Mental health reform advocate Ellen Lubensky has announced a public awareness initiative focused on informed consent, treatment transparency, and patient education in psychiatric care.
The initiative is designed to encourage individuals to ask more informed questions before beginning psychiatric medication treatment, including questions about risks, side effects, withdrawal concerns, diagnosis accuracy, and available non-pharmaceutical support options.
Lubensky’s advocacy is shaped by her personal experience with misdiagnosis and long-term psychiatric medication use. After being prescribed medication for a condition she later discovered she did not have, Lubensky began speaking publicly about the need for patients to receive clearer information before committing to psychiatric medication plans.
“There are safer support options for mental health conditions that can either be implemented before or work alongside thoughtfully prescribed medication like SSRIs,” said Lubensky.
Through the initiative, Lubensky is encouraging patients and families to better understand what informed consent should include in mental health treatment. She believes patients should be given clear explanations of potential benefits, risks, withdrawal concerns, and alternatives before agreeing to a medication-based treatment strategy.
The announcement comes as more individuals are questioning medication-first approaches to mental health care and seeking greater transparency around treatment options. Lubensky’s work focuses on helping people better understand their choices while encouraging more open communication between patients and providers.
“We need to think about rebuilding mental health care from the ground up,” Lubensky said. “People should know what alternatives exist, not just be handed a pamphlet with FDA information about side effects.”
Lubensky has also shared her own experience of developing tardive dyskinesia after years of psychiatric medication use. She has stated that her condition was initially attributed to the diagnosis she had been given rather than explored as a possible medication-related effect.
“For 28 years, I trusted the medical system,” Lubensky explained. “All that time, I suffered the consequences of taking medication for a condition I didn’t have.”
As part of her awareness work, Lubensky is calling attention to the importance of treatment plans that include education, therapy, lifestyle support, root-cause exploration, and careful discussion before medication is presented as the primary option.
“Keep in mind that these safer options don’t mean rejecting treatment from a health care provider,” Lubensky said. “People should fully understand their diagnosis and what a psychotropic medication plan really means for them.”
Lubensky emphasized that her work is not intended to discourage medical care, but to promote greater transparency and patient participation in treatment decisions.
“I want to be clear that I’m not challenging medical care,” she said. “I’m simply offering options that challenge the habit of treating mental health concerns with medication first, above all other alternatives.”
Through this initiative, Lubensky aims to support a more patient-centered mental health care conversation built around informed decision-making, individualized treatment planning, and greater awareness of available support options.
About Ellen Lubensky
Ellen Lubensky is a mental health reform advocate focused on informed consent, patient education, and transparency in psychiatric treatment. Drawing from personal experience, she advocates for greater awareness of treatment alternatives and patient-centered approaches to mental health care.