Michael has not been moved by a book, and the conversation about it, like he has by this one in a very long time. He says "“I just devoured this book…UNSHRUNK is a must-read.” Listen to this incredible conversation with Laura Delano about "Unshrunk: A Story of Psychiatric Treatment Resistance." In Unshrunk, Delano recounts her journey from a fourteen-year-old diagnosed with bipolar disorder to a woman on a cocktail of nineteen psychiatric drugs. Despite academic success and a promising future, her mental health deteriorated under treatment, leading to the discovery that her worsening symptoms might be caused by the very medications she’d been prescribed. This book challenges the psychiatric and pharmaceutical industries, exploring the impact of over-medication and questioning the dominant narrative of mental health care. Delano’s story is a powerful exploration of self-discovery, the search for healing, and the courage to reject conventional wisdom. Original air date 27 March 2025. The book was published on 18 March 2025.
Laura Delano is a writer, speaker, and consultant, and the founder of Inner Compass Initiative, a nonprofit organization that helps people make more informed choices about psychiatric diagnoses, drugs, and drug withdrawal. She is a leading voice in the international movement of people who’ve left behind the medicalized, professionalized mental health industry to build something different. Laura works with individuals and families around the world who are seeking guidance and support for the withdrawal journey and life post-psychiatry. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and children.