Founder of MISSD Honored for Excellence in Advocacy
International Society for Ethical Psychology and Psychiatry (ISEPP) Presents Wendy Dolin with Special Achievement Award
“The ISEPP Special Achievement award is intended for a professional or non-professional who has made a significant specific contribution to challenging the conventional mental health system,” said Dr. Chuck Ruby, ISEPP Executive Director. “Dolin’s advocacy and devotion to her husband’s memory is inspiring and warrants the receipt of ISEPP’s Special Achievement Award.”
2018 ISEPP Citation
Wendy Dolin is a therapist and activist who founded MISSD, which is an acronym for Medication Induced Suicide in Memory of Stewart Dolin. Stewart was Wendy’s husband of 36 years and a successful senior member of the international defense firm, Reed Smith in Chicago. In July 2010, one week after being prescribed paroxetine for work stress, Stewart’s life ended when he jumped in front of an oncoming train. This started Wendy’s painful search for an answer and her mission to educate the community about medication-induced suicide.
She discovered that the drug company, GlaxoSmithKline, had been concealing the suicide risks associated with paroxetine and so launched a lawsuit. In March 2017, a jury concluded that the drug manufacturer failed to warn about the suicide risk and awarded Wendy $3 million in damages. However, an appeals court recently overturned the ruling. Wendy will be petitioning the Supreme Court of the United States to review the case.
MISSD Video Premieres at Chicago Gala
Turnout at last night’s MISSD annual gala was the largest ever. Special thanks goes out to hundreds of attendees and to all whose continued support helps make MISSD public education programs possible. Check out our new video focused on better identifying some outward signs of akathisia.
MISSD Works With First Responders
Board members Wendy Dolin, Lena Dolin and Nikki Carvelli presented the MISSD akathisia presentation to first responders at the Wheaton Police Department. MISSD was present at the 6:40 am and 2:40 pm roll call. We are so grateful to the first responders who attended our program; they are on the front lines dealing with many crisis interventions. We were excited by the engaging conversations that will no doubt lead to spreading the word about akathisia and alerting professionals on what to look for and how to react. It was a true honor to be among such dedicated men and women. A special thanks goes to Sergeant Ryan Conway for facilitating this training session.
MISSD Founder Wendy Dolin’s Story Featured in the NY Times
325 million prescriptions for antidepressants were filled last year in the US, according to this recent NY Times article featuring our founder Wendy Dolin. That’s why it’s so important we continue to spread out mission of raising awareness about the possibility of developing akathisia.
The condition has been getting national and international press, and Wendy’s amazing trial win only increased the much-needed press around this current issue. Read on for more details and information about what made this case so compelling, so urgent and so unique.
Read the full article here. And read more information about suicide data being incorrectly reported in the drug trials here.
World Benzo Day #WorldBenzoDay
Today is World Benzodiazepine Awareness Day, a day that seeks to raise global awareness about Benzo dependence. These drugs can cause adverse effects as well as intense withdrawal symptoms, which can potentially last for years.
MISSD is not anti-drug but supports awareness of some of the dangers associated with Benzo medications, as they have been associated with akathisia.
For more information, visit http://w-bad.org, which has handouts, events, videos and much more for both lay people and professionals. You can also get involved on social media.
Have you or a loved one experienced a side effect of withdrawal symptom from a Benzo drug? Let us know here or email us privately if you’d like to share your story.
Could Chris Cornell’s Death Have Been Caused by Akathisia?
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/chris-cornells-wife-issues-statement-w48317
Photo by Rolling Stone
We’re Thrilled!
We are so excited to announce that MISSD founder Wendy Dolin won her lawsuit last week against the pharmaceutical company GSK. The jury heard six weeks of testimony and found that it was dangerous drug reaction akathisia that led to Wendy’s husband Stewart’s death. We are so grateful to our supporters for raising awareness about this deadly side effect of many medications. This is even more validation for us to continue this important work.
For more information about the trial, read below.
https://www.baumhedlundlaw.com/press-releases/
K9s for Veterans and MISSD
MISSD board members Marcey Berman and Wendy Dolin attended a MISSD sponsored event, “You Will Never Walk Alone,” on March 3rd with K9s for Veterans. The nonprofit organization we are thrilled to collaborate with trains and presents service dogs to veterans suffering from PTSD. Mike Tellerino, founder of K9s for Veterans, thought that the message of MISSD was an important one for veterans because so many vets are being given record numbers of medications and are unknowingly experiencing (or have lost their lives to) akathisia. Wendy spoke to more than 400 attendees who were very appreciative to learn about MISSD’s mission. Thanks to so many generous people who devote their time and funds to MISSD, we are able to support and attend events like this one.
For more information on K9s for Veterans, visit http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/making-a-difference/canines-for-veterans-415370233.html
Social Work Students Learn About Akathisia
MISSD founder Wendy Dolin (with director Jenna Sachman and board members Cindy Klinger and Jeff Dritz, shown here) presented about her story and akathisia to some of Loyola’s School of Social Work grad students yesterday. The topic and discussion were well-received by the students, who were interested in learning more so they could take the information to their internship sites. Special thanks to Dr. Marcia Spira for allowing MISSD to bring awareness to this important topic!