Discussion: Medicating Normal - Flowers of Scotland

Whenever I see the words 'Perth' and 'Angus' mentioned in the same sentence I'm reminded of my favourite rock band. Perth (Australia) being the final resting place of former AC/DC vocalist, Bon Scott, and Angus being the guitar rock God that he is. AC/DC's roots are, in the main, from Scotland. Bon, Angus, and his brother, Malcolm, being born there.

Anyway, I digress.

PLUS Perth, Angus Voices and the Dundee Healthy Minds Network have recently been involved in a discussion after each watching the critically acclaimed documentary/film, Medicating Normal (See review here)

The discussion panel consisted of representatives from the above mentioned, namely; Beverley Thomson, writer, speaker and researcher; Dr. Dan Fisher, psychiatrist and person with lived experience of recovery from schizophrenia; Dr. Dainius Pūras, Professor of Child Psychiatry and Public Mental Health at Vilnius University; Susan Scott, development manager at Plus Perth, Mick Rattray, musician, and Angela Peacock, who appears in Medicating Normal. The discussion was moderated by Nicole Lamberson.

It's not easy listening to how lives have been shattered but one does come accustomed to it. Being a blogger and researcher for over 16 years, I've heard/read many first hand accounts, many similar to my own experiences on, and withdrawing from, GSK's 'miracle pill', Seroxat (Paxil)

Groups such as those featured in the video (below) have so many commonalities. They were brought together because they encountered similar experiences. They, after years of being told they had something wrong with them, all reached a point of Eureka after researching the prescribed drugs they were given, some by choice, some by accident. They are part of a club that has grown considerably over the years as more and more laypeople question the efficacy and safety of psychiatric drugs (brain pellets).

It's a tragedy, that despite there being thousands upon thousands of similar stories, people who have never experienced brain pellet harm, be it personally or witnessing a loved one going through withdrawal hell, seem apathetic to the problem. Medicating Normal isn't a movie being directed toward those who sing from the same hymn book, it's directed at those who choose, for whatever reason, to shrug their shoulders and continue about their daily routines of posting photos of their dinner on Facebook and Twitter.

So, how can we tap into the psyche of the apathy crowd? - Making movies about personal experiences is one way, writing blogs is another, forming groups that put these horrendous accounts into the public domain and also discussions. Talk, talk, talk! Write, write, write! Eventually the apathy crowd, which includes prescribers, coroners and pharmacists, will have to sit up and pay attention.

There has been quite a campaign in recent years to stifle the voices of those harmed by brain pellets. Those who prescribe after assessing patients refuse to see the damage they are doing - prescribed harm is often dismissed as anecdotal or conspiracy - the latest trend, on Twitter at least, is that those who speak out about their experiences on brain pellets are part of an antipsychiatry cult.

It's quite laughable but a normal human reaction, I guess. I mean, who wants to go to bed at night knowing they may have caused suffering to another human being? A defence mechanism kicks in and those that do wrong convince themselves that they are doing right. With no logical explanation, they create a façade in the hope that others in their profession will promote. It buries the problem and clears the conscience of the problematic pill-pushers.

The discussion below hits home in so many ways for me. Patient has depression - Patient is given brain pellet - Patient still depressed - Patient given another brain pellet brand. Patient develops side effects - Patient told it's another disorder - Patient given another brand of brain pellet - and so the cycle continues.

Polydrugging is papering over the mistakes made by the prescriber, nothing more, nothing less.

The quote, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results", is often attributed to Einstein.

When we hear or read about experiences of those harmed by drugs on top of drugs, it's quite easy to see who the insane ones are. It certainly isn't the flowers of Scotland featured in this video.

I salute you all.

Here's the discussion: 

Bob Fiddaman

Medicating Normal ~ The Film

 

Last night I watched 'Medicating Normal', a film directed by Lynn Cunningham and Wendy Ractliffe.

It left me feeling angry - there was no sadness, I've almost become immune to feeling sadness upon hearing about the devastation and destruction these drugs can and do cause, that's not to say I'm totally devoid of empathy as I know that as the anger subsides the empathy will return and I'll calm down.

It's almost 18 hours since I finished watching and the anger is still with me. This has, somewhat, surprised me as the content of the film is, pretty much, something I've been researching for the past 16 years or so ~ one would have thought I had become accustomed to hearing about the horrific withdrawal of psychiatric brain pellets and the wanton contempt shown by those who manufacture, regulate and prescribe such dangerous 'pills'.

The film centres around a group of people from different walks of life, including military personnel, a waitress and a young girl, all of whom were initially given a diagnosis of a mental health disorder, prescribed brain pellets, returned to prescriber after the brain pellets either didn't work or were causing adverse reactions, only to be given another diagnosis and different brands of brain pellets. The demise of these individuals is plain to see, for me at least. It begs the question why a layperson, like me, can see the problem yet so-called professionals completely miss, or ignore what is right in front of them.

There are three types of people in this world. There are those who stand up for those harmed by brain pellets, there are those who shrug their shoulders whilst offering snippets of empathy like, "It's a shame" or "how awful" then there are those who talk about those who fight for the truth (usually behind their backs) claiming they are not experts, in fact they are just conspiracy theorists. I've encountered all three types - I still do.

There's a fourth type of person too, I say person but these types are often devoid of human emotion, yet on the surface they claim they are helping humanity. They often see themselves as gods or life-savers, in fact, over the years they have convinced themselves that whatever evidence shows that they are wrong is nothing more than a study that misinterprets data, either that or it's come from an advocacy group who have links to flat-earthers, ghost-hunters and celebrity-like religions. This puts them, they feel, in a position higher than anyone else - this gives them the false belief that they are omnipotent. It's a dangerous belief and one that is causing devastation to their flock.

I am, of course, talking about prescribers, be they your run-of-the-mill GP or psychiatrist. They've lost their way over the years, they've been convinced by a higher power (manufacturers and regulators) that they are on the correct highway and those who oppose them are beneath them so not worth listening to.

This is highlighted throughout 'Medicating Normal', albeit in a more subtle way than I have just described. The film does not intend to slam brain pellets, it is not calling for their removal, it's merely calling for informed consent to be given when these toxins are prescribed.

There are experts who claim that 'these drugs work short term', such statements are usually followed up by, "people shouldn't take them for long periods." With respect, the 'short-term' claim, I feel, is merely a defence mechanism designed to ignore the bigger picture that these 'drugs' are causing so much pain and misery around the world.

Sure, you'll have your patients stepping forward to defend the use of brain pellets, more often than not these are folk who are not able to function without them - this, they feel, is the reason why brain pellets such as antipsychotics, antidepressants and benzodiazepines have their place. They don't, for one minute, stop to think that their lack of function upon stopping the brain pellet may be a withdrawal effect. Their gods tell them it's a return of the illness ~ and so the cycle continues. Higher doses, different brands, various cocktails targeting invisible receptors with the claim that brain chemicals will be balanced out.

Watching this 80 minute film highlights the devastating effects of these brain pellets and also the flawed diagnostic tools used as a means to determine the type of brain pellets one should be prescribed. 

The film, for me at least, raises the question: What is going on in the head of a prescriber when he/she writes on that pad, does no part of them say, "this is wrong, why am I medicating normal?"

The film is being shown on various dates via here.

I highly recommend people to pay the small fee to watch it. If it wasn't for Covid this would probably be on general release at Cinemas, so, bring it into the comfort of your home.

You probably won't feel the anger I felt, if you don't, you should ask yourself why.

Bob Fiddaman