Peter Breggin
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'''Peter Roger Breggin''' (born [[May 11]], [[1936]])<ref>''Contemporary Authors Online'', s.v. "Peter R(oger) Breggin" (accessed [[March 24]], [[2008]]).</ref> is an [[United States|American]] [[psychiatrist]], best known as a leader of the reform movement in the field of [[psychiatry]], [[psychology]] and mental health. In his many books, including ''Brain-Disabling Treatments in Psychiatry'' (2008), he advocates replacing psychiatry's reliance on drugs and electroshock with a humanistic, caring reliance on psychotherapy, education and broader human services <ref name="brain">Breggin, P R. (2008). Brain-Disabling Treatments in Psychiatry. New York: Springer Publishing Company </ref>{{Fact|date=April 2008}}. Bertram Karon, Professor of Psychology at [[Michigan State University]], has called Breggin "the conscience of American Psychiatry."
Breggin is a critic of [[biological psychiatry]] and [[psychiatric medication]], and the author of books such as ''Toxic Psychiatry'', ''Talking Back to Prozac'', ''Talking Back to Ritalin'', ''The Ritalin Fact Book'', and ''The Heart of Being Helpful.'' His most recent book, the second edition of ''Brain-Disabling Treatments in Psychiatry'', presents extensive research on subjects such as the brain-disabling principle of psychiatric treatment, medication spellbinding, the adverse effects of drugs and [[electroconvulsive therapy]] (ECT), the hazards of diagnosing and medicating children, the psychopharmaceutical complex, and guidelines for psychotherapy and counseling.
Breggin now lives in the [[Finger Lakes]] Region of Central [[New York]] and practices psychiatry in [[Ithaca, New York]], where he treats adults, families and children with their families.
==Early career and background==
Breggin's background includes [[Harvard College]] from which he graduated with honors and [[Case Western Reserve University|Case Western Reserve]] Medical School. His postgraduate training in psychiatry began with an internship year of mixed medicine and psychiatry at the [[State University of New York]] (SUNY) Upstate Medical Center in [[Syracuse, New York|Syracuse]], a first year of psychiatric residency at Harvard's Massachusettes Mental Health Center in Boston where he was a teaching fellow at [[Harvard Medical School]], followed by another two years of psychiatric residency at SUNY. This was followed by a two-year staff appointment to the [[National Institute of Mental Health]] (NIMH) where he worked in building and staffing mental health centers and then in mental health in education. He has taught at several universities, including faculty appointments to the [[Washington School of Psychiatry]], the [[Johns Hopkins University]] Department of Counseling and the [[George Mason University]] Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution. Breggin has been in private practice since 1968.
Breggin is a Life Member of the [[American Psychiatric Association]] and an editor for several scientific journals. He has been a consultant to the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) on the hazards of antidepressants for airplane pilots. His opinions have been widely discussed in the media, including the ''New York Times'', ''Washington Post'', ''Time'' and ''Newsweek''. He has appeared as an expert on many radio and television shows, including ''60 Minutes'', ''20/20'', ''Nightline'' and numerous network news reports.
== Founder of Psychiatric Journal and Organization ==
In [[1971]], Breggin founded the International Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology (ICSPP), a [[nonprofit]] research and educational network. The Center is dedicated to shedding light upon the impact of [[mental health]] theory and practices upon individual well-being, [[personal freedom]], and family and [[community]] values. Currently, the center has a board of directors composed of 27 psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, counselors and other professionals in the mental health field. There is also an advisory council of several hundred more individuals. The center holds annual scientific conferences that are open to the public.<ref name=ICSPP>{{cite web |url=http://www.icspp.org/content/blogcategory/68/54/ |title=ICSPP board of directors |publisher=ICSPP |accessdate=2008-04-06}}</ref>
In 1999 he also founded the peer-review journal, ''Ethical Human Sciences and Services'', renamed ''[[Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry]]''. The peer-reviewed journal is published by Springer Publishing Company and "is the official journal of the International Center for the Study of Psychiatry".<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.springerpub.com/journalsamples/150X-guidelines.pdf |format=pdf |title=Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry: An International Journal of Critical Inquiry |author=Dr. Laurence R. Simon |accessdate=2008-04-06}}</ref> The stated goal of the publication is to, "raise the level of scientific knowledge and ethical discourse, while empowering professionals who are devoted to principled human sciences and services unsullied by professional and economic interests".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/springer/ehpp |title=IngentaConnect Publication: Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry |accessdate=2008-04-06}}</ref>
In 2002 Breggin encouraged younger professionals to take over leadership of ICSPP and ''Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry''. He continues to speak at annual meetings and to contribute to the journal on a regular basis.
