This open  mic Wednesday, which is always the last show of the month, turned into an extraordinary interview with my first caller.  I began the hour talking about the importance of self-determination, autonomy, independence, personal sovereignty and the dreadful “R—Word,” responsibility.   I described how all of us are tempted to let others take over at times while we lapse into some degree of helplessness .  I outlined the potentially deadly results when psychiatry takes over for people who feel or act helpless.   Then Julie called in and told the story of how she was taken over by psychiatry, put on drugs for decades, and finally developed kidney disease from lithium but was lied to about it.  But Julie is a powerful being and she managed to throw off the disabling impact of psychiatry suppress and to begin rebuilding her life.  Her story of retaking control of herself fit seamlessly into my introduction about taking charge of one’s own life. The conversation between Julie and me provides a marvelous opportunity to see with dramatic clarity the harm that psychiatry does in robbing people of their sense of personal sovereignty and free will—and how individuals can nonetheless find their own power, throw off the yoke, and begin to build lives for themselves.  A very strong hour!