‘Not Broken’: Questioning Australia’s Reliance on Mental Health Medication

A new initiative challenges the idea that distress is caused by a chemical imbalance, advocating for non-pharmaceutical support for the 5 million Australians on mental health medications.

The Story Behind the Movement

Rebekah Beddoe was prescribed the antidepressant sertraline (Zoloft) for postnatal exhaustion. What followed was a cascade of severe adverse effects: insomnia, panic attacks, agitation, akathisia, and suicidal thoughts. As multiple medications were added to manage these reactions, she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

After tapering off all medications, Rebekah regained her mental health. Her psychiatrist later noted there was no evidence of bipolar disorder.

What Is ‘Not Broken’?

The initiative was created by psychiatrist Professor Jon Jureidini and psychiatrist Dr. Paul Denborough. Their goal is to raise awareness that a systematic umbrella review found no evidence that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain.

"We're medicalising distress when it would be better to try to understand and support people through it." — Professor Jon Jureidini

"This is not so much a moral judgment... it's about this idea that there is something measurable that is broken in you and there is zero evidence of that." — Dr. Paul Denborough

A Personal Account of Harm

Siswella Lanzillotti, now a peer support worker, was misdiagnosed with depression, bipolar disorder, and borderline personality disorder. She experienced severe side effects from medications and received electroconvulsive therapy that erased her memories.

"For some people, medications are the answer... For a lot more people, they need actual support outside the medication." — Siswella Lanzillotti

She now supports the ‘Not Broken’ initiative.

The Scale of Prescribing in Australia

Data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reveals:

• 47.3 million mental health-related prescriptions were issued in 2023-24
• This represents a 37% increase since 2014-15
• Antidepressants were the most commonly dispensed, with 34.2 million scripts for 3.7 million people

Dr. Denborough also expressed concern about a 600% increase in stimulant prescriptions for ADHD since 2017, particularly among adults and women.

The Risks of Long-Term Use

The initiative emphasizes that mental health medications are easy to start but hard to stop. Long-term use may partly be driven by severe withdrawal effects, rather than ongoing therapeutic need.

The "broken brain" idea is pseudoscience. — Professor Jon Jureidini

Responses Sought

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists and the Australian Medical Association were contacted for comment but were not included in the article.