Harvard University faculty Paula Caplan, author of They Say You're Crazy: How The World's Most Powerful Psychiatrists Decide Who's Normal and editor of Bias In Psychiatric Diagnosis. Paula was on one of the writing committees for the DSM and offers an insightful perspective on the politics behind psychiatric pseudo-science. She discusses mental disorder labeling, including bipolar and post-trauma stress disorder, from a feminist perspective. www.psychdiagnosis.net

Award-winning journalist Philip Dawdy, formerly a writer with the Seattle Weekly newspaper, discusses how forced psychiatric treatment and drugging are ineffective responses to violent crime and the so-called "dangerous mentally ill." Philip is the writer of the excellent blog about Big Pharma profiteering and mental health policy www.FuriousSeasons.com.

Queer writer, educator, and Icarus Project organizer Jessica Max Stein talks about homophobia, mental health, and our broken educational system. She recently won an award from Poets & Writers magazine, and had a poem published in the Sun magazine. She reads from her 'zines Mad Love and Long Walk Back To Myself.

    Vara Adams survived forced hospitalization, drugging, and multiple electroshocks as a teen in Melbourne Australia. She went on to become a heavy metal-influenced songwriter about her experiences as part of the healing process.Show includes several of Vara's songs. www.varaadams.com

Psychiatric abuse survivor and human rights activist Celia Brown discusses working for change in the mental health system, including her ownn experiences and creating 'supported decision-making' for people in distress. Celia is President of Mindfreedom International and a board member of the National Association of Rights Advocacy and Protection. www.mindfreedom.org www.narpa.org

Angela Shelton is an award-winning Hollywood actress and filmmaker, who traveled across the US meeting other women named Angela Shelton and discovering how widespread sexual abuse is in our society. She discusses her film Searching for Angela Shelton and her work helping people heal from trauma. www.angelashelton.com

Madness Radio 2007-12-19: Colonialism and Native Mental Health Stella Montour

A money insider's view of how crazy and corrupt our US-led world economic system really is, including drug money, mlitary spending, and the housing crisis. Catherine Austin Fitts was Assistant Secretary of Housing - Federal Housing Commissioner under President Bush senior, Managing Director, Dillon Read & Co. Inc., and founder of Hamilton Securities investment bank. She has designed and closed over $25 billion of transactions and investments to-date and has led portfolio strategy for $300 billion of financial assets and liabilities. www.solari.com

After James Chasse, a man with a schizophrenia diagnosis, was killed by Portland police in 2006, reforms included improved police training. Julie Diamond discusses efforts to help teach police better de-escalation and conflict resolution techniques as an alternative to force and violence. Check out www.mentalhealthportland.org, www.juliediamond.net, and another audio interview with Julie at http://www.katejobe.com/podcast.html.

Clinical psychologist Bruce Levine discusses his new book Surviving America's Depression Epidemic: How to Find Morale, Energy, and Community in a World Gone Crazy, an insightful exploration of the social and political causes of depression and how to heal by rebuilding communities. Also check out www.brucelevine.net.