== Critic of conventional psychiatry ==
A large portion of Breggin's work concentrates on the [[iatrogenic]] effects (negative side effects) of [[psychiatric medication]]s, arguing that the harmful side effects typically outweigh any benefit. Breggin also argues that psychosocial interventions are almost always superior in treating mental illness. He stated; "I don't believe in the psychiatric drugs myself. I've been in practice since 1968, and I've never started anyone on psychiatric drugs"{{Fact|date=April 2008}}. For over three decades, he has campaigned against [[psychoactive drug]]s, [[electroshock]], [[psychosurgery]], coercive [[outpatient commitment|involuntary treatment]], and [[Biological psychiatry|biological theories of psychiatry]].
According to Breggin, the [[pharmaceutical industry]] propagates disinformation which is accepted by unsuspecting doctors, "The psychiatrist accepts the bad science that establishes the existence of all these mental diseases in the first place. From there it’s just a walk down the street to all the drugs as remedies". He points out problems with conflicts-of-interest (such as the financial relationships between drug companies, researchers, and the [[American Psychiatric Association]]). Breggin states psychiatric drugs, "...are all, every class of them, highly dangerous". He asserts: "If [[neuroleptic]]s were used to treat anyone other than mental patients, they would have been banned a long time ago. If their use wasn't supported by powerful interest groups, such as the pharmaceutical industry and organized psychiatry, they would be rarely used at all. Meanwhile, the neuroleptics have produced the worst epidemic of [[neurological disease]] in history. At the least, their use should be severely curtailed."<ref name="bregginneuro">{{cite web |title=Should the use of neuroleptics be severely limited? |url=http://www.breggin.com/neuroleptics.html |author=Peter Breggin |accessdate=2008-04-06 |format= |work=}}</ref>
In his book, ''Reclaiming Our Children'', he calls for the ethical treatment of children and argues that our society's [[child abuse|mistreatment of children]] is a national tragedy including the psychiatric diagnosing and drugging of children whose needs we have otherwise failed to meet. He especially objects to prescribing psychiatric medications to children, because it distracts from their real needs in the family and schools, and is potentially harmful to their developing [[brain]]s and [[nervous system]]s.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Psychiatric Drugging of Toddlers |work=Editorial by Peter R. Breggin |url=http://breggin.com/thepsychiatric.pbreggin.2000.pdf |format=pdf |accessdate=2006-09-08}}</ref>
== Criticism of ADHD and Ritalin ==
''[[The New York Times]]'' has labeled Breggin as the nation's best-known [[ADHD]] critic. As early as 1991 he coined the acronym DADD, stating, "...most so-called ADHD children are not receiving sufficient attention from their fathers who are separated from the family, too preoccupied with work and other things, or otherwise impaired in their ability to parent. In many cases the appropriate diagnosis is Dad Attention Deficit Disorder (DADD)". Breggin has written two books specifically on the topic entitled, ''Talking Back to Ritalin'' and ''The Ritalin Factbook''. In these books he has made some controversial claims such as, "Ritalin "works" by producing malfunctions in the brain rather than by improving brain function. This is the only way it works".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.breggin.com/ritalinbkexcerpt.html |title=Talking Back to Ritalin--New Breggin Book Excerpts |accessdate=2008-04-06 |format= |work=}}</ref> [[Forbes]] credited Breggin with "almost single-handedly reenergizing the anti-Ritalin contingent", which lead to a "flurry of lawsuits and news stories".<ref name="Forbes">{{cite web |url=http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2001/0723/060.html |title=A Headache For Novartis: Psychiatrist Peter Breggin is masterfully leading a campaign against Ritalin. Could he be overstating the case? |publisher=Forbes.com |accessdate=2008-04-06 |format= |work=}}</ref>Breggin also testified to [[United States Congress|Congress]] with [[Fred Baughman]]. In Congress Breggin claimed "that there were no scientific studies validating ADHD, that all these kids needed was "discipline and better instruction", and that therapeutic stimulants "are the most [[addictive]] drugs known in medicine today" <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.breggin.com/classactionmore.html |author=Peter Breggin |publisher=Breggin.com |title=Ritalin Class Action Suits |accessdate=2008-04-06 |format= |work=}}</ref>. [[PBS]] [[Frontline]] also did a five part TV series entitled 'Medicating Kids', which was specifically about ADHD. [[Fred Baughman]] and Breggin were the major critics used in this series.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/medicating/ |title=Frontline: medicating kids |publisher=PBS |accessdate=2008-04-06 |format= |work=}}</ref> In an interview during this time period he referred to ADHD as a "fiction". This increased critical attention to [[Ritalin]] culminated with the [[Ritalin class action lawsuits]] against [[Novartis]], the [[American Psychiatric Association]] (APA), and CHADD in which the plaintiffs sued for fraud. Specifically, they charged that the defendants had conspired to invent and promote the disorder ADHD to create a highly profitable market for the drug Ritalin. At the time, these cases were considered "the next tobacco" and garnered national media attention{{Fact|date=April 2008}}. Breggin was a medical expert for only one of these cases, although he claimed to be a medical expert in three of them<ref name="Forbes"/>. All five lawsuits were dismissed or withdrawn before they went to trial.
