Unshrunk: A Story of Psychiatric Treatment Resistance

by Laura Delano

The powerful memoir of one woman’s experience with psychiatric diagnoses and medications, and her journey to discover herself outside the mental health industry

At age fourteen, Laura Delano saw her first psychiatrist who immediately diagnosed her with bipolar disorder and started her on a mood stabilizer and antidepressant. At school, Delano was elected the class president and earned straight-As and a national squash ranking; at home, she unleashed all the rage and despair she felt, lashing out at her family and locking herself in her bedroom, obsessing over death.

Delano’s initial diagnosis marked the beginning of a life-altering saga. For the next thirteen years, she sought help from the best psychiatrists and hospitals in the country, accumulating a long list of diagnoses and a prescription cascade of nineteen drugs. After some resistance, Delano accepted her diagnosis and embraced the pharmaceutical regimen that she’d been told was necessary to manage her incurable, lifelong disease. But her symptoms only worsened. Eventually doctors declared her condition so severe as to be "treatment resistant." A disturbing series of events left her demoralized, but sparked a last glimmer of possibility . . . what if her life was falling apart not in spite of her treatment, but because of it? After years of faithful psychiatric patienthood, Delano realized there was one thing she hadn’t tried—leaving behind the drugs and diagnoses. This decision would mean unlearning everything the experts had told her about herself and forging into the terrifying unknown of an unmedicated life.

Weaving Delano's medical records and doctors' notes from her time in treatment with illuminating research on the drugs she was prescribed, Unshrunk questions the dominant, rarely critiqued role that the American mental health industry, and the pharmaceutical industry in particular, plays in shaping what it means to be human.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Mental Health, Psychology, Health, Psychiatry, Audiobook

351 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 18, 2025

Reviews

[Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is a disgrace that Vintage is publishing this utterly hateful and dangerous piece of work. Delano has legitimate grievances with the medical establishment (as do almost all long-term patients, myself included; it's an awful system) but instead of mounting a thoughtful critique, she uses those experiences to argue for extremist and dangerous beliefs about psychopharmaceuticals and medicine in general. She doesn't believe that mental illness really exists, arguing that it's all just the after-effects of coming off of anti-depressants or other psychiatric drugs (or caused while on them), and also goes so far as to argue against hormonal birth control. It's one thing to talk about how little doctors understood or told their patients about how severe withdrawal from these drugs could be; it's another to say that mental illness does not exist.

Basically, Delano thinks everybody should deal with their problems using their own inner resources; she's also skeptical of therapy in general and even though she gets a lot out of AA she eventually leaves because she doesn't want them to dictate her life and doesn't consider herself an alcoholic. So much of this book and Delano's project is motivated by a pathological desire not to be labeled anything, whereas the mental health advocates I admire don't feel any stigma from those labels. And the idea that we should all rely on inner resources is so appalling to me. Human life is about community and our connections with others. Many people cannot simply handle things on their own. (Ironically Delano also runs a consultancy to advise people about how to get off of meds.)

In the era of RFK Jr. this is exactly the kind of book that should not be getting published but that will instead get tons of press. Do not read it.

[Big Cheddar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laura’s writing is brilliant and the way she tells her story is humble, insightful, and honest. Some parts of the story certainly pained me to read, or I came in with my own assumptions about what it would be rather; but I found Unshrunk to be a meticulously researched and thoughtfully told story about the harms the mental health system can inflict on an individual. Though current US political theatre makes the ethics of kids and psych drugs off-putting to too many, I found it to be a good account of how the system can harm children more than help. I suspect much negative press about her and her associates serves the purpose of shutting down activism and needed conversations to have.

I must say I’m confused and saddened by the sneering and dehumanizing in other reviews. She states many times she’s not against psychiatry or anti-medication. It is not a screed or an angry book. Nor is it a traumalogue or list of grievances. Just sharing her own story and what she learned. Might it be possible there’s some merit to this? Many mental patients have been saying this; the legacy of psychiatry is disturbing and I have a hard time tolerating those who must shut down this conversation.

I’m happy to see more work like this published, especially by women.

[Maria Plombon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Idk why people are freaking tf out about this book… we know that psychiatry was built on hating and pathologizing women, minorities? We know big pharma lobbying controls politicians, research, regulation, etc.? We know capitalism prioritizes not only the obsession of individual but also constant individual consumption? We know non-stop media—especially social media—is soooooo bad for humans and our brains (emotionally, physically, deteriorates intelligence and attention span, the list goes on)? And we know there’s a weird self-care obsessed therapy and wellness space that focuses solely on quick fixes for the individual—never acknowledging the very real and present socioeconomic, gender, racial, etc. issues plaguing the US today?

Not everybody is suddenly mentally ill (self diagnosing is only getting worse w/ TikTok, etc.); not everybody was born with “chemical imbalances and will be forever; not everybody needs to be on several life-long medications; not everybody needs an all-explaining label to better understand their “identity” and feel more appropriately coddled; not everybody needs to be stripped of agency and responsibility for their actions!!!!!

