Is it possible that the drug-based psychiatric care industry has actually fueled an epidemic of mental illness?

Our guest is Marcia Meyer of the local group Rethinking Psychiatry, which puts on an annual symposium scrutinizing the mental health industry -- that event is coming up in May.

Meanwhile, their upcoming fundraiser is Tuesday, April 17, 4 - 6:00 PM at the First Unitarian Church Channing Room, 1011 SW 12th Avenue, Portland, with speaker Robert Whitaker, award winning author of "Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America."

Host Paul Van Dyck interviews Kambri Crews, author of "Burn Down the Ground: A Memoir." She tells her story of growing up hearing with deaf parents.

Today Madness Radio asks, Why are so many children being diagnosed bipolar? Are medications needed to treat disease - or just keep children under control? What else can parents do when faced with difficult behavioral problems? Sharna Olfman, Psychology Professor at Point Park University and editor of the book Bipolar Children,
discusses the growing trend of labeling children bipolar.

The race for The White House is heating up. Four years ago Sounds of Awareness broadcast a program on access to the voting booth by people with disabilities. Though some of the names have been changed since then to protect the innocent, we felt that now would be a good time to revisit this vital topic.

Today's Flashpoints features a special live interview with host Dennis Bernstein about his life, his activism and his new book of poems, "Special Ed: Voices from a Hidden Classroom."