== Criticism of SSRI antidepressants ==
In the early 1990s, Breggin suggested there were problems with research methodology in the research of [[SSRI]] [[antidepressants]]. As early as 1991 in ''Talking Back to Prozac'' he warned that Prozac was causing violence, suicide and mania, and he elaborated on this theme in many subsequent books and articles in regard to all of the newer antidepressants. In 2005, the [[FDA]] began requiring [[black box warning]]s on [[SSRI]]s, warning of an association between SSRI use and suicidal behavior in children.<ref>{{cite web | title=Black Box Warning for Children and Suicidality | work=FDA Website |url=http://www.fda.gov/CDER/DRUG/antidepressants/PI_template.pdf#search=%22fda.gov%20suicide%20ssri%22/2006/paroxetineDHCPMay06.pdf| accessdate=2006-07-08}}</ref>, and later extended it to young adults. New general warnngs were added along with the aforementioned black box warnings. These confirmed many of the other adverse effects first emphasized by Breggin in ''Toxic Psychiatry'' with specific mentions by the FDA of drug-induced "hostility," "irritability," and "mania"{{Fact|date=April 2008}}. In 2006, the FDA expanded the warnings to include adults taking [[Paxil]] (which is associated with a higher risk of suicidal behavior as compared to [[placebo]]<ref>{{cite web | title=Paxil Black Black Box Warning| work=FDA Website | url=http://www.fda.gov/Medwatch/safety/2006/safety06.htm#paxil| accessdate=2006-07-08}}</ref>). These policy actions were taken approximately 15 years after Breggin first wrote about the subject.
Although ''Talking Back to Prozac'' was widely read at the time with over 40,000 sales in hardback and several hundred thousand in paperback {{Fact|date=April 2008}}, his pioneering efforts were largely ignored by the media{{Fact|date=April 2008}} when the FDA confirmed his original research{{Fact|date=April 2008}}. ''Prozac Backlash'', a critique of SSRIs by [[Harvard]] psychiatrist Joseph Glenmullen was widely praised by high-profile media sources.<ref>{{cite web | title=Media Reviews of Prozac Backlash | work=From J. Glenmullen's Website| url=http://www.prozacbacklash.com/reviews.html| accessdate=2006-07-08}}</ref> This was addressed by Breggin in a subsequent book, ''The Antidepressant Fact Book'':
:''"Glenmullen's (2000) scientific analysis of how SSRIs can cause suicide, [[violence]], and other behavioral aberrations is essentially the same as my earlier detailed analyses...my hundreds of media appearances, and my testimony in court cases that Glenmullen also had available. Glenmullen also interviewed my wife and coauthor Ginger Breggin for his book and was sent research documents from our files that he was otherwise unable to obtain. Disappointingly, in his book, Glenmullen literally expurgates our contribution, never mentioning my origination of the ideas he was espousing and never acknowledging my efforts...Nonetheless, his book provides a service..."''<ref>{{cite web | title=The Antidepressant Fact Book, pg. 207| work=Breggin, P.R. (2001). ISBN 0-7382-0451-X|url=http://www.powells.com/biblio?show=073820451x| accessdate=2006-07-08}}</ref>
Glenmullen has never countered Breggin's assertion and they both presented at the annual conference (in Queens, NY in 2004) of the International Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology. Breggin continues to voice his respect for Glenmullen's work.{{Fact|date=June 2008}}
== Criticism of ECT ==
Breggin has written several books and scientific articles critical of [[electroconvulsive therapy]]. He is quoted by [[Time Magazine]] as stating, "...the damage produces [[delirium]] so severe that patients can't fully experience [[depression (mood)|depression]] or other higher mental functions during the several weeks after electroshock". He was selected by the National Institute of Health (NIH) to be the expert on brain injury caused by ECT at the 1985 NIH Consensus Development Conference on ECT.