Do I agree with everything in this book? No. Do I think this book is what’s wrong with America’s health space today? Definitely not. Mental illness is real and so is the necessity of medical psychiatric intervention in CERTAIN situation. But do you wanna know what else is real? Teenagers testing out risky and “bad” behavior (omfg brains aren’t even fully developed)… the awful physical & emotional & mental consequences of capitalism, growing wealth disparity, lack of housing…. shrinking access to human community & decreased socializing (….. weird helicopter parents, social media, “I don’t owe anybody anything/protecting my peace” culture, etc. etc. )… and generally just making really stupid decisions because we are all literally just a human beings!!!!!!

People face hardship, and loss, and rejection, and grief, and oppression, and shame, and mistreatment, and breakups, and failure, and challenges, and abuse … the list goes on. Certain reactions to these realities and moments and phases and events doesn’t mean you have a medical disease that will afflict you indefinitely… might you need diagnoses and pills? Maybe. Might you not? Also, maybe!!!

Maybe I’m the stupidest girl in the world and am seriously, seriously missing something—but I just don’t think I am.

[this_eel · Rating 4 out of 5]

2nd review 9/19/24: Rated with caveats. I’m settling on 4 for now because I distrust the absolutism of Delano’s stances on psychiatric medication, therapy and hospitalization, but she has also made me consider and properly grapple with my own experiences in a way I never have before. This book is an odd balancing act between rigorously cited research and insistent rejection of all treatment, and it’s both hard to argue with psychiatry’s unscientific nature and shortcomings and hard to agree with the idea that mental illness is a cooked-up illusion whereby people who would be better off untreated are by default ruined for life by the mental health complex. Delano makes many real points, many of which I even agree with and have experienced, but on the flip side there’s the unease I get when she glides over her hatred of fat, rejection of all medication, etc—these elements feel like an unexplored trap door. The place where she goes completely wild attributing everything that’s ever happened to her to the poison of psychiatric treatment is so untempered that I lose some faith in her stats. Additionally I think the entire book willfully ignores the entire notion that sometimes people who don’t get mental health treatment die or are massively disabled by their symptoms, because she doesn’t believe that mental illness should be medicalized at all. Therefore it would be inconvenient to postulate that talking to a friend doesn’t necessarily cure psychosis. She doesn’t leave room except in one insincere paragraph at the start of the book for people who have only survived or thrived because sometimes treatment is indeed better than what has happened without it. The problem is that it’s a book of good arguments spoiled by fanaticism. How do you rate that?

1st review 9/18/24: Star rating is gonna have to be on hold while I figure out what the heck I thought of this book.

[Shannon Green · Rating 1 out of 5]

I considered leaving this book unrated because even 1 star seems too generous.

I completely understand and am interested in reading about criticisms of mental health care and the pharmaceutical industry; however this book is extremely harmful.
Medications are overprescribed and shouldn’t always be the first step in terms of mental health diagnoses or treatment. However, I find an issue with people criticizing medications as treatment when they never fully gave it a fair chance. She continually went on and off medications, often quitting cold turkey or not telling the truth about halting this treatment. Advocating for people to get off medication when she was never able to fully commit to it is incredibly irresponsible. This is the same attitude she brought to therapy and psychiatric sessions. Many people need to “shop around” to find a therapist or psychiatrist that works for them. However, she made and halted appointments on whim, and similarly to medication, could not commit to a working relationship with a therapist.
The entire book felt like her begging for people to see that she’s a victim in her own life. Mental health issues are a struggle to work through but she’s making it even harder by working against her own best interest. To have parents that are willing to foot the bill for your entire life while you flail around in your mediocre life is a privilege not many have. To then squander that privilege is embarrassing. There are so many people in this world that have lives that they cannot pause and have someone else pay for. I never want to compare peoples problems to each other, but it’s hard to not get frustrated with her, when so many people are working through their problems and still going about their lives.
I hated this book more than anything and I hate that people could be taking advice from such an entitled and stupid woman. You can’t always trust the pharmaceutical and medical industry, but that doesn’t mean you need to waste your time with this worthless book.

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

EDIT : I’m gonna limit comments cause that woman surely has a cult. And I’m going to say it to slower people in the back : she can do whatever she wants with her own mental health, when she’s telling people to do the same thing and charging them for her advice, she makes it our problem too. Always sad to see people come to the rescue of a con artist.
Also people commenting are either private or with empty accounts : hi Laura ! How are you doing?

Oh girlypop, I see the mania everywhere in that book (delusion of grandeur), so wouldn’t say you “fixed” yourself without medication. I hated this book so much and I wish I could give it negative stars because of how dangerous it is. Look I understand being frustrated with the medical establishment (treatment resistant depression and anxiety here, it sucks), but that’s not the answer at all.

The additional ressources page got me so mad, you don’t tell people to get off their medication if you’re not a fucking medical professional.

