The Dr. Peter Breggin Hour

Paula Caplan PhD, psychologist and playwright, talks about her upcoming off-broadway show, Shades, as well as her participation in another more absurd drama on committees of the notorious American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.   Paula is a person of enormous creativity, insight and courage.  For those of you who have already heard Paula on two earlier shows, this is a whole new expression of her lively existence on Earth.

My guest Gretchen Watson, PhD takes us on a fascinating trip from helping children escape ADHD and drugs to helping companies overcome workplace errors and injuries.   Her career expresses the truth that from family life to organizational life, many of the principles of healthy, successful living are the same.  Gretchen is President of Safety and Leadership Solutions.

I begin with my role in an $11.9 million Paxil suicide case.  Then a favorite guest, Robert Foltz PsyD and I talk about his research on the patients’ view of treatment and his continuing study of the risks of psychiatric drugs for children.  Dr. Foltz is a role model for being an honorable and effective psychologist.  

My guest, Melanie Sears PhD, is a trainer for the Center of Nonviolent Communications.  Based on self-awareness and empathy, the approach improves communication on every level from working with individuals and couples to working with hospitals and businesses.  It enhances any therapeutic activity or relationship, large or small. Genuinely holistic and clearly effective, the nonviolent communication approach should be a central part of our family, professional and community lives.  

Wayne Douglas went through benzo hell and lived to tell the tale, leaving psychiatric drugs behind.   His story teaches us how bad benzodiazepines are for the human body and soul, and also how hard work and determination, and healthy living, can help us triumph over the nasty mental and neurological effects of these drugs during both toxic exposure and withdrawal.   He shares his experiences trying to get redress in the Japanese court system and, as a bonus, he also dramatically describes how he also survived the Fukushima earthquake and the subsequent nuclear meltdown.   Very interesting stories from a courageous man!

Patrick D. Hahn takes us on an energetic tour of the Pharmaceutical Empire from fish exposed to Prozac and Xanax in contaminated rivers to corrupt doctors being paid off at Harvard.  The Pharmaceutical Empire pollutes at every level.  Patrick exemplifies how professionals outside the mental health field are appalled by what they find going on with psychiatric drugs and can make important contributions to critical psychiatry and pharmacology.  Be informed and be inspired!

My guest scientist Thomas J. Moore, who tells greatly informatives stories,  does peerless epidemiological research and education in the field of adverse drug effects.  His science combined with anecdotes makes this a very important hour.  Tom confronts the discrepancy between real neuroscience and drug-company inspired research.  They are light years apart.  Subjects include the smoking cessation drug Chantix and other medications that cause violence and suicide, and the overall complexity of brain function.  

Joanna Moncrieff MD is a stellar British psychiatrist, a combination of scientist, clinician and caring human being too rarely seen in our profession.  All of her books are worth reading.   She talks to us about progress in the treatment of people labelled “schizophrenic” and how the British psychiatric establishment is responding to new information about drug-induced brain damage.  You will get in on the ground floor of the study she is leading in Great Britain to try carefully withdrawing so-called schizophrenic patients from their antipsychotic drugs, which is an important event in our field.  Join us!

Fast-moving, informative, insightful interview with John Read, PhD, psychologist, professor in England, and a cutting-edge thinker and researcher.  I learned stuff. We give and take about “What is psychosis?”, “What are hallucinations?” and “What helps very distressed people?” as well as “What’s the matter with psychiatry, Where is it going, Who nowadays joins the profession, and finally Can it be salvaged?”  Surprising and thoughtful conversation!     

Gina Nikkel PhD is President and CEO of the Foundation for Excellence in Mental Health Care.  It funds a broad array of very positive mental health approaches such as Open Dialogue, the Hearing Voices movement, Continuing Education that actually educates, and even nutritional approaches.  If you have a good idea of your own, you might even be able to get help or direction through the Fund and if you have money, there are wonderful projects that need your donations. Support the Foundation for Excellence in Mental Health Care—it’s our future!

Katinka Blackford-Newman , a British filmmaker and author of "The Pill that Steals Lives," endured a year in psychiatric hell from which she escaped to tell the tale with remarkable grace, skill and clarity.  Her story demonstrates the horrors created by psychiatric drugs as well as the good fortune of some who fully recover.   Her voice is strong, uncorrupted by victimization, and determined to help sound the alarm.  It is an honor to present her to you.  Be inspired to speak out!

Dr. Michael Corrigan, my friend and a professor at the Ohio State University is an outstanding scientist in the field of assessment and evaluation of children’s services and, at the same time, a tremendous advocate for children and critic of the medical approach to their problems.   He’s a leader in the field worth listening to.  

Pat Bracken, MD is an Irish psychiatrist and philospher who brings enormous courage, caring, empathy and thoughtfulness to his work.  You will be inspired by his respect for different cultures and individuals. Learn that even victims of torture can triumph spiritually over what they have endured.  

Every one of us can receive lifesaving health-enhancing information from Pam Popper, PhD, founder of The Wellness Forum who explains how we can eat ourselves out of bad health and into good health with the kinds of foods that humans have genetically evolved to eat. She offers a rational, science-based approach that all of us can benefit from. Pam is also a shining example of standing up for truth in healthcare in the face of aggressive establishment opposition. 

Andrew Thibault of Parents against Pharmaceutical Abuse provides stunning data on psychiatric drug-induced fatalities and homicides based on his highly sophisticated analyses of millions of reports to the FDA. Learn how 280 stimulant drug death reports for children may reflect 28,000 actual fatalities over ten years. Learn how 700 reported cases of homicide for all psychiatric drugs in all ages may reflect multiples more actual murders over the decade. I took notes like a student listening to Andrew.