Withdrawal from Prescribed Psychotropic Drugs

About the Contributors

Aderhold, Volkmar M.D. is a doctor of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and a lecturer in systemic therapy and counselling. For 10 years he has been senior physician at the Psychiatric University Clinic, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany.

Amarante, Paulo is a Psychiatrist and Doctor of Public Health. He is Full Professor at the National School of Public Health – Fiocruz, Brazil and the Doctorate in Community Mental Health at the National University of Lanús – Argentina. He is Doctor Honoris of the Popular University of the Madres of Plaza de Mayo – Argentina. Contact: pauloamarante[at]gmail.com

Braga, Luiza. PhD student at the Fluminense Federal University and a collaborating researcher at Center of Strategic Studies (CEE), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Brazil.

Breggin, Peter R. M.D. is a Harvard-trained psychiatrist. He has been approved as a medical expert in over 100 legal cases in courts on issues relating to adverse drug effects, drug approval, the pharmaceutical industry, and the FDA. Author of dozens of medical books and scientific articles. His latest book is COVID-19 and the global predators: We are the prey (together with Ginger R. Breggin).

Brown, Marion. A retired psychotherapist and researcher/campaigner/petitioner on behalf of patient self-help peer group recovery and renewal: Scottish petition: Prescribed drug dependence and withdrawal. Contact: @recover2renew, mmarionbrown[at]gmail.com

Castillo-Parada, Tatiana. Militant researcher at Centro de Estudios Locos (Mad Studies Center). Sociocultural Anthropologist, Universidad de Concepción, Chile. Anti-psychiatry and Feminist activist. Ally of the Mad Pride Movement in Chile. Member of Locooperativa (Mad Cooperative). Has published articles on Human Rights, Mad Pride Activism, Mad Feminism, Antipsychiatry and Psychiatric Drugs. Contributor: The Revolt Against Psychiatry: A Counterhegemonic Dialogue (edited by Bonnie Burstow).

Cea-Madrid, Juan Carlos. Degree in Clinical Psychology from Universidad de Santiago de Chile. Master's in Community Psychology from Universidad de Chile. Militant researcher at Centro de Estudios Locos (Mad Studies Center) and activist of the group Locos por nuestros derechos (Mad for Our Rights). Editor: Por el derecho a la locura. La reinvención de la salud mental en América Latina. (For the right to madness. The reinvention of mental health in Latin America)

Copeland, Mary Ellen PhD. studied how people recover from what are commonly described as mental health issues. She has written numerous books on the topic, and spreads the word about recovery around the world. More at copelandcenter.com

Cortez, Susanne (pseudonym). Born in 1963 in Germany. Primary and secondary school teacher, married, 2 children.

Cyr, Céline has a Master's degree in social work from Université de Montréal. An activist to the core she directs her energies toward developing alternative practices in the field of so called mental health and feminist intersectional intervention. She is one of the pioneers of the GAM (Gaining Autonomy & Medication) approach. Sharing GAM has brought joy, hope and great friendships in Canada, Brazil and Japan.

Ehrhart, Leela. Holds a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's degree in counseling focused on addiction and trauma treatment. A former prescribed psychotropic drug user involved in the layperson withdrawal community since early 2017, today she helps run a Facebook group for people withdrawing from SSRIs. She is passionate about helping empower others to connect with their innate wholeness and capacity for healing. More at leelaehrhart.com

Emmanouelidou, Anna. D. Phil., Dipl.-Psych., Master of Science, systemic therapist, supervisor and educator for systemic psychotherapy and a founding member of the Observatory for Human Rights in Mental Health in Thessaloniki, Greece (paratiritiriopsy.com).

Freitas, Fernando. M.D., PhD in Psychology. Senior Researcher at Research Laboratory in Social Psychiatry and Psychosocial Care (LAPS), National School of Public Health (ENSP), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Brazil. Co-editor of madinbrasil.org. Fernando passed away on January 30, 2023.