==Controversial commentary ==
Due to his outspoken criticisms of many aspects of psychiatry, Breggin has become a controversial figure regularly at odds with the mainstream mental health establishment<ref name="Forbes"/>. He uses terms like "fraud" to describe the biological and genetic theories of mental disorders. He is critical of the medications used to treat these disorders, and the political process that determines the labels used for diagnosing mental disorders. He has also consistently warned about [[conflict of interest]] problems. <ref name="Frontline">{{cite web | title=medicating kids: interviews: peter breggin | work=PBS - Frontline | url=http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/medicating/interviews/breggin.html | accessdate=2006-07-29 |date=[[2000-05-03]]}}</ref> These claims often challenge accepted standards of care within the mental health field and have led to highly critical rebuttals.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.psychlaws.org/BriefingPapers/BP20.htm#2 |title=Briefing Paper: What is wrong with the brain in schizophrenia? |accessdate=2008-04-06 |format= |work=}}</ref> In 1994, the president of the [[American Psychiatric Association]] called Breggin a "[[flat earth|flat-earther]]" (suggesting he embraced outdated theories); the head of the [[National Alliance on Mental Illness]] (NAMI) called Breggin "ignorant"; and the former head of the [[National Institute of Mental Health]] called him an "outlaw."<ref>{{cite web | title=Prozac's Worst Enemy | work=Christine Gorman, Time Magazine, Oct 10, 1994| url=http://www.holysmoke.org/sdhok/dep03.htm| accessdate=2006-07-08}}</ref>
Breggin points out that the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and NAMI first began criticizing him after he conducted a successful campaign to stop the return of lobotomy and psychosurgery in the early 1970s. Among other actions, Breggin wrote scientific critiques of psychosurgery, participated in court cases against psychosurgery, and worked with the U.S. Congress to form the psychosurgery commission that declared the treatment experimental and unfit for routine clinical use. Both the APA and NAMI supported lobotomy as a legitimate medical treatment. Their criticism of Breggin escalated after he disclosed in ''Toxic Psychiatry'' that both organizations had substantial financial support from the pharmaceutical industry. Fredrick Goodwin is the "former head" of the National Institute of Mental Health who called Breggin an "outlaw." Before he criticized Breggin, Goodwin lost his job as a result of a national campaign conducted by Breggin and his wife Ginger against Goodwin's "violence initiative," a giant federal program aimed at unearthing genetic and biological defects in "inner city" children that supposedly made them violent. In their book, ''The War Against Children of Color'', the Breggin's called Goodwin's programs "racist" and their campaign caused Goodwin to leave the federal government. Funding for the "violence initiative" was stopped.
Although he regularly critiques <ref name=MTA>{{cite journal |author=Breggin PR |title=MTA Study has flaws |journal=Arch. Gen. Psychiatry |volume=58 |issue=12 |pages=1184; author reply 1185–7 |year=2001 |pmid=11735849 |doi=10.1001/archpsyc.58.12.1184}}</ref> and has written reviews <ref name=brain>{{cite journal |author=Breggin PR |title=Parallels between neuroleptic effects and lethargic encephalitis: the production of dyskinesias and cognitive disorders |journal=Brain Cogn |volume=23 |issue=1 |pages=8–27 |year=1993 |pmid=8105824 |doi=10.1006/brcg.1993.1041}}</ref> of the scientific literature, Breggin has not published controlled clinical trials. He has, however, published numerous theoretical papers, reviews and analyses in peer-reviewed journals such as ''Primary Psychiatry''{{Fact|date=April 2008}}, ''Brain and Cognition''{{Fact|date=April 2008}}, ''Mind and Behavior''{{Fact|date=April 2008}} and the ''Archives of General Psychiatry''{{Fact|date=April 2008}} to substantiate his claims. He has been accused, by critics, of [[cherry picking]] information from the research of others to draw unrelated conclusions.<ref name="QW Breggin">{{cite web|url=http://www.quackwatch.org/04ConsumerEducation/NegativeBR/breggin.html|author=Barkley, Russell, Ph.D.|title=ADHD, Ritalin, and Conspiracies: Talking Back to Peter Breggin|accessdate=2007-02-12|publisher=Quackwatch}}</ref> [[Stephen Barrett]] of [[Quackwatch]], a retired psychiatrist and critic of Breggin, has stated; "he would like you to believe that his clinical experiences and investigations have enabled him to reach a level of insight that is greater than that of the majority of mental health professionals".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.quackwatch.org/11Ind/breggin.html|author=Stephen Barrett, MD|title=Some Notes on ADHD and Peter R. Breggin's Unfair Attack on Ritalin|accessdate=2007-02-12|publisher=Quackwatch}}</ref> [[Russell Barkley]], an expert in [[ADHD]], has also expressed reservations about Breggin's ideas. "...the flaws of both his research methods and his arguments are evident to any scientist even slightly familiar with the scientific literature".<ref name="QW Breggin"/> Breggin has been very critical of psychologist Barkley's work on the grounds that he exaggerates the benefits of stimulants and minimizes their hazards. In ''Brain-Disabling Treatments in Psychiatry'' and other books and articles he rejects the idea that a scientist must participate in controlled clinical trials in order to justify his expertise.
