Is Psychiatry Bullsh•t? | Dr. Bruce E. Levine | HITW 138

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On this episode I speak with psychologist, writer and activist Bruce Levine.
Dr. Levine writes and speaks widely on how society, culture, politics and psychology intersect. His most recent book is A Profession Without Reason: The Crisis of Contemporary Psychiatry―Untangled and Solved by Spinoza, Freethinking, and Radical Enlightenment (2022).
A practicing clinical psychologist often at odds with the mainstream of his profession, he is a regular contributor to CounterPunch, Salon and Mad in America. His articles and interviews have been published in the New York Times, Skeptic, Adbusters, The Ecologist, High Times, and numerous other magazines.
Dr. Levine is on the editorial advisory board of the journal Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry, and he is on the medical and scientific advisory board of the National Center for Youth Law. He is also an editorial advisor for the Icarus Project/Freedom Center Harm Reduction Guide to Coming off Psychiatric Drugs. A longtime activist in the mental health treatment reform movement, he is a member of the International Society for Ethical Psychology & Psychiatry and MindFreedom. Dr. Levine has presented talks and workshops to diverse organizations throughout North America.
Bruce's website: brucelevine.net/

[@WILD__THINGS]

The Ketamine part rang true for me. I have a friend who struggles with a lot of issues and swears by ketamine therapy. I asked her one time to describe her experience and what she gets out of it. She couldn't really give me a straight answer on either, just that she wants to keep going back. Well its been over 2 years and by her own admission, she hasn't experienced any significant help from it. To me, it just sounds like she might be addicted. I think back to the late 90s when I was in the rave scene and K was a dirty drug I saw a lot of people fall into a hole with. I never imagined it would one day be used for therapy.

[@drpennypriest]

All those new disorders...and with those come not just drugs, but new psychotherapies. Psychologists do so well out of diagnoses too.

[@katieandnick4113]

OMG, yes! A new talk with Bruce!

[@elmonte911espiritualidadde7]

What a great talk‼️ Thanks a lot for sharing!

[@jamesboswell9324]

This discussion is brilliant, especially your concluding points about how the left has lost a proper sense of the central importance of freedom. Can't be said often enough in my view. Thank you both.

[@howlinthewilderness]

Thanks James

[@apocalypse12345]

❤

[@matthewspears3786]

One thing mentioned here that hit me is that fixating on a DSM label stops curiosity, inquiry and real compassion. You get a label and that's it, you treat it. In that way it reminds me of Lipton's idea of a thought-terminating cliche. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thought-terminating_clich%C3%A9) It came of his investigation of cult circles, but I find that in many ways major aspects of society, including professional fields, have become very cult like. A thought terminating cliche is a repeated phrase that stops thought and curiosity and when used repeatedly creates blind spots. There seems to be a lot of those in the healing circles. I think learning group characteristics of a cult can be very helpful in knowing what bullshit to call to advocate for healthier groups. So much of what was mentioned here are aspects of a cult, including the cadence of psychologist professionals to sound like they know everything - exactly like a cult leader. I wish Open Dialogue from Finland was well known here, because it advocates for the exact opposite of a cult-like dynamic.

[@howlinthewilderness]

I’m with you, and have written about the cultic aspects of therapy here open.substack.com/pub/thevale/p/the-rise-of-traumadelic-culture-and?r=1yky0&