To the Editor:
Re “The Ex-Patients Club” (Science Times, March 18):
In a climate where anti-psychiatry sentiment is increasingly pervasive, I’m deeply alarmed by someone with no clinical experience, Laura Delano, being in the forefront for people getting off their psychiatric medications.
Ms. Delano’s declaration that she was ready to “stop being a psychiatric patient” is no different from people suffering from high blood pressure declaring they’re no longer hypertensive and do not require treatment. Advocating that people with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder (which is typically chronic and lifelong) stop their medication is dangerous.
Ms. Delano is embarking on a slippery slope in her claims. She is absolutely right that misdiagnosis and polypharmacy have plagued the field of psychiatry, but when practiced responsibly and evidence-based, it’s a lifesaving discipline.
I always preach lifestyle changes (exercise, diet) and practice psychotherapy before turning to medications for my patients, but medications are often needed to address symptoms so individuals can lead functional, fulfilling lives.
It is certainly appropriate to safely taper off medications in collaboration with a clinician, but it’s important to consider the differences in each individual and the overall risks versus benefits of medication.
Brandon Jacobi
Pleasantville, N.Y.
The writer is a psychiatrist.
To the Editor:
I was also “a professional psychiatric patient” (as Laura Delano called herself) for three decades, from my 20s through my 50s, having been diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, major depressive disorder — recurrent and severe with psychotic features — and borderline personality disorder. Over these 30 years, my medication cocktails consisted of S.S.R.I.s, S.N.R.I.s, mood stabilizers, antipsychotics and benzodiazepines.
When I become severely depressed, I experience psychosis and suicidal ideation. I have risked my life too many times with suicide attempts and hurt those I care about and who care about me to chance going off the medications that I believe have significantly contributed to my stability for the last 11 years.
I am currently prescribed an S.N.R.I., a tetracyclic antidepressant and a second-generation antipsychotic. I recognize that I need to be on psychotropic medications for the rest of my life.
I am thriving. I’m a licensed clinical social worker and an adjunct instructor at a local college. I’m a published writer and blogger, primarily on the topic of mental health and recovery.
This is a life that no one, least of all I, would have dreamed of during one of my more than 20 psychiatric admissions.
Andrea Rosenhaft
White Plains, N.Y.
Congress, Stand Up
To the Editor:
Re “Republicans in Congress Cede Power” (news analysis, front page, March 14):
Dear Congress: It’s not too late to reclaim your power as a fully equal branch of government, not servants of a would-be king. Remember who’s your boss here: It’s us, the people.
We the people sent you to Washington to speak for us, not sit in silence or hide under your desks while we sit at home, helpless, watching the rule of law shredded by DOGE and our standing as a world leader and a beacon of freedom destroyed by a reckless president.
A house divided against itself can still unite under the Constitution to play its vital role among the three pillars of government. Your real enemy is not sitting across the aisle from you; instead it lies in your failure to see that ceding your power to the executive branch destroys our government’s precarious balance.
Time to raise your voices for us! Time to turn your faces red with anger on our behalf. We the people are taking our message to the streets. Are you listening?
Susan Friedes
Indian Wells, Calif.
To the Editor:
I suggest that we stop having members of Congress swear an oath to uphold and support the Constitution. Their blatant disregard for that oath is a slap in the face to their constituents, and to all Americans who do everything within their power to uphold an oath when they take one.
Or, if they insist on continuing to take the oath, perhaps we should require them to read the Constitution first.
Michael Reagan
Red Bank, N.J.
Waste, Fraud and Abuse?
To the Editor:
To put a positive spin on our current political climate, at least we now have a clear definition of waste, fraud and abuse. It means any money spent to help the sick or the less fortunate, or to support public health or education.
Shaun Breidbart
Pelham, N.Y.