In 1987, NAMI brought a complaint against Breggin with licensure board of the State of Maryland. NAMI was upset about remarks he made on the ''[[Oprah Winfrey Show]]'' on [[April 2]], [[1987]]. On the TV show, Breggin stated that mental health clients should judge their clinicians in terms of their empathy and support; if they failed to show interest in them and tried to prescribe drugs during the first session, he advised such clients to seek assistance elsewhere. He also pointed out the [[iatrogenic]] effects of neuroleptic drugs. He was defended by a diverse group of psychiatrists and others who defended his right to publicly state his critical opinion.<ref>{{cite web | title= Free Expression or Irresponsibility? Psychiatrist Faces a Hearing Today | work=Daniel Goleman, New York Times, September 22, 1987 | url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9B0DEFDD113DF931A1575AC0A961948260| accessdate=2006-09-08}}</ref> Breggin was cleared of any wrongdoing by the [[Maryland]] medical board, which thanked him for his contribution to mental health in Maryland.<ref>{{cite web | title= Psychiatrist says Panel Cleared Him| work=Associated Press article in New York Times, September 24, 1987 | url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9B0DE4D9173AF937A1575AC0A961948260
| accessdate=2006-09-08}}</ref> [[Time magazine]] has noted that other mental health professionals worry that "Breggin reinforces the myth that mental illness is not real, that you wouldn't be ill if you'd pull yourself up by the bootstraps...his views stop people from getting treatment. They could cost a life."<ref name="Time">{{cite web |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,981579-2,00.html |title=Prozac's Worst Enemy |Publisher=[[TIME magazine]] |accessdate=2008-04-06 |format= |work=}}</ref>
He has also been prone to making claims which he cannot back up and later withdraws from, including that it can be okay for children to have sexual relationships and that the vast majority of women have been sexually abused in childhood<ref name="Forbes"/>.
==Expert witness==
Over the past forty years, Breggin has testified in more than seventy trials involving [[tardive dyskinesia]] induced by neuroleptics, brain damage from electroconvulsive therapy, violence and suicide caused by psychiatric drugs, and other issues related to patient rights. His work has included criminal cases, malpractice suits and product liability suits. He has helped many parents prevent the drugging of their children. Although he continues to testify in court a few times a year, the great majority of cases in which he acts as a medical expert are settled before going to trial.
Breggin testified as an [[expert witness]] in the Wesbecker case (Fentress et al., 1994), a lawsuit against [[Eli Lilly]], makers of [[Prozac]]. Ultimately, the jury found for Eli Lilly. It was later revealed that the plaintiffs and defendants had secretly settled behind closed doors. <ref>{{cite web
|title=Fentress Case Analysis
|work='Lectric Law Library
|url=http://www.lectlaw.com/filesh/zbk03.htm
|accessdate=2006-09-08
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|title=Eli Lilly, Missing Documents, Fentress Verdict
|work=A Report by Peter Breggin
|url=http://www.breggin.com/Eli%20LillyWithheld%20Prozac%20Documents--website%20version.pdf#search=%22breggin.com%20fentress%22
|accessdate=2006-09-08
}}</ref>
Breggin alleges that pharmaceutical manufacturers have committed ''[[ad hominem]]'' attacks upon him in the form of linking him to [[Scientology]] campaigns against psychiatric drugs. In particular, Breggin levels this accusation against Eli Lilly. Breggin acknowledges that he did work with Scientology starting in 1972, but states that by 1974 he "found {{interpolation|himself}} opposed to Scientology's values, agenda, and tactics", and in consequence "stopped all cooperative efforts in 1974 and publicly declared {{interpolation|his}} criticism of the group in a letter published in ''[[Reason (magazine)|Reason]]''." <ref name="JML!"> {{cite web | title=Joe McCarthy Lives!: He's whispering in the ear of Eli Lilly & Co., the manufacturer of Prozac | work=Dr. Breggin's comments on Eli Lilly, Scientology and his relationship with it. | url=http://www.breggin.com/Joemccarthylives.html | accessdate=2006-07-08}}</ref> Breggin has also stated that he has personal reasons to dislike Scientology since his wife,
Ginger, was once a member. <ref name="JML!" /> <ref name="Frontline"/>
Some judges have questioned Breggin's credibility as an expert witness. For example, a Maryland judge in a medical malpractice case in [[1995]] said, "I believe that his bias in this case is blinding. . . he was mistaken in a lot of the factual basis for which he expressed his opinion". In that same year a Virginia judge excluded Breggin's testimony stating, "This court finds that the evidence of Peter Breggin, as a purported expert, fails nearly all particulars under the standard set forth in [[Daubert]] and its progeny. . . Simply put, the Court believes that Dr. Breggin's opinions do not rise to the level of an opinion based on 'good science'".