Gottstein, James B. (Jim). Born in the USA in 1953. Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 1978. Attorney advocate for people diagnosed with serious mental illness. Founder and President of the Law Project for Psychiatric Rights (PsychRights) whose mission is to mount a strategic litigation campaign against forced psychiatric drugging and electroshock. Author of The Zyprexa Papers about the internal Eli Lilly documents. More at psychrights.org

Groot, Peter C.. Molecular Genetic Researcher (PhD), person with lived experience, BSc Psychology at User Research Centre NL, University Medical Centre Utrecht, the Netherlands. His own experiences with the use of antidepressants helped him to develop a practical solution proposed by many patients to prevent withdrawal problems from antidepressants and other psychotropic drugs (see journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2045125320932452).

Gupta, Swapnil is a psychiatrist in New York City who also teaches medical students and psychiatry trainees. She is interested in minimizing medication use and continuing difficult conversations around medications with other psychiatrists.

Hofman, Naama, PhD is a psychology post-doctoral fellow in New York City. She works with individuals who experience psychosis using a recovery-oriented approach and a frame work integrating cognitive-behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and psychodynamic psychotherapy.

Kaufmann, Markus. Certified social pedagogue. Member of the specialist committee for psychiatric drugs of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für soziale Psychiatrie (German Society for Social Psychiatry). Many years of social psychiatric work. Contact: markus.kaufmann[at]mail.de

Langfeldt, Marina. D. Jur. Born in 1953 in Germany. Expert on criminal justice who has served in Germany at regional and federal level, the Council of Europe and the European Union. Certified Mediator. Member of the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture. Author of academic publications on human rights and health issues.

Lehmann, Peter. D. Phil. h.c., born in 1950 in Germany, certified pedagogue and independent publisher in Berlin, Germany. Until 2010, a longstanding board member of the European Network of (ex-) Users and Survivors of Psychiatry. Publications include, Coming off Psychiatric Drugs (ed. 2004, published also in German, French, Greek and Spanish; e-book in 2023) and Alternatives Beyond Psychiatry (ed. 2007 with Peter Stastny, published also in German, Greek and Marathi; e-book in 2022). More at www.peter-lehmann.de/inter

Lewis, Stevie. Expert patient and researcher/campaigner for recognition – and for support services. Petitioner Welsh Petition: Prescribed drug dependence and withdrawal. Contact: stevie.lewis2017[at]btinternet.com

Mota, Fábio. M.D. PhD in Economics. Leader of a research group of Technology Foresight at Center of Strategic Studies (CEE), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Brazil.

Motta, Camila. Graduated in Psychology. Post-graduate student in Family and Couple Therapy at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), fellow at Center of Strategic Studies (CEE), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Brazil.

Müller, Christoph. Psychiatric nurse with many years of experience in geriatric, general, and forensic psychiatric hospitals in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. At the same time active as editor and specialist author for nursing and psychiatric journals (including Christophs Pflege-Café – Pflege Professionell (Christoph's Care-Café – Care professional; https://pflege-professionell.at). Contact: arscurae[at]web.de

Network Self-help on Mental Health in Rhineland-Palatinate (German original: Netzwerk Selbsthilfe seelische Gesundheit in Rheinland-Pfalz e.V.). A non-profit association of people with emotional distress committed to their rights to participate in society in all areas of life, especially participation in work, education and culture, to psychiatric reform and to raising awareness about the risks of antidepressants and neuroleptics and about alternatives. More at www.netzg-rlp.de

Newnes, Craig. Critical psychologist, editor, historian, publisher, musician and author. He has published numerous books, book chapters and academic articles and edits The Journal of Critical Psychology, Counselling and Psychotherapy. In 2003 he was Chair of the British Psychological Society's Psychotherapy Section. Until 2007 he directed one of the largest NHS psychological therapies services in the UK. His latest books are Racism in Psychology: Challenging theory, practice and institutions, A Critical A-Z of Electroshock and, with Cemil Egeli, Psychomusicology

Richman, David L. Board-certified psychiatrist (American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology), who graduated from The New York University School of Medicine in 1970. After working in a community clinic (La Clinica De La Raza), he worked for Kaiser-Permanente (a non-profit Health Maintenance Organization) in Northern California as a psychiatrist / psychopharmacologist from 1992-2008. He is a co-founder of Madness Network News.

