Liveblogging Primetime Outsiders
All the below is about this show.
Madigan: They didn’t flatter you with that lighting.
David Oaks: You’re looking so handsome! I had no idea. Your eyebrows are very sexy. (I’m completely sincere.)
“But critics worry …” That’s journalism-speak for “We don’t have any specific sources who say this, but we’ll generalize it so we have reason to focus on …”
… violence. That’s what they’re focusing on. Why am I not surprised?
So of all the things they could talk about related to Mad Pride — and related to mental health — this is what they’ve come up with: criminals and violent crime. Ugh. TV is so predictable and depressing.
Okay, so now we’re telling the story of a kid with hallucinations and delusions (the CIA, yadda yadda) who KILLS HIS MOTHER? Does the average American viewer understand how fucking rare this kind of thing is? That it’s not the necessary result of deciding not to take meds?
On to the withdrawal story: Clearly, the program wasn’t looking for a success story. This poor woman who decided to do the show so they could feed off her misery — I knew that’s what they wanted. Is she doing the withdrawal in conjunction with a doctor? Who the hell knows? The show doesn’t tell you. It hardly tells you her name. And …
Oh! There it is again: “Critics worry … ” (that she’s going to be “a time bomb” without her meds). Who are these critics worrying about this girl? Frank Rich? David Denby? I’d love to know.
“Violence is unpredictable with or without drugs.” Brilliant script.
Blurry homeless images. Madigan cello-ing. … This show is so bad, it’s like a joke. I guess it all goes back to what producer Ia Robinson told me, when we discussed my being on the show: She doesn’t have any friends or family who have mental problems, so the whole topic was like “walking on the moon.” Yes, that’s the phrase she used. The show should’ve been blasted out to Mars.
Except Joey P. He’s delightful and a voice of reason.
liz | 9:34 PM | SCHIZOPHRENIA, alternative treatments, bipolar disorder, celebrities, criminal justice system, depression, hospitals / hospitalization, meds, philadelphia, side effects, stigma, suicide, violence
The show from my perspective was nothing more than a wasteful 10 or 15 minutes of an attempt once again at sensationalism garbage T.V. journalism or whatever you’d prefer to call it.
Warmly,
Herb
VNSdepression.com
I would have liked to watch this piece all the way through (forgot to DVR it), but my meds kicked in early and I fell asleep.
As for mental illness being a “gift” to individuals in the “creative” field, I would like to return my “gift” for something more useful that I would like, say, maybe a Kindle. That would be nice. I would be happy falling asleep while reading instead of depending on a certain med that also as a bonus is attributing to weight gain.
I am thankful though that my meds are keeping me on an even keel. The highs are contained and the lows aren’t sustained. I think that sounds right?
Yeah, when I talked to Ia, she didn’t want to use me, because my life off of meds “made it look too easy”… when the truth is, it IS easy for a lot of people. But this show is another attempt to convince the public that ALL people who’ve been told they need psych drugs need psych drugs.
Of course, Liz is the voice of reason here, “Does the average American viewer understand how fucking rare this kind of thing is? That it’s not the necessary result of deciding not to take meds?”
But given that television journalism abhors sensationalism and carefully considers complex issues, I can only say -
OMG, We are a nation of potential mother killers just a few missed doses away from committing their lethal acts. It goes without saying that all individuals taking any psychiatric medication should be closely monitored for medication compliance lest they act on their unmedicated instinct to kill mothers. I assume by extension that their unmedicated instinct to kill is not limited to their own mothers but to all mothers. While similar reasoning has led to the passage of Involuntary Outpatient Commitment laws they are not enough to prevent marauding unmedicated mother killers from having their evil ways.
I modestly propose that all children carry a warning sign advising their mothers to keep a reasonable distance from them when in public. Afterall, the mother killers no doubt identify their prey by assessing the familial interaction between a female adult and a child. Better yet, women should be prohibited from having any public interaction with persons yet to reach adulthood. I know this is extreme but with so many unmedicated mother killers about we can never be too careful.
“Not to be too much of a dick, but why are folks like that employed full-time in journalism when reporters like me are on the sidelines?” — Philip Dawdy
Liz, I see Dawdy gave you a relevant plug in his recent post but I spilled my drink when I also read the above.