In 2002, Breggin was hired as an expert witness by a survivor of the [[Columbine High School massacre]] in a case against the makers of an anti-depressant drug. In his report, Dr. Breggin failed to mention the Columbine incident or one of the killers, instead focusing on the medication taken by the other, "...[[Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold|Eric Harris]] was suffering from a substance induced ([[Luvox]]-induced) mood disorder with depressive and manic features that had reached a psychotic level of violence and suicide. Absent persistent exposure to Luvox, Eric Harris probably would not have committed violence and suicide"<ref name="Luvox">{{cite web |url=http://www.drugawareness.org/Ribbon/Legal/record0021.html |title=Legal News |accessdate=2008-04-06 |format= |work=}}</ref>. However, according to ''[[The Denver Post]]'', the judge of the case "...was visibly angry that the experts failed to view evidence prior to their depositions" even though they had months to do so. The evidence would have included hundreds of documents including a significant amount of video and audio tape that the killers had recorded. The judge stated, "..lawyers will be free to attack them on the basis of the evidence they haven't seen and haven't factored into their opinions". <ref>[http://www.namiscc.org/News/2002/newsletters/TAC-Nov15-2002.htm#Top Treatment Advocacy Center Newsletter - November 15 2002<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>. The lawsuit was eventually dropped with the stipulation that the makers of Luvox donate $10,000 to the American Cancer Society<ref name="Luvox"/>.
In 2005, a [[Court of Common Pleas (United States) |Common Pleas Court ]] disqualified the testimony of Breggin because it did not meet the scientific rigor established by the [[Frye Standard]]. The judge stated "...Breggin spends 14 pages critiquing the treatment provided not because it ran counter to the acceptable standards of care, but because it ran counter to Breggin’s personal ideas and ideologies of what the standards ought to be.” <ref>{{cite web |url=http://west.thomson.com/store/relatedpdfdownload.aspx?file=124713_2004350_15557.pdf |title=Pa. Ct. Affirms Rejection Of Expert, Dismissal Of Med-Mal Case |accessdate=2008-04-06 |format= |work=}}</ref>
==Publishing and research==
Since [[1964]] Breggin has published on his major topic of interest, [[Psychopharmacology|clinical psychopharmacology]], and has authored dozens of other articles, several book chapters, and more than twenty books. Many of Breggin's more recent articles are published in the peer-reviewed journal he founded, ''[[Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry]]'', and in the ''[[International Journal of Risk and Safety in Medicine]]'' as well as in other scientific journals such as ''Primary Psychiatry'' (2006) <ref name="primary">Breggin, P.R. (2006). Recent regulatory changes in antidepressant labels: Implications of activation (stimulation) for clinical practice. Primary Psychiatry, 13(1), 57-60.</ref>,and the ''Journal of Humanistic Psychology'' (2000) <ref name="humanistic">Breggin, P.R.(2000). Psychopharmacology and human values. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 43, 34-49. </ref>. Breggin wrote his first peer-reviewed articles in the arena of psychopharmacology in 1964 and 1965 <ref name="archives">{{cite journal |author=Breggin PR |title=The Psychophysiology of anxiety; with a review of the literature concerning adrenaline |journal=J. Nerv. Ment. Dis. |volume=139 |issue= |pages=558–68 |year=1964 |pmid=14243200 |doi=}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author=Breggin PR |title=Sedative-like effect of epindephrine. A review |journal=Arch. Gen. Psychiatry |volume=12 |issue= |pages=255–9 |year=1965 |pmid=14246173 |doi=}}</ref>. Many of his published articles deal with psychiatric medication, the FDA drug approval process, the evaluation of clinical trials, and the ethics of psychiatric practice. According to the [[Web of Science]], Bregging's work has been cited by 382 publications, giving him an [[h-index]] of 10.<ref>[[Web of Science]], accessed July 1, 2008</ref> These relatively low numbers indicate that he is largely ignored by the scientific community.
==Bibliography==
* Breggin, P.R. (2008). ''Medication Madness: A Psychiatrist Exposes the Dangers of Mood-Altering Medications.'' New York: St. Martin's Press.
* Breggin, P.R. (2008). ''Brain-Disabling Treatments in Psychiatry: Drugs, Electroshock and the Psychopharmaceutical Complex, Second Edition.'' New York: Springer Publishing Company.
