Break on Through: Radical Psychiatry and the American Counterculture by Lucas Richert
Bulletin of the history of medicine January 1, 2021 Wendy Kline 1 citation
A historical analysis argues that the 1970s were a transformative decade for mental health, when radical ideas either matured, faded, or became mainstream. The book examines intersecting stories—from the Vietnam War to Dianetics to the DSM—to illustrate how psychiatry reached a confusing crossroads as psychoanalysis came under attack from biological psychiatry, feminists, and patient activists. It covers the Radical Caucus of the American Psychiatric Association, women's health activists challenging doctor-patient hierarchies, R. D. Laing's attack on schizophrenia, the Insane Liberation Front, parapsychology research at elite universities, and underground LSD therapy. The author concludes that seventies radicalism left a lasting impression on psychiatry and psychology that continues today.