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Artwork for Mad in America: Rethinking Mental Health

Mad in America: Rethinking Mental Health

Mad in America
Mental Health
Antidepressants
Psychiatry
Psychosis
Social Justice
Psychology
Neoliberalism
Depression
Psychotherapy
Polypharmacy
Mental Health Care
Youth Mental Health
Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal
Radical Acceptance
Mental Health System
Single Session Interventions
Withdrawal Symptoms
Education
Anxiety
Informed Consent

Welcome to the Mad in America podcast, a weekly discussion that searches for the truth about psychiatric prescription drugs and mental health care worldwide. Hosted by James Moore, this podcast is part of Mad in America's mission to serve as a catalyst for rethinking psychiatric care. We believe that the current drug-based paradigm of care has failed our society and that scientific research, as we... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes307Founded9 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Mental HealthHealth & FitnessMedicine

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Artwork for Mad in America: Rethinking Mental Health

Latest Episodes

Merrick Daniel Pilling is an Associate Professor and Interim Co-Director of the School of Disability Studies at Toronto Metropolitan University. He is the author of Queer and Trans Madness: Struggles for Social Justice and the co-editor of Interrogat... more

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Dinesh Bhugra is a leading voice in social and cultural psychiatry. He is Emeritus Professor of Mental Health and Cultural Diversity at King's College London and has served as president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, the British Medical Ass... more

YouTube

Marianne Apostolides is the award-winning author of eight books, four of which have been translated and published internationally. She is a two-time recipient of the Chalmers Arts Fellowship and winner of the K.M. Hunter Award for Literature. Her boo... more

YouTube

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Recent Guests

Merrick Daniel Pilling
Associate professor and interim co-director of the School of Disability Studies at Toronto Metropolitan University
Toronto Metropolitan University
Episode: Mad Studies Is More Than Lived Experience: An Interview with Merrick Daniel Pilling
Dinesh Bhugra
Emeritus Professor of Mental Health and Cultural Diversity at King's College London; former president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the World Psychiatric Association
King's College London; Royal College of Psychiatrists; World Psychiatric Association
Episode: The West Doesn't Have All the Answers: An Interview with Dinesh Bhugra
Marianne Apostolides
Award-winning author and journalist focused on psychiatry and neuroscience
Author of Go No Go
Episode: Go/No Go - How Mental Health Research Took a Wrong Turn: An Interview with Marianne Apostolides
Howard Schubiner
Physician, author of Unlearn Your Pain
Michigan State University College of Human Medicine
Episode: Unlearn Your Pain: Harnessing the Power of Neuroplasticity – A Conversation With Howard Schubiner
Khameer Kidia
Physician and anthropologist; author of The Empire of Madness
Harvard Medical School; University of Zimbabwe
Episode: The Empire of Madness: Why Psychiatry Must Rethink Human Suffering - An Interview with Khameer Kidia
Chelsea McVeigh
Individual who experienced antidepressant withdrawal during pregnancy and subsequent recovery journey
Episode: A Mother's Journey Through Psychiatric Drug Harm and Healing
Carla Delgado
San Diego native with eight years of experience in health care and a master's in health care administration; has personal experience with SSRI withdrawal
Episode: Using Lived Experience to Challenge Systemic Prescriber Inexperience in Antidepressant Withdrawal
Jussi Valtonen
Neuropsychologist, researcher, and novelist; leader of Health Narrative and Arts Initiative
Finnish Centre for Evidence-Based Orthopedics; Uniarts Helsinki
Episode: Mercy, Magic, and the Medical Humanities: An Interview with Jussi Valtonen
Fiona Frenzen
Anthropology graduate, former teacher, and advocate focused on antidepressant withdrawal and awareness
Independent researcher/educator in Iceland
Episode: Anthropology, Arctic Iceland and Antidepressant Withdrawal: A Conversation With Fiona Frenzen

Hosts

Aayurthi Dharr
Host of the spotlight interview segment
James Moore
Host of the Mad in America podcast
Brooke Seam
Co-host and primary presenter across episodes

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 365 ratings
  • Rethinking Mental Health

    Very enlightening conversation. I’ve found compliance model and lack of humility by PHD’s infuriating! Thank you!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    NappyDresser
    United States5 months ago
  • Lack of actual experience is obvious

    Please leave Pleasantville and come spend some time in inpatient psych units across Appalachia, then tell me how we should give less antipsychotics and present a more calming presence instead. Don't fret about the time off you'll need, you'll be singing a different tune in a week or less.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    RainbowBright79
    United States8 months ago
  • Life-Giving.