* Breggin, P.R. and Cohen, D. (2007). ''Your Drug May Be Your Problem: How and Why to Stop Taking Psychiatric Medications, Second Edition.'' Cambridge: Perseus Books.
* Breggin, P.R. (2006). Court filing makes public my previously suppressed analysis of Paxil's effects. ''Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry'', 8, 77-84. PMID 16862720
* Breggin, P.R. (2006). How GlaxoSmithKline suppressed data on Paxil-induced akathisia: Implications for suicide and violence. ''Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry'', 8, 91-100, 2006.
* Breggin, P.R. (2006). Drug company suppressed data on paroxetine-induced stimulation: Implications for violence and suicide.” ''Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry'', 8, 255-263.
* Breggin, P.R. (2006). Intoxication anosognosia: The spellbinding effect of psychiatric drugs. Ethical ''Human Psychology and Psychiatry'', 8, 201-215. Simultaneously published in the ''International Journal of Risk and Safety and Medicine'', 19, 3-15, 2007.
* Breggin, P.R. (2006). Recent regulatory changes in antidepressant labels: Implications of activation (stimulation) for clinical practice. ''Primary Psychiatry'', 13(1), 57-60.
* Breggin, P.R. (2004). Recent U.S., Canadian and British regulatory agency actions concerning antidepressant-induced harm to self and others: A review and analysis. ''International Journal of Risk and Safety in Medicine'',16, 247-259.
* Breggin, P.R. (2003). Suicidality, violence and mania caused by selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs): A review and analysis. ''International Journal of Risk and Safety in Medicine'', 16, 31-49.
* Breggin, P. R., Breggin, G.R., and Bemak, F. (Editors) (2002). ''Dimensions of Empathic Therapy''. New York: Springer Publishing Company.
* Breggin, P. R. (2002). ''The Ritalin Fact Book: What Your Doctor Won't Tell You.'' Cambridge: Perseus Books.
* Breggin, P.R. (2001). ''The Anti-Depressant Fact Book: What Your Doctor Won't Tell You About Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Celexa, and Luvox.'' Cambridge: Perseus Books.
* Breggin, P.R. (2001). ''Talking Back to Ritalin: What Doctors Aren't Telling You About Stimulants and ADHD. Revised.'' Cambridge: Perseus Books.
* Breggin, P.R. (2001). From Prozac to Ecstasy: The implications of new evidence for drug-induced brain damage. ''Ethical Human Sciences and Services'', 3(1), 3-5.
* Breggin, P. R. (2000). ''Reclaiming Our Children: A Healing Solution for a Nation in Crisis.'' Cambridge: Perseus Books.''
* Breggin, P.R. (2000). Psychopharmacology and human values. ''Journal of Humanistic Psychology'', 43, 34-49.
* Breggin, P.R. (2000). The psychiatric drugging of toddlers. ''Ethical Human Sciences and Services'', 2(2), 83-86.
* Breggin, P.R. (2000). The NIMH multimodal study of treatment for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A critical analysis. ''International Journal of Risk and Safety in Medicine'', 13,15-22.
* Breggin, P.R. (2000). What psychologists and psychotherapists need to know about ADHD and stimulants. ''Changes: An International Journal of Psychology and Psychotherapy'',18,13-23.
* Breggin, P.R. (1999). Psychostimulants in the treatment of children diagnosed with ADHD: Risks and mechanism of action. ''International Journal of Risk and Safety in Medicine'', 12, 3-35.
* Breggin, P.R. and Ginger, G.R. (1998). ''The war against children of color. Psychiatry Targets Inner City Youth.'' Monroe, Maine: Common Courage Press.
* Breggin, P.R. (1998). Psychotherapy in emotional crises without resort to psychiatric medication. ''The Humanistic Psychologist'', 25, 2-14.
* Breggin, P.R. (1998). Analysis of adverse behavioral effects of benzodiazepines with a discussion on drawing scientific conclusions from the FDA's spontaneous reporting system. ''Journal of Mind and Behavior'', 19(1), 21-50.
* Breggin, P.R. (1998). Electroshock: Scientific, ethical, and political issues. ''International Journal of Risk & Safety In Medicine'' 11:5-40, 1998.
* Breggin, P.R. (1997). ''The Heart of Being Helpful: Empathy And the Creation of a Healing Presence.'' New York: Spinger Publishing Company.
* Breggin, P.R. and Breggin, G. R. (1994). ''Talking Back To Prozac: What Doctors Aren't Telling You About Today's Most Controversial Drug.'' New York: St. Martin's Press.
* Breggin, P.R. (1994). Should the use of neuroleptics be severely limited? ''Controversial Issues in Mental Health'', edited by S.A. Kirk and S.D. Einbinder, pp. 146-152.