Wish you could rate negative stars

[Kate Carlin LaRocca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laura’s book is outstanding as a compass of what many people go through in the psychiatric industry. I feel she spoke with a fair hand pertaining to what happened to her as a child and all the way through to adulthood. She does not speak in a “put down” matter to mental health but rather shows compassion towards Dr’s and professionals being victims of the system in which they are working. We all should question the authorities and be educated about our treatment. Laura is not anti medication but rather wholeheartedly supports informed consent. The entire industry does not inform its patients of the extreme difficulty of withdrawing from these psychotropics. She makes a compelling argument about the term “treatment resistant mental illness” and what it can do to your psyche. The efficacy of these drugs is very poor and the onus should not be placed on the patient.

Laura’s story is raw and heartbreaking. She is so truthful that it makes one realize that no one is hopeless and relegated to a lifetime of chronic mental illness. As a child of privilege (in all ways) it allows one to understand that we are all vulnerable to adversity, pain and struggle. Laura has the ability to look beyond her privilege and relate to all people from all walks of life. This book is extremely well researched and packed with facts that can’t be refuted. I imagine Laura will be up against criticism as we have been immersed in a biological model of mental illness for decades. And that model comes with no scientific evidence, reliability, or validity. However, Laura Delano has the veracity, intellect, background, and personal experience to clap back loud. Well done Laura!

[Guillaume Morissette · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I can’t help but wonder if he saw me pulling away from his program—no longer feeling dependent on my team, newly challenging their pharmaceutical recommendations, and questioning the proclamations they were making of me, my character, my person. Is it possible that in order to avoid facing my legitimate critiques of treatment, he decided to use my burgeoning noncompliance to reinforce just how borderline I was?”

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

“For years, I’d been devouring mental illness memoirs in the hope that, in at least one of them, I’d see my story. But I hadn’t yet, which was baffling, because I knew there were thousands of others who’d rejected their diagnoses and come off their meds as I had. The stories I’d found in bookstores were most often about accepting a diagnosis, finding the right treatment, fighting the stigma of being sick, figuring out how to manage life with a mental illness. Where did the experiences of those of us who’d decided to head in the opposite direction fit?” (303)

This is a book that desperately needed to be written, and now it has been. Laura’s story is her own, but it is also now the story of thousands of Americans. Encountering a rough patch in life, you are prescribed a drug (perhaps even as a child, like Laura, at 14). You are told you have a “chemical imbalance” in your brain, and the drug can fix it. Trusting doctors, medicine, science, you take the drug as prescribed. When your condition gets worse, you are told your illness has progressed. Perhaps more drugs are prescribed to you. Until one day (after burgeoning side effects, curiously contradictory information from health care providers, more careful research, an attempt to come off of medication when you are feeling fine, critical thinking, insert final cause here) you realize: the drug you have been taking has only been making you worse.

There are people who will read this book and call it “anti-science,” and talk about how much their own SSRIs have helped them. Laura says herself before she realized her medication was making her worse instead of better, she would have reacted with hostility and contempt towards anyone who would have questioned her diagnosis or need for medication. If you feel your SSRI has helped you, no one is trying to take it away from you. The only thing the sufferers from psychiatric drug induced brain injuries are asking for is informed consent when drugs are prescribed, acknowledgment of the iatrogenic harms from psychiatric drugs and assistance in deprescribing. Every few chapters in Laura’s book contains facts with cited scientific references showing how her story fits into the bigger picture; a larger story that affects millions. Read these chapters. Keep an open mind. Perhaps some of this hostility comes out of fear, fear that you too may be riding a train that you can’t get off.

Laura’s story begins with the intense anxiety and rebelliousness she felt while entering puberty, faced with growing expectations, and unsure of her place in the world. Diagnosed with bipolar based on what could probably also be interpreted as a ordinary teenage existential crisis, she does not embrace the diagnosis until facing high amounts of stress in college. In college (Harvard), she spending days and nights partying, and trying to keep up with her classes. In these early chapters Laura comes across as a spoiled rich kid, but not necessarily someone with severe “mental illness.” Post-psychiatry Laura, our narrator, does not hold back at revealing embarrassing and sensitive details. Younger Laura skips appointments with her psychiatrist, has regretful sexual encounters, lives off of her parents’ money, and does a lot of cocaine. She is shielded from any real consequences from her actions. All the while, Laura wonders about her place in the world, and she starts to struggle with thoughts of suicide. Laura sees several psychiatrists throughout her teens and early twenties, none of whom question her bipolar diagnosis, and some of whom add additional psychiatric diagnoses.

As Laura embraces her identity as a sufferer of bipolar disorder, her behavior and substance abuse worsens. During one hospitalization, narrator Laura admits to romanticizing her “mentally ill” identity: “I was focused, instead, on the hospital’s historical legacy, its clinical prestige — and on Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, Susanna Kaysen. I felt proud to be joining these women as a patient on this hallowed psychiatric ground.” (64) At the same time, Laura truly believes she is suffering from bipolar, an illness which will limit her potential in life and require her to be medicated for the rest of her life. This belief intensifies her suicidality — because of her bipolar disease, she believes she will never be able to conquer her most painful feelings and destructive behaviors.

