Less than two months ago, the New York Times published an article entitled “Antidepressant Paxil Is Unsafe for Teenagers, New Analysis Says” (9/16/15). Only 2 weeks ago, the New York Times reported a ‘landmark’ study announcing ‘Therapy Found to Ease Schizophrenia’ (B. Carey 10/20/15).
None of this is news to those of us with lived experience. We have known for years that the medical treatments (chemicals, ECT, TMS, psychosurgery) rarely work as well as prescribers and Pharmaceutical companies insist they do (pretense of research notwithstanding). We have also known for years that talking (especially the mutually respectful human-rights-informed kind of talking that is the purview of peer support) can make all the difference -- even across seemingly unfathomable realities.