Joanna Moncrieff – författare

This book extends the critical scope of the previous volume, De-Medicalizing Misery, into a wider social and political context, developing the critique of the psychiatrization of Western society. It explores the contemporary mental health landscape and poses possible alternative solutions to the continuing issues of emotional distress.

Featured on ITV’s THIS MORNING and in SUNDAY TIMES MAGAZINE'controversial and courageous' – DAILY MAILFor years, we’ve been led to believe that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain and antidepressants are the solution. But what if this widely accepted belief has been built on unreliable truths?In Chemically Imbalanced, renowned psychiatrist Joanna Moncrieff takes readers on a thought-provoking journey through the history of the serotonin theory of depression, from its origins in the 1960s to its widespread acceptance in the 1990s. With clarity and compelling evidence, Moncrieff exposes how scientific understanding has been swayed by social and economic forces, leading to misconceptions that have shaped treatment decisions for millions.Accessible yet profoundly insightful, Chemically Imbalanced is essential reading for anyone seeking to make more informed choices about their mental health and understand the forces that shape the way we perceive and treat depression today.

Featured on ITV’s THIS MORNING and in SUNDAY TIMES MAGAZINE'controversial and courageous' – DAILY MAILFor years, we’ve been led to believe that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain and antidepressants are the solution. But what if this widely accepted belief has been built on unreliable truths?In Chemically Imbalanced, renowned psychiatrist Joanna Moncrieff takes readers on a thought-provoking journey through the history of the serotonin theory of depression, from its origins in the 1960s to its widespread acceptance in the 1990s. With clarity and compelling evidence, Moncrieff exposes how scientific understanding has been swayed by social and economic forces, leading to misconceptions that have shaped treatment decisions for millions.Accessible yet profoundly insightful, Chemically Imbalanced is essential reading for anyone seeking to make more informed choices about their mental health and understand the forces that shape the way we perceive and treat depression today.

In an era when more people are taking psychiatric drugs than ever before, Joanna Moncrieff's explosive book challenges the claims for their mythical powers. Drawing on extensive research, she demonstrates that psychiatric drugs do not 'treat' or 'cure' mental illness by acting on hypothesised chemical imbalances or other abnormalities in the brain. There is no evidence for any of these ideas. Moreover, any relief the drugs may offer from the distress and disturbance of a mental disorder can come at great cost to people's physical health and their ability to function in day-to-day life. And, once on these drugs, coming off them can be very difficult indeed. This book is a wake-up call to the potential damage we are doing to ourselves by relying on chemical cures for human distress. Its clear, concise explanations will enable people to make a fully informed decision about the benefits and harms of these drugs and whether and how to come off them if they so choose.