Real Talk with Zuby #398 Laura Delano - The Dirty Secret Of The Mental Health Industry
Jan 16, 2026
Laura Delano, a mental health advocate and author of 'Unshrunk', discusses her decade-long ordeal with the psychiatric system. She shares her experiences of overdiagnosis, heavy medication, and the pain of being labeled treatment-resistant. The conversation highlights the dangers of long-term psychiatric drug use and how questioning traditional narratives can lead to healing. Delano also explores the cultural influences on mental health, the importance of feeling emotions, and the need for informed choices in psychiatric care through her Inner Compass Initiative.
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Early Diagnosis Shaped Her Identity
- Laura Delano recounts a teenage breakdown leading to a bipolar diagnosis and immediate medication.
- The diagnosis and meds shaped her identity and began a 14-year relationship with psychiatry.
Treatment Resistance Led To Despair
- By her mid-20s Laura became dependent, disabled, and labeled "treatment resistant."
- That label contributed to her suicidal decision and attempt to end her life.
Treatment Can Be The Problem
- Reading Anatomy of an Epidemic reframed Laura's experience: treatment might worsen outcomes.
- That realization sparked her to reclaim agency and question psychiatric narratives.
