instead, he argues, they are problems in living—complex human struggles that cannot and should not be red

Let’s stop pretending. The mental health system isn’t broken—it’s working exactly as it was designed: to medicalize suffering, profit off people in pain, and reduce complex human experiences into pill-sized solutions. For decades, psychiatrists pushed the idea that mental illness is caused by a “chemical imbalance”—a neat, marketable theory that turned antidepressants into billion-dollar products. That story was never supported by solid scientific evidence. Now it’s been debu

Depression Isn’t Just in Your Head — It’s in Your Life: What Johann Hari Gets Right We’re often told that depression is a chemical imbalance, a brain disorder, a glitch in our biology. But what if that’s only part of the truth—or even the wrong starting point entirely? If you’ve ever felt your depression lift when you left a toxic job, ended an abusive relationship, found a sense of purpose, or reconnected with people who truly see you, then you know: depression isn’t just ab

In an era when psychiatric treatment often meant forced hospitalization and heavy medications, two radically compassionate movements stood apart: The Soteria Project of the 1970s and the Quaker-run asylums of the 1800s. Though separated by centuries, both share a groundbreaking belief—that people experiencing mental distress can heal through kindness, dignity, and community , not coercion or chemicals. The Soteria Project: A Radical Experiment in Healing In the early 1970s,

Let’s stop pretending. Let’s stop nodding along with the lie that antidepressants are the magic bullet for depression. Because they’re not. And the fact that millions of people are still being sold this story — by pharmaceutical companies, by doctors who should know better, by a system that profits off our pain — is infuriating. Don’t take my word for it. Listen to the people who’ve done the digging — like Johann Hari , who exposed the rotten core of the chemical imbalance th

“Jesus, I mean, you guys do nothing but complain about how you can't stand it in this place here and you don't have the guts just to walk out? What do you think you are, for Chrissake, crazy or somethin'? Well you're not! You're not! You're no crazier than the average asshole out walkin' around on the streets and that's it.” — R.P. McMurphy, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Let’s get real about the mental health system: it feeds on your doubt. It thrives on your compliance. Yo

When we talk about medications for psychosis, we usually hear the word antipsychotics . But the older and more accurate term — neuroleptics — tells a fuller story about what these drugs actually do and don't do. Neuroleptic means “to seize the nerves.” The term was coined in the 1950s when doctors noticed that drugs like chlorpromazine dulled emotions, slowed motor movement, and generally suppressed the nervous system. These drugs don’t target symptoms of psychosis — they b

I know this is going to piss some people off but, oh well, let's talk about "addiction", or more accurately, what we’ve been told addiction is. For decades, society has been sold a narrative: addiction is a disease. It's something that happens to you, something that takes over your brain, something you’re powerless against unless you enter a treatment program, attend support groups, or get prescribed medication. But what if that narrative is completely wrong? What if addic

Bring the term " neurotic " back! We’ve pathologized every single human emotion under the sun and called it mental illness . You're e not allowed to be overwhelmed, sad, annoyed, obsessive, moody, bored, or sensitive anymore — no, now there is something wrong with you - you're mentally ill and need therapy and meds. Congratulations. You're a walking DSM entry! The so-called mental health professionals don't even recognize the term neurotic anymore - it's not diagnosable (chi

Let's cut the b*llshit: America has a mental health problem, but it's not about untreated illness — it's about overdiagnosis , overmedicalization, and a system that's decided every uncomfortable human emotion is a disorder in need of a label, a billable code, and a prescription. Now, being sad because of a breakup is " depression ." Stress from school or work is " generalized anxiety disorder ." Being bored and distracted in a classroom built like a prison is " ADHD ." We hav

I have been preaching for years to individuals dealing with mental health issues that “ you are NOT your diagnosis !” But I heard this concept said in a much more eloquent and universally applied way today. Brian R. King, who has MS, cancer, ADHD, and dyslexia, said of his “ issues ” this: “ Those illnesses I deal with day to day are not my headline; they are simply articles or even paragraphs o f who I am .” What a f*cking awesome way to look at yourself as so much more than

To get unstuck, you HAVE to challenge your “ story .” Challenge your supposed identity. All my clients have a negatively skewed sense of who they are. They have been taught by their parents, friends, teachers, and eventually by themselves that they are someone far less than who they really are. Their stories are abundantly filled with their mistakes, flaws, failures, and f*ckups. If they have spent ANY time in our “ wonderful ” mental health system, then they have recited the

They said the diagnosis would help. They said it would make things make sense. They said it would open the door to support, to healing, to hope. But here’s what really happened —They gave me the label, some medication, and walked away. They stopped asking what hurt. They stopped wondering why I felt broken. They stopped seeing my story and only saw the f*cking diagnosis. Every tear I cried? Symptom. Every time I froze or lashed out? Symptom. Every time I asked for help in a w

“ Is the system going to flatten you out and deny you your humanity, or are you going to be able to make use of the system to the attainment of human purposes ?” Joseph Campbell If you are one of the many people stuck in the mental health system of “professionals” telling you that you are weak, unstable, need to keep coming to treatment for years, not to stress yourself out with a job, a relationship, your own apartment… p lease read the quote above over and over, play the ga