CONFERENCE – Reykjavik, Iceland
WITHDRAWAL FROM PSYCHIATRIC DRUGS
May 2022
Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, IIPDW is waiting until June 2021 to confirm the dates for our conference in Reykjavik.
If you’d like to attend the conference, please register your interest by email at info@iipdw.org and we will keep you updated with our plans.
This is the first conference of the International Institute for Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal, and will bring together international experts in the field, and leaders from many different countries. The three themes underpinning the conference are safe withdrawal from psychiatric medication, alternatives to psychiatric medication, and the need to question the dominance of medication in mental health care.
The main speakers have been confirmed:
Carina Håkansson
Carina is co-founder of IIPDW and a licensed psychotherapist with a PhD, who for many years has supported people to withdraw from psychiatric drugs.
She will talk about the Institute’s background, the reason it exists, and share some examples of supporting people in practice.
Bob Whitaker
Bob is an international critic of the psychiatric establishment, and author of ‘Mad in America’ and ‘Anatomy of an Epidemic’.
He will talk about how and why psychiatric medication has taken psychiatry in an unhelpful direction.
Joanna Moncrieff
Joanna is a London-based critical psychiatrist and researcher, and author of ‘The Myth of the Chemical Cure’ and ‘The Bitterest Pills’.
She will talk about why psychiatric medication is such a problem.
Laura Delano
Laura is an ex-psychiatric patient from USA who has left the mental health system behind, and now directs two projects: the ‘Inner Compass Initiative’ and ‘The Withdrawal Project’.
She will talk about psychiatric drug withdrawal, from her own experience.
Magnus Hald
Magnus is a psychiatrist at the University Hospital of North-Norway, and is currently setting up one of Norway’s state-sponsored drug-free treatment units in Tromsø.
He will talk about the background to this ground-breaking initiative, and its progress.
RECENT NEWS
The Psychiatric Drugging of Children – Town Hall Discussion
The case for establishing a ‘minimal medication’ alternative for psychosis and schizophrenia
Stories of Reducing Antipsychotics Webinar
Special issue on Withdrawal from Prescribed Psychotropic Drugs
An Open Letter to NICE in the UK
New Paper on Stopping Antipsychotics
Open Excellence Foundation supports IIPDW
‘What I have learned from helping thousands of patients taper…’
Online UK Training Video for Psychological Therapists
Important new study on antipsychotic use and recovery rates
BBC World Service Assignment on Drug-Free Treatment in Norway
New study on wellbeing during and after antipsychotic withdrawal
IIPDW’s Dr Swapnil Gupta gives an interview to Carlat Psychiatry
You will be helping to add to the growing call for a global response to the issues of psychiatric drug withdrawal and iatrogenic harm.
OUR AIMS
- Develop research and practice-based knowledge that will facilitate safe reduction of and withdrawal from psychiatric drugs.
- Contribute to evidence-based practices for reduction of and withdrawal from psychiatric drugs, and facilitate their inclusion in general practice guidelines.
- Support the human right to informed choice with regard to psychiatric drugs.
- Promote practices that help families, friends, and practitioners support safe reduction of and withdrawal from psychiatric drugs, and take into account relational and social aspects essential to this process.
CONTACT US
Get in touch at info@iipdw.org to get to know more about our work. Also find us on Twitter and Facebook.