Throughout her 20s, Laura’s condition worsens and her bipolar disorder is labeled “treatment-resistant”. She attempts suicide but survives. The number of psychiatric prescriptions she is taking balloons. Antipsychotics, SSRIs, lithium, benzos, and more. The medications give her side effects like weight gain, insomnia, drowsiness, cognitive fog.

At one point, pondering her privilege of being from a super wealthy family in retrospect, narrator Laura wonders about the ways being from wealth and privilege helped protect her and the ways it might have possibly hurt her. On the one hand, she was never in danger of living on the streets or needing to go on disability to support herself, since her family gave her money; on the other hand, in a way her family was enabling her, and maybe if their support hadn’t been there, she would have been forced to become at least semi-functional sooner in order to hold down a job.

Laura’s first major step towards wellness happens when she stops partying and drinking alcohol. Buoyed by the benefits to her life she sees after getting sober, she begins to wonder what her life would feel like off of all medications and drugs.

Laura’s real healing begins when she changes her view of herself from “incurable bipolar patient” to “human being with potential.” This is sparked by reading the book Anatomy of an Epidemic, a book that suggests increase in rates of psychiatric disability in the US is primarily caused by the very drugs taken for treatment. For the first time, Laura builds a life outside of life as a “patient” — she volunteers, starts boxing, taking writing classes. She begins to view herself as a person who is capable of independent thought, responsibility, self-determination — the very things psychiatry encourages patients not to develop. In fact, it’s common for psychiatrists to tell patients not to look up the side effects of medication, or that resistance to wanting to take medication is part of their disorder.

Eventually Laura takes the leap and comes off of all of her psychiatric medications. Because she had been taking psych meds for years at this point, she has severe withdrawal symptoms (or perhaps more accurately, iatrogenic brain injury symptoms). Again, this is where a psychiatrist would probably say she is experiencing “relapse”, when when in fact most of the symptoms she describes are completely alien to anything she’s ever felt before. She suffers numerous physical symptoms: sweating, boils, gastrointestinal issues, joint aches, headaches, muscles spasms — and mental: paranoia, difficulty focusing, memory issues and hellish intrusive thoughts. “At night, my mind forced me on its tortuous theme-park horror ride, past all the memories and flashbacks of my failed life, through all the insults, criticisms, paranoias, and diatribes that ranted and raced their way through my head, looping on repeat, no off switch.” (218) She suffers through it all, and with time, the horrific withdrawal symptoms begin to fade. What she gains from coming off of the drugs makes all of the suffering worthwhile: a “return to self” (“…these drugs altered not just the entire biochemical landscape of my brain and body but also my consciousness, my seat of self.” (240))

Reading this memoir, what I was most blown away by was how well written it is. I literally could not put this book down. Laura is an extremely gifted writer and so articulate in relating her experiences. I hope she writes more books (about anything) because it was really just a joy to read her writing.

Laura asks, why has my story not been told yet, when there are so many others who have been through what I have? Technically, her story has been told in countless internet forums and support groups, and even in other memoirs (Brooke Siem’s May Cause Side Effects comes to mind). But given the scale of this problem, she’s right that there’s not a lot of mainstream memoirs discussing the issue of psychiatric drug withdrawal. One reason for this is what Laura went through — prescription cascade, attempted suicide, multiple psychiatric hospitalizations — is not an easy thing to return from. She’s lucky to be alive, let alone to now be functional and enjoying life, let alone to be cognitively capable enough to produce some of the best writing I’ve seen in years. Where are all of the memoirs from people who were lobotomized, one could also ask? There are many more lost to psychiatry than there are those who manage to claw their way out. As Laura says herself: “Coming off psychiatric drugs had been the hardest thing I’d ever done— and this was the case even with all the moral and material support I’d been given.” (295)

Laura’s memoir has given a voice to the voiceless. The world is so much better for this book existing, and for Laura’s continued activism in this area.


Misc parts:
Neuroleptics mimic the symptoms of lethargic encephalitis - the sleeping sickness of the early 1900s. (Neuroleptics reduce dopamine activity in the brain, the same thing that happens with lethargic encephalitis and with Parkinson’s).
- “…my therapists and I operated under the assumption that my emotional and mental difficulties were symptoms of an incurable brain disease for which medication was my first-line treatment, which led me to logically conclude that therapy was at best an enjoyable exercise in connection and conversation, and at worst entirely futile. Because I’d been told, and come to believe, the primary cause of my problems was medical, the solution needed to be medical as well: taking this malfunctioning organ in my skull to be tinkered with and maintained by a trained physician.” (118)
“Despite taking my meds religiously, I began to feel occupied by my thoughts, as though they were external forces that had taken me hostage, obsessively looping in endless circles about the meaninglessness of existence, the absurdity of the human condition, and how it didn’t really matter whether or not I stayed alive. In retrospect, I think my fixation on postmodernism played a large role in this.” (119) LOL postmodernism never leads to anything good.
- “Psychologist Paula Caplan puts it succinctly: ‘After a woman has conscientiously learned the role her culture prescribes for her, the psychiatric establishment calls her mentally disordered.’” (193)
- “Years of cognitive impairment had made it nearly impossible for me to fully absorb words, to piece together meaning, often to remember what I’d read at all. I’d get through a paragraph, realize that I’d taken nothing in, and start over. And then I’d give up and turn on the TV instead. I blamed these issues on the progression of my bipolar disorder.” (207)
Well you sure as heck recovered cognitively to write this because this is a dang good book!

