Mad in America: Rethinking Mental Health ADHD Diagnoses, Examining the Psyche, Withdrawal and PSSD Risks, ECT Harms and More: Robert Whitaker Answers Reader Questions
Jan 7, 2026
In this enlightening conversation, Robert Whitaker, a renowned journalist and author on psychiatric practices, answers pressing reader questions. He challenges the validity of ADHD diagnoses, linking it to commercial marketing trends. Whitaker also discusses the serious risks of withdrawal from SSRIs, the concealed harms of electro-convulsive therapy (ECT), and the urgent need for research on drug-caused nerve injuries. He emphasizes the importance of understanding psychiatric issues beyond reductionist views, highlighting the complexities of mental health.
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ADHD As A Construct
- Robert Whitaker argues ADHD is a construct without a validated brain pathology or clear genetic marker.
- Diagnosis relies on imprecise behavioral surveys and arbitrary cutoffs rather than objective biological tests.
Adult ADHD Fueled By Market Expansion
- Whitaker explains adult ADHD expansion as a market-driven extension of a childhood construct.
- Pharmaceutical promotion shifted attention from schoolchildren to adults to enlarge stimulant markets.
A Humble, Broader View Of The Psyche
- Mad in America promotes non-reductionist views of the psyche, emphasizing humility and complexity.
- Whitaker says the site explores philosophy, literature, and social context to counter the neurotransmitter reductionism.