Psychiatrist #5 on First Do No Harm

The following statements have all been made openly on social media by Dr David Foreman. The full and necessary context for all of these contributions can be found on the author’s twitter timeline @Foreman1David where he introduces himself as follows: “Child(ish) psychiatrist: (New) Culture Editor BJPsych Bull., NICE TAC member. Enjoys debating & cocktails, planning to join science/culture dots & more.” 

Dr David Foreman [12 July 2017] “Pill-shaming has become an art form”

Dr David Foreman [29 Sept 2019] “There seems to be a campaign to determine that Antidepressants are toxic and addictive, excessive certainty in disseminating preliminary results can cause harm”

Dr David Foreman [9 January 2020]: “I agree we should be careful about language. If someone needs an antidepressant to remain symptom free then the dependence relates to the disorder, not the drug.”

Dr David Foreman [16 Sept 2019] “It’s often forgotten that the disorders ECT treats also produce cognitive impairments, which may be more severe than ECT’s”

Dr David Foreman [24 June 2020] In a discussion about PHQ9 SCREENING tool “Most research suggests, unsupported, GPs miss most cases of depression”. 


Richard Smith, former Editor of the BMJ:
“Psychiatry seems to have lost its way… The response should not be to refuse to listen to criticisms… but to listen to and use them as a stimulus to deep examination of current practice.”