[AMF · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a lot to say about this book. First of all as someone who’s diagnosed with bipolar two disorder, it was incredibly validating to hear about her journey however, I feel that this book can be borderline dangerous with her advocacy of the de-psychiatrising oneself. While the book reminds people diagnosed with bipolar disorders that we are people not our diagnoses, she advocates to come off of psychiatric medication to live a fuller life outside of psychiatric paradigms. Advocating for someone with a serious diagnosis like bipolar, schizophrenia, or borderline personality disorder to come off of their medication is dangerous. This does not take away from the fact that her book- it’s very interesting. She cited meta analyses and studies poking holes in the evidence used to prescribe medication‘s for psychiatric conditions. As someone who takes Lamictal and has found it life-saving I found it really surprising that there is no evidence to support its long-term use as most of the studies done only show its efficacy over 6 to 8 week periods. I was reminded, however, that I am not my diagnosis and my suffering as someone with a serious mental illness has meaning and my suffering does not exist in a vacuum. I was also struck by how privileged the author is and how it makes her advice for the de-psychiatrising one’s life really not realistic for most of the population who takes psychiatric medication. I like this book, but I have very mixed feelings about it. She’s an Ivy League educated trust fund upper class socialite who had a debutant ball. She has endless support from her family and received care from some of the best psychiatrists in the country. As a social worker, it’s easy to see that her social circumstances dictated what she was and wasn’t able to do in coming off of psychiatric medications. It’s not possible for most people who are on medications to just come off of them in a way to protest big Pharma. As much as I would like to do this it’s not possible. She dedicates one to two lines in her book to show her privilege and why she was able to do the things she was able to do however, this is not enough. Most people in the US do not exist in this level of privilege. I would love to live a natural life where I am not on psychiatric medication’s and can just take supplements and use peer support groups to make my way through life. This is not within reach nor is it realistic and frankly, I enjoy being on my psychiatric medications. Taking Lamictal and Latuda has made me more grounded and I am able to move through life with ease. She talks about how existing at one’s baseline is really important, but frankly, I didn’t like who I was at my baseline I like who I am on my medications. Read this book with caution. This is the type of book where it is a do as I say not as I do type message.

[Jessica Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Provokes a lot of thoughts on how we depend on pharmaceuticals, the eagerness we have for them to work and the resistance we are to change of thinking. Very interesting read. Highly recommend to open your thought process on how we think about and treat mental disorders. Although, the rejection of both meds and therapy to treat mental illness alongside rejecting mental illness in general is a little alarming. I hope those who read this take this for what it is, a person’s subjective experience and not an empirical argument. At times gets too high level and research paper-esque. However Laura’s own experience is the driving force to turning pages.

[Fredrik deBoer · Rating 1 out of 5]

An impossibly privileged woman whose life is utterly unlike those of 99% of mentally ill patients experiences a fancy boutique version of psychiatry that is again unlike the experience of 99% of mentally ill patients, with literally zero lived experience in conventional inpatient care and no exposure at all to the very many horribly deranged psychotics out there, writes a fanciful and absurd treatise on how everyone should just be tough and committed to sanity like her and they will magically no longer have a mental illness, which by the way is not a real thing, at least according to a woman who has never interacted with someone who mutilated their own genitals thanks to their schizophrenia. An ugly, deluded, self-obsessed, horribly irresponsible book by frivolous and pathetic person, a book which will literally get real people actually killed.

[JLTobias · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Alternative Paradigm

I began reading Unshrunk with tremendous skepticism, feeling that Laura Delano’s model of peer counseling to wean patients off psychoactive medications was at best uninformed and very likely dangerous.

Delano’s memoir, however, has caused me to open my mind to an alternative paradigm: that some patients do not improve on psychoactive meds and are better off tapering consumption.

[Leanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a strange experience it was to read this book. Laura was my roommate my freshman year of college. I remember never seeing her the first semester and then suddenly she was there all the time the next semester. I found her moody and angry and a little scary. She also was clearly a sensitive and deeply feeling person. I remember going to like the Harvard Country Club or something with our fathers who were helping us move in (I think Laura was a legacy? My dad went to “Uhh” as he liked to say — the University of Houston) and afterward my dad said to me, “What on earth have you gotten yourself into?” (This was the same day we had seen my other roommate’s butler, white gloved, checking the room for dust…) Honestly, I am glad I was as naive as I was, as I had no idea how dark things got for Laura and would have been clueless and terrified had I witnessed it.