Maybe he’s finally getting it right and those others not engulfed or in the trenches don’t read or see journalism or reporting? Then again, how much “whoa is me” is one going to read before some action is taken or for that matter journalism or reporting?
Warmly,
Herb
VNSdepression.com
Q: Why doesn’t TV news give a story like this to a journo like Phil or Liz who knows something about the subject matter?
A: Because the TV news is paid for by Big Pharma.
Spikol Nails It | Mental Health Blogs Says:
[...] Liz Spikol live-blogged the show the other night and brilliantly so. Here, she picks things up when the show spins away [...]
Why don’t these shows ever mention that “the majority of homicides also appear to be committed by nonstrangers-either relatives, friends, or acquaintances of the victim. For example, Williams and Flewelling (1988) found that approximately two-thirds of homicides occurring in cities with populations greater than 100,000 were among nonstrangers. Because stranger homicide is even more rare in nonurban areas, the national percentage of homicides committed by nonstrangers is probably somewhat higher. As might be expected, nonstranger homicides are likely to be the result of interpersonal disputes, such as arguments over property and money, lovers’ triangles, and brawls involving alcohol or drugs.” http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?isbn=0309050804&page=35
In other words the vast majority of homicides, and if you follow the link, violent crimes of all crimes, are committed for understandable if evil reasons and not by people that come close to ever having had a psych label.
Good work here Liz. You and Philip should take over 20/20.
I didn’t see the show but am not surprised at the tenor of it. One thing that’s so rarely mentioned regarding “needing to take meds lest one become a violent killer” is that psych meds can CAUSE violence. Even Ambien for those sleepless nights has been known to provoke aggression. Dr. Peter Breggin’s new book, “Medication Madness,” among others, documents the potential of Prozac and other drugs to provoke violence against others and self (suicide, a risk that is now listed in the drug’s package inserts).
Hey Liz and commenting community… I was away in Oslo for a week, speaking with the wonderful group WE SHALL OVER COME twice at their conference, and then at a great lively protest they had in front of the Norwegian Parliament against forced psychiatric drugging. It was a roller coaster trying to decipher what was happening with ABC-TV episode. I’m back, but have not yet viewed it, so can’t comment. I can say I love Liz’s comments about my eyebrows and being handsome! I’m happily married to love-of-my-life Debra, and her main comfort about the show was that I looked hot… but I recognize she can be considered biased. Thanks, Liz, for lending some objective journalism to the claim. Seriously, I cannot count the number of people who warned me about ABC-TV and mainstream media. But I’ve been been doing this work for 33 years, why do folks feel I still need to be warned? I’ve seen so many problems for so many years. Again, I haven’t seen this episode, but EVERY time I talked about ABC-TV I said a similar disclaimer about skepticism of corporate media, no guarantee, high risk, etc. Our MFI board decided to take the risk anyway, and supported doing the show. As I mentioned on Philip’s blog, our movement is all about connecting to other movements. And one of those is the network of activists who challenge mainstream corporate media. Clearly, big media have been one of the main problems our movement has dealt with. We knew the risks, but felt that the potential to talk about MAD PRIDE would reach some people who had never heard of our movement. I know a little leaflet on a fence when I was a college student, telling me about the mad movement, made a big difference in my life, and helped me eventually get free of a revolving door of five institutionalizations. That little rag tag group of mad pride activists helped me… but I had to find out about them. More later after I actually view this thing. Thanks, David (David Oaks, Director, MindFreedom)
I have been taking Seroquel at night, prescribed by my psychopharmacologist to help me sleep. It does help me sleep, which is a blessing to someone who has suffered from life-long insomnia. I haven’t had any side effects, and I do feel better thanks to more sleep.
Links from Here and There, Plus Commentary on Social Isolation « Revolt and Resignation Says:
[...] distorts all attempts at intelligent conversation. However, Liz Spikol of The Trouble with Spikol live-blogged it with wit and accuracy, if you’re interested. There’s also a good deal of information on [...]
Spikol Nails It | Mental Health Blog - Anxiety depression information. Says:
[...] Liz Spikol live-blogged the show the other night and brilliantly so. Here, she picks things up when the show spins away [...]
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