Holistic Mental Health Network of Greater Cincinnati [H(u)MHN] and Ikron Present Medicating Normal

Join the Holistic Mental Health Network of Greater Cincinnati [H(u)MHN] and Ikron for a virtual community screening of Medicating Normal, a 76-minute documentary film exploring our current mental health care system's reliance on psychiatric drugs to deal with trauma, grief, and distress. There will be an interactive community discussion immediately after the film. 

The Holistic Mental Health Network of Greater Cincinnati [H(u)MHN] is a grassroots mental health organization founded in 2015 for education, support, and advocacy.  Through community programs and sharing, we help raise awareness of the need for a whole person/whole community approach to mental health beyond the brain disease model.  H(u)MHN invites all to participate--including those with lived experience, family members, and health professionals.

Schedule for Thursday, October 21, 2021:

6:30 - 7:50 pm -- Introductions and Film Screening

7:50 - 8:00 pm -- Intermission (Break)

8:00 - 8:15 pm -- Breakout rooms on Zoom with focus questions

8:15 - 9:00 pm -- Panel Discussion and Q&A with the audience

Panelists include:

Bill Cahalan, PhD is a clinical psychologist who has worked with clients in outpatient and in-patient psychiatric settings for over 40 years.  He resists a "mental illness/brain disorder" approach to most mental health problems, including psychotic experiences, and favors interpersonal and community-based ways of working with people.

Nicole Lamberson, PA is Physician Assistant residing in Virginia.  Nicole was initially prescribed psychotropic medication for mild “work stress." The medication caused adverse reactions  which misdiagnosed, leading to a prescribing cascade/polypharmacy (benzos, antidepressants, antipsychotics, sleeping pills, stimulants, etc.). By way of her own research, Nicole eventually realized the drugs were her problem and decided to withdraw. This resulted in a severe and protracted withdrawal syndrome which has persisted for many years. While healing, Nicole volunteers her time helping with benzodiazepine awareness initiatives including Benzodiazepine Information Coalition and the Benzodiazepine Action Work Group of the Colorado Consortium. Nicole also co-founded The Withdrawal Project and she does marketing, distribution and outreach for Medicating Normal-The Film. She hopes to continue to use both her medical training and lived experience to advocate for more education and awareness around the potential risks and harms of prescribed psychotropic medications as well as for changes in prescribing and withdrawal practices. 

Angela Peacock, MSW served in the U.S. Army for seven years as a communications specialist. She deployed to Iraq in 2003 and was medically evacuated due to a non-combat, life-threatening illness. After medical retirement and a long period of recovery, she earned her bachelor’s in science in psychology and master’s in social work from Washington University in St. Louis. She was the first veteran since World War II to be inducted into WashU’s chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. She is a leader in the St. Louis Student Veterans of America community building and growing three new chapters and organizing a consortium of chapters across the region. Some of Angela’s past roles include Veterans of Foreign Wars Legislative Fellow, Wounded Warrior Project Courage Award recipient, member of the WWP National Campaign Team, and finalist for Student Veteran of the Year with Student Veterans of America. Her story of overmedication after trauma appears in the new film Medicating Normal (2020). Her current work is to plan and host community screenings of Medicating Normal across the world where members of the audience are invited to critically think about our modern mental health industry, informed consent, and psychiatric drug use and withdrawal. She is a mental health advocate, a writer, and YouTube creator who travels in her campervan across the United States with her service dog Raider, to improve the mental health care system for veterans and civilians alike. She can be found online @BeingHumanRV.

Scholarship Ticket: If you are unable to afford one of the paid ticket tier options and are in need of a gratis Scholarship Ticket, please contact medicatingnormal@gmail.com to request one. Scholarship Tickets will be granted to anyone who is in need with no questions asked.

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