I ended up being pretty moved by this book. It was well written, and for better or worse, Laura has made a living out of dissecting her felt experience and articulating it to the world. Still, while it is pretty clear that the psychiatric drugs did not help Laura, and getting off of them was the best decision for her, her argument seems dangerous to me as it is extremely one-sided. Ultimately, I got more out of this book as a memoir than as a treatise (I only skimmed the drug chapters). This is partly for nosy reasons (my college roommate??) but also because Laura powerfully describes the intricacies of her subjectivity. Maybe her focus on self leads to tunnel vision that in turn allows for the irresponsible generalization of her experience — but I thought that, as a writer, she really showed what it feels like to be at the mercy of one’s mind. That would have been enough of a book for me. At any rate, I’m glad she’s doing okay.

[liv! · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn’t finish it. My mom thought like this. I had to fight for years to be allowed to see a therapist, let alone medication. Shit like this is so dangerous. This book is biased, unfair, and at a staggeringly large amount of times, factually incorrect.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unshrunk is disturbing, insightful, and thought-provoking. I gather it’s also controversial based on the reactions of some GR reviewers and the psychopharmacology medical community. Unshrunk is a memoir where Laura Delano shares her harrowing journey to wellness after years of diagnoses that included bipolar disorder, depression, and borderline personality disorder and the treatments—pharmaceutical drugs, talk and group therapy, and hospitalizations. Delano didn’t improve; in fact, she got worse, which resulted in another diagnosis—treatment resistant.

After years of psychiatric interventions and medications with no improvement, Delano, after reading Robert Whitaker’s Mad in America: Bad Science, Bad Medicine, and the Enduring Mistreatment of the Mentally Ill, began to question everything she’d been told about her mental illness and her brain’s ‘chemical imbalance.’ This imbalance would, according to her doctors, require medication as long as she lived.

Delano writes well. I appreciate how she backs up her story with facts about the lack of efficacy for the vast number of drugs prescribed to millions of people each year to remedy depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and other diseases, and the lack of scientific evidence to support the diagnoses and medicating for mental illnesses. Delano’s research is supported with excellent references, and I appreciate how she highlights the state of our country’s medical wellness, or un-wellness, despite a multi-billion dollar health and wellness industry. Americans are bombarded regularly with advertisements for psychiatric medications, talk-therapy platforms, and mental health awareness, yet our nation is more anxious and depressed than ever before. And, as Delano writes, there are countless entities profiting from our distress.

What will it take for our society to begin questioning the collective assumption that the industries that have made trillions off our worsening pain—among them health, hospital, pharmaceutical, biotech, and tech—are the very ones we should trust to provide us resolution? P 234

Delano encourages readers and others via her platform, Inner Compass Exchange, to take charge of their wellness, to ask questions—lots of questions—of medical providers who are prescribing medication, and to do their research on outcomes. Long-term outcomes for SSRI and SNRI medications have not been tested in drug trials, nor have effects of withdrawal from these medications (p. 286). The withdrawal from such drugs can be debilitating, dangerous and frightening for many patients, yet the medical community rarely discusses potential effects when prescribing drugs nor provides support or guidance for tapering. Delano is trying to change that.

 Unshrunk is a worthy book to read for just about anyone. Knowing how pharmaceutical companies and the medical community are handling what some have labeled an epidemic of anxiety and depression matters to us all.

[Wenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many people on Goodreads criticized her, calling her an entitled princess whose parents paid for everything, pointing out that others don’t have the same financial support and therefore can’t afford to taper off medications the way she did. But maybe those people are the ones who can’t see beyond their own perspective.

Her story isn’t about her boasting. It’s a warning. A chance to prevent others, especially innocent kids or people who haven’t yet fallen into the pharmaceutical trap, from getting caught in the same cycle.

Just because someone else’s truth doesn’t match yours doesn’t make it invalid. Some people are misdiagnosed. Some people are harmed by treatments that were supposed to help.

Calling her selfish for speaking out is backward. Staying silent and letting others suffer the same fate. That would’ve been selfish.

[Emily Matheny · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF’ed this trash. This is beyond triggering and a horrible book of misinformation and delusion. You can be your advocate for your health but suggesting that psychiatric struggles are so cut and dry is dangerous beyond belief!!

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow wow wow. What a story. A must-read for anyone considering therapeutic drugs for themselves or someone they love. Laura takes us through her journey of psychiatric diagnosis and the drugs she faithfully took, and added to as inevitable side effects occurred, for much of her life. She meticulously explains all the changes they wreaked in her, and the risk vs. benefit she eventually saw clearly. Compelling, terrifying and raw, this was a helpful insight into the path many unknowingly put their children or themselves on at the first sign of strange behavior. It is not a wholesome book - there is language and sexual content - but it is an important one.