* Breggin, P.R. (1993). Parallels Between Neuroleptic Effects and Lethargic Encephalitis: The Production of Dyskinesias and Cognitive disorders. ''Brain and Cognition'' 23:8-27, 1993.
* Breggin, P.R. (1992).''Beyond Conflict: From Self-Help and Psychotherapy to Peacemaking.'' New York: St. Martin's Press.
* Breggin, P.R. (1992). A Case of Fluoxetine-induced Stimulant Side Effects with Suicidal Ideation Associated with a Possible Withdrawal Syndrome (‘Crashing’). ''International Journal of Risk & Safety in Medicine'' 3:325-328, 1992
* Breggin, P. R. (1991). ''Toxic Psychiatry: Why Therapy, Empathy and Love Must Replace the Drugs, Electroshock, and Biochemical Theories of the "New Psychiatry"'' New York: St. Martin's Press.
* Breggin, P.R. (1990). Brain damage, dementia and persistent cognitive dysfunction associated with neuroleptic drugs: Evidence, etiology, implications. ''Journal of Mind and Behavior'', 11, 425-464.
* Breggin, P.R. (1986). Neuropathology and cognitive dysfunction From ECT (Electroconvulsive/"shock" therapy). ''Psychopharmacology Bulletin '', 22, 476-479.
* Breggin, P.R. (1982). The return of lobotomy and psychosurgery. Reprinted in R.B. Edwards (ed.): ''Psychiatry and Ethics''. Buffalo, Prometheus Books, 1982. Published earlier in ''Quality of Health Care-Human Experimentation: Hearings Before Senator Edward Kennedy's Subcommittee on Health'', U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C., US Government Printing Office, 1973.
* Breggin, P.R. (1982). Coercion of voluntary patients in an open hospital. In R.B. Edwards(ed): ''Psychiatry and Ethics''. Prometheus Books, 1982. Reprinted from Breggin, P.R. (1964). ''Archives of General Psychiatry'', 10, 173-181. PMID 14081584
* Breggin, P.R. (1980). Brain-disabling therapies. In E. Valenstein (ed.), ''The Psychosurgery Debate'', W.H. Freeman, San Francisco, CA, 1980.
* Breggin, P.R. (1975). Psychosurgery for the Control of violence: A critical review. In W. Fields and W. Sweet (eds.), ''Neural Bases of Violence and Aggression'', Warren H. Green, Inc., St. Louis, MO, 350-378, 1975.
* Breggin, P.R. (1971). Psychotherapy as applied ethics. ''Psychiatry'', 34, 59-75. PMID 5541631
* Breggin, P.R. (1965). The sedative-like effect of epinephrine. ''Archives of General Psychiatry'' 12:255-259. PMID 14246173
* Breggin, P.R. (1964). The psychophysiology of anxiety. ''Journal of Nervous Mental Diseases'' 139:558-568. PMID 14243200
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* [http://www.breggin.com/ Breggin.com] - Dr. Breggin's homepage
* [http://www.icspp.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=90&Itemid=55 ICSPP.org] - International Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology, founded by Dr. Breggin
* [http://psychrights.org/index.htm/ Psychrights.org] - Law Project for Psychiatric Rights
* [http://www.psychtruth.org/ Psychtruth.org] - The Truth About Psychiatry
* [http://www.antipsychiatry.org/ AntiPsychiatry.org] - The Antipsychiatry Coalition
* [http://www.faegre.com/articles/article_1099.aspx Faegre.com] - 'Lessons From the Ritalin Class Action Victories' (Interview of James O'Neal, former defense counsel for Ritalin manufacturer)
* [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,32794,00.html FoxNews.com] - 'Activist Attention Disorder', Steven Milloy (August 25, 2001)
* [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,62922,00.html FoxNews.com] - 'What Makes an 'Expert' an Expert?' Steven Milloy (September 13, 2002)
* [http://www.medkb.com/Uwe/Forum.aspx/alternative/989/Breggin-revealed MedKB.com] - 'Breggin Revealed' (Medical Knowledgebase forum thread)
* [http://www.theadvocates.org/celebrities/peter-breggin.html TheAdvocates.org] - 'Peter Breggin - [[Libertarian]]', Bill Winter
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[[Category:1936 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American activists]]
[[Category:American psychiatrists]]
[[Category:Anti-psychiatry]]
[[Category:Expert witnesses]]
[[Category:People from Long Island]]
[[Category:George W. Hewlett High School alumni]]
[[Category:People from Town of Hempstead, New York]]
[[Category:People from Nassau County, New York]]
[[nl:Peter Breggin]]
[[ja:ピーター・ブレギン]]
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