Rufer, Marc M.D. lives in Zurich. A long-standing critic of psychiatric diagnostic systems, psychopharmacology and the use of force in psychiatry. In 1986, co-founder and, since then, board-member of Psychex (since 2015: Psychexodus), an alliance of lawyers, doctors and survivors of psychiatry to support people who are incarcerated in psychiatric institutions in Switzerland. He has many publications in German.

Runciman, Olga. Masters, Clin Psych. is a psychiatric survivor, inspired by post-psychiatry specializing in severe distress as a certified open dialogue family therapist, psychiatric nurse and owner of Psycovery. She has many years' experience in supporting people getting off psychotropic drugs and co-founded the International Institute for Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal. Chair of the Danish Hearing Voices Network, and board member of Mad in America.

Schädle-Deininger, Hilde. Diploma in care / health management (college of higher education). Specialist nurse in psychiatry, teacher for nursing professions, freelance lecturer, and member of various committees in Germany. Has been active in very different areas of psychosocial care and in teaching. Specialist book author and winner of the first Psychiatric Nursing Award (2016, DFPP [German Society for Psychiatric Nursing] / BAPP [Federal Initiative for Ambulant Psychiatric Nursing] / VAPP [Association for Ambulant Psychiatric Nursing]. Contact: schaedle-deininger[at]t-online.de

Schlimme, Jann E. M.D. Berlin, Germany. Professional psychiatrist and psychotherapist and, after years working in research and hospitals, runs his own medical office. Contact: dr.schlimme[at]gmx.de

Schwartz, Michael A. M.D. Weston, Connecticut. Professional psychiatrist and psychotherapist and, after years working in research and hospitals, run his own medical office in his home town. Contact: drmikeblog[at]gmail.com

Sepúlveda, Paulina. Mad artist and activist. Survivor of psychiatry. Participant in the Collective "Autogestión Libre-Mente" (Chile). Witness of human rights violations in the Mental Health field and of the systemic violence that occurs within it. Defends Madness. Rejects oppression and the social and systemic measures established to oppress us.

Shapiro, Bryan B. M.D., Master of Public Health. Orange County, California. Psychiatrist with additional expertise in psychopharmacology and antidepressant drug withdrawal. Contact: bbshapi[at]gmail.com

Slaght, Trudy. Psychiatric survivor, management professional, wife, and mom of 3. Involved in the layperson withdrawal community since 2017, first as a patient managing her personal withdrawal and then as an admin member providing peer support to other group members, Trudy is passionate about normalizing the experience of being human and the full range of emotions that comes with it.

Van Os, Jim. I have a background in Epidemiology and Psychiatry. In my work as Neuroscience Division leader at Utrecht University Medical Centre, I have attempted to forge collaboration between clinical neurosciences and those with lived experience in order to create patient value. I am part of a movement overseeing extensive pilots of recovery-based and e/mHealth-based disruptive mental health service transformation in the Netherlands ('Nieuwe GGZ' movement).

Whitaker, Robert. Author of Mad in America and Anatomy of an Epidemic, and co-author of Psychiatry Under the Influence. He is the founder of madinamerica.com.

Zehentbauer, Josef. Born in 1945 in Germany. M.D. and psychotherapist. Several years' work in neurology (University of Würzburg), different psychiatric clinics and the emergency ward of a mental hospital. Worked as a doctor in Nigeria and India. Initiated projects with Franco Basaglia and other exponents of Italian Critical Psychiatry. Publications include, Chemie für die Seele – Psyche, Psychopharmaka und alternative Heilmethoden (Chemistry for the Soul: Psyche, psychotropic drugs and alternative methods of cure, 1986, 13^th edition 2022).

Zinkler, Martin is a psychiatrist and psychotherapist who works as head of department of a mental health service located in a district hospital. The service provides inpatient, outpatient and home treatment. Martin Zinkler is coeditor-in-chief of Recht & Psychiatrie, the journal for law and psychiatry in German speaking countries. He mainly publishes on human rights in mental health care.