[Grace Stafford · Rating 2 out of 5]

While interesting, I can't really rate this highly or suggest this to any patrons in good conscience. First of all, the author is related to exactly the person you're thinking based on that last name. Her immense privilege does not make for a common-man's story of a withdrawal of psychiatric medication and Delano's attempt to portray herself as a model to follow is absurd. I will say she acknowledges her privilege in some senses (parents keeping her financially afloat, etc.), but it felt like she only did because she "had" to, rather than any real reckoning with it. Also, a quick search of the author's promo for this book shows her speaking with Tucker Carlson and a podcast from The Epoch Times. Ultimately, there are important conversations to be had about psychiatric medication dependency, but Laura Delano is possibly one of the worst mouthpieces for this.

[KD · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone with faith and trust in institutions would naturally struggle to imagine the extent of horrors in this particular one. If I hadn’t witnessed a similar story unfold with a loved one, if this hadn’t completely de-railed my own life, I know I’d find it difficult to believe. Laura is a hero for surviving to tell the tale, and for telling it in such a vulnerable and touching way. It moved me to tears reading the story that many of us who have lived through it are simply too exhausted to tell.

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

really appreciate Laura sharing her story. this is definitely not the first time i have heard of people being further messed up and thrust into mental illness by the psychiatric drugs they are taking, and Laura's story seems like the worst case scenario of having bad reactions to the drugs but being put on more instead of really trying to get to the root of the problems.

here's where i agree with Laura: the mental health system is royally screwed up. big pharma definitely has a role in how much people are prescribed pills and how easy it is to be prescribed psych drugs. i am not saying they don't work, as i have family members and friends that benefit from their use, but i don't think they should be so easy to acquire. instead of a first resort, why not go through talk-therapy and other forms of therapy before being prescribed mind altering drugs that really are not 100% proven to help/ work? and her experience as a mental health patient was harrowing and so scary. i had a family member react to a new/ upped dosage with suicidal ideations and self harming behaviors, so i can definitely empathize with Laura's poor experience and near death due to taking a high number of prescribed psych drugs that were actually making her worse instead of better.

where i question/ don't agree with Laura: she mentioned at the beginning that her doctors were never wrong about her diagnosis. but towards the end, she talks of her mental health issues as if they are a thing of the past and almost as if she is no longer bipolar. i would've loved for her to delve more into how her mental illness was presenting in her life post psych drug withdrawal/ tapering off of them. is her bipolar disorder just gone? her eating disorder? her addiction? the way she talked about it, it seemed that way and it left me confused/ wanting to hear more. just because the pills did not work for her does not mean every psychiatrist is so prescribe-happy or ready to up dosages at a moment's notice. i would hope there have been developments in psychiatry since Laura's been through the system and that doctors are more cognizant of potential negative effects of the pills and doing a cost/ benefit analysis of if the side effects are worth the good a person get from psych meds. maybe i'm drinking the cool-aid, but i do think there are some mental illnesses that are best treated with psych drugs. and just because Laura can raw dog her mental illness, does not mean others can. i think her message should have been more advocate for yourself, research drugs so you can learn about them in a way doctors are not going to be fully transparent about and do some self-reflection to see if that is the best course of attack for treating your mental illness. not about how all drugs are bad. her experience, definitely bad. and shame on her doctors for not realizing how poorly the drugs were impacting her throughout her treatment. but again, her experience, not everyone else's.

what this book made me think about: Laura admits to being very privileged. her treatment cost her parents thousands of dollars from her early teenage years into adulthood. they paid for her housing when she was in recovery. they supported her financially when she could not mentally handle having a job. it made me wonder about how many people do not have the means to get top of the line treatment, or any treatment for that matter. i think of crime and addiction in low income/ minority communities. it just makes me so sad for people who do not have the resources to take care of the mental illnesses that life dealt them. although Laura's experience was not good in the mental health system, she had to means to address her issues and be cared for by her parents well into adulthood while she got her health under control. also reinforced the notion that mental health does not discriminate. Laura came from a wealthy, lily white family. boarding schools, fancy sports i've never heard of and never having to worry about money. she went to harvard and was financially supported through college as well. despite all of that, she was mentally ill. money does not buy happiness and cannot shield people from mental health issues.

[Eliza Hayes · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I agree with Laura’s take on psychiatry and the ultimate medication of mental illness, I disagree with her stance on the mental health and wellness industry as a whole. Her skepticism about therapy in general, while I understand the personal experiences that led to this belief, is very dualistic approach that could potentially be harmful and discourage those in need of help and someone to talk to from seeking that help. I agree that the power to change our lives lies within each of us, but you don’t know what you don’t know and that’s why the availability of therapy and mental health professionals are important. But yeah, f*** the pharmaceutical industry.