    Life-Changing….this organization’s work has been to me. This podcast makes it even more accessible for my disability. Thank you 🙏for doing work that matters, and for seeking (and succeeding) to do it well.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    TemptingTheMuse
    United Statesa year ago
  • very valuable podcast

    I have texted many episodes to people whose families are told the same “no cure, lifelong medication story” that many doctors follow. This podcast gives alternative views and perspectives and solutions that have helped people I know recover. The focus is on recovery not treatment. Thanks for these podcasts !

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Sat88&&
    United Statesa year ago
  • Life-changing for long-term medication users

    This podcast is a salve for people like me who feel alone in the psychiatric journey after spending the past two decades wrestling with medication. I was looking for a show that would serve as both a reference as well as a confidence booster as I try to taper off psychotropic drugs for good. The hosts ask great questions and the carefully curated guests are smart and informative. I love that this show doesn’t undermine the intelligence of its listeners by dumbing down the subject matter. Thank y... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Genesee10
    United States2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Some listeners feel the conversations can be challenging or anxiety-provoking but ultimately valuable.
Thoughtful, courageously critiques the status quo in psychiatry.
Offers empowering, survivor-informed perspectives that many find hopeful.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The West Doesn't Have All the Answers: An Interview with Dinesh Bhugra
Q: Could you define Psychiatrization of Society and give an example of how normal experiences get medicalized?
Psychiatrization refers to turning normal human experiences into mental illnesses or diagnoses, which can lead to over-medicalization and misallocation of attention away from more serious conditions. An example is labeling ordinary stress or grief as PTSD or depression, thereby medicalizing everyday life.
The West Doesn't Have All the Answers: An Interview with Dinesh Bhugra
Q: What is a public mental health approach, and what kind of advice and solutions does it offer when problems are systemic?
A public mental health approach requires engaging with communities, acknowledging cultural contexts, and building locally available supports. It includes strategies like community mobilization, social prescribing, and collaboration with local organizations to reduce loneliness and isolation, rather than defaulting to clinical interventions alone.
Using Lived Experience to Challenge Systemic Prescriber Inexperience in Antidepressant Withdrawal
Q: What are some concrete questions or strategies patients can use when talking to providers about withdrawal and treatment plans?
Carla recommends asking about side effects, the plan for tapering, potential drug interactions, how the medication works, and the provider's familiarity with withdrawal, noting that poor answers often signal misalignment of knowledge and care.
Using Lived Experience to Challenge Systemic Prescriber Inexperience in Antidepressant Withdrawal
Q: Can you share your background with antidepressants and SSRI withdrawal and what led you to share your story publicly?
Carla explains her initial prescription during the pandemic, the long and difficult withdrawal journey, and how seeing a reel on social media validated her experience when providers couldn't explain what she was going through. She emphasizes the lack of informed consent, the absence of a long-term plan, and the emotional and systemic toll of navigating care alone.
Anthropology, Arctic Iceland and Antidepressant Withdrawal: A Conversation With Fiona Frenzen
Q: Can you tell me a little bit about acceptance and how that has played a role in your recovery?
Fiona explains that acceptance helps manage ongoing sadness, grief, and lingering symptoms, enabling her to live independently in Iceland, slowly rebuild her health, and recognize the necessity of gradual healing rather than fighting every symptom alone.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Mad in America: Rethinking Mental Health

What is Mad in America: Rethinking Mental Health about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show consistently explores mental health care through critical, human-centered lenses, often challenging the over-reliance on medication and highlighting social, cultural, and political determinants of distress. Across episodes, guests range from clinicians and researchers to authors and people with lived experience, uncovering gaps in conventional care, ethics in research, and alternative care models. Listeners can expect nuanced debates about neurobiology versus narrative approaches, patient advocacy, and practical pathways for reform and recovery that center autonomy, dignity, and community support. A notable strength is the blend of scholarly critique with personal storytelling, offering both rigor and empathy for listeners who seek... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Mad in America: Rethinking Mental Health?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Mad in America: Rethinking Mental Health:

1. The Carlat Psychiatry Podcast
2. Back from the Abyss: Psychiatry in Stories | Psychotherapy, Trauma, and Psychedelics
3. Therapist Uncensored Podcast
4. Pulling The Thread with Elise Loehnen
5. Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson

How many episodes of Mad in America: Rethinking Mental Health are there?

Mad in America: Rethinking Mental Health launched 9 years ago and published 307 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Mad in America: Rethinking Mental Health?

Recent guests on Mad in America: Rethinking Mental Health include:

1. Merrick Daniel Pilling
2. Dinesh Bhugra
3. Marianne Apostolides
4. Howard Schubiner
5. Khameer Kidia
6. Chelsea McVeigh
7. Carla Delgado
8. Jussi Valtonen

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