[Kelly E. Beck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn’t sure if I should give this a 4 or a 5.
I went with a 5 because it’s her story and she can ultimately tell it how she likes.
It’s important that people should be able to ask the question, is this working ? Is it really safe? Is it right to diagnose and medicate children or teens without looking at the underlying issues and first trying to fix underlying issues - like environment, before drugging growing bodies? It’s important to admit we don’t know all the long term consequences of medicating children. We do know there are horrible side effects , including many of the issues these meds are meant to fix. People who have lived and experienced it , should have the right to not have their experiences invalidated by people who didn’t live it.
She has a right to ask the questions and tell her story .



For some of my criticism- There’s something’s I won’t say because I don’t want to have this review be a spoiler alert.
I’ll try to be vague - I don’t know if the book was balanced enough in some areas- I didn’t 100 % buy the part about her family being so perfect while she was horrible but maybe it’s not my place to insist the author exposes all details in this area because it’s not especially important to the message she’s getting out.
I would love to see other people’s interpretations of the author during her years spent under MH “treatment.”

I also don’t know if it was balanced in the positive attributes of MH - I don’t share her interpretation that it’s become unstigmatized. I actually worry that if the country ever needs a scapegoat , ppl with MH diagnosis ‘s may be the next people to blame.

And although I’m skeptical of “chemical “ imbalances too , some descriptors of extreme behavior can be helpful- but I agree with the author that diagnosing teens or children or diagnosing people who are in the midst of a personal crisis is unwise to say the least ! It is a normal reaction to have a negative response to abuse or divorce or unexpected death or many of other life’s unpleasant events but the first response should t be to pathologize normal human reactions and responses . And I agree , counseling should be a safe place but often it isn’t due to fears on the counselors part (liability etc ) , so we need to be more open to helping friends and family work through hard times .

Over all , this is a valuable book because in the words of R.E.M . She ,” had the balls to ask.”
The MH community should welcome introspection from someone who healed better when they left conventional treatment . They should be willing to revise and learn. They should be willing to ask and
Grow.
It’s sad to me ppl are criticizing this book calling it dangerous , what’s dangerous is not admitting our system has failed many people. What’s dangerous is silencing peoples experiences, even when they don’t fit your experience. What’s dangerous is not admitting many psychotropics can cause many of the symptoms they are supposed to heal- that’s not my opinion, that information is in any drug book. I understand some ppl say they have great life changing effects from meds but there are also many who’ve had to opposite. It’s time to acknowledge her valid points.
It’s also time for real informed consent. I have so much more to say about this but maybe another time .
One size doesn’t fit all and all life’s troubles don’t fit nicely into a box . But being so worried of people that we take peoples rights away without due process , under the guise of ,”it’s for their own good,” is a slippery slope. It throws the legal rights we all assume we have out . I’m not going to pretend this book was easy to read , it was very difficult to read.
I think there are some complicated topics to flesh out here. The closing of many MH facilities in the 70s added to many ppl on the streets , so there is that too. I think as a society we have to admit , many ppl need more structure and help forming that structure than what a totally free society can achieve, however what the solution is ? I don’t think we have or have had it right yet. I don’t think making kids and teens dependent or learned helplessness is the answer though. I have too many thoughts to fully articulate after reading this .

I guess a good book is supposed to make you think. It absolutely accomplishes that.


May add to this later

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book shows exactly why children do not need to be on pysch meds.

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative to her experiences while being human and admitting to flaws.

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well researched, well written and an important warning about the health industry.

[Joseph G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just purchased on audio. I am so thankful that this book was not burned in fulfillment of the desires of the intemperate alleging intemperance. Nevertheless, in consideration of all, I pledge to listen only on my headphones and delete this from my library ASAP.

FYI: Consistent with the principles of the US First Amendment, I did not restrict comments to this "review" - but please don't tell anyone you read it here.

Stifle.

Second shot:
"The data consistently shows that the United States has substantially higher rates of psychotropic medication use compared to other developed nations, particularly European countries, despite having comparable or higher rates of mental health conditions. These disparities suggest that differences in healthcare systems, prescribing practices, pharmaceutical marketing regulations, and cultural approaches to mental health treatment play significant roles in the higher US consumption rates." via Claude 3.7., referencing independent studies from the Nih, Scientific American, and the Commonweath Fund.

Only two nations - the United States and New Zealand - allow direct-to-consumer advertising of drugs, including psychotropic drugs. Listen to Laura. But, first and last, follow the money.

[Emily St. Amant]

DNF, hence no rating. I made it about 10% of this, enough to know I can’t support such an account. I was intrigued because I am a therapist who’s disenchanted with our mental health system as well as the author. However, what I read of the author’s account was enough to know she has a legitimate mental illness. I can’t diagnose strangers, but what she was experiencing was something that onset in adolescence, as many conditions often do. The care she received clearly didn’t connect with her and that is a real shame. But that doesn’t mean there are many treatment options that do help save and improve lives. This account was from a very privileged perspective, a concern in and of itself. I have a lot of misgivings towards all those that got this account put out into the world in such a validating way.

[Christopher Huong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant and moving