Writing

Articles & Essays

Personal essays and reflections on wrongful diagnosis, medication harm, patient advocacy, and the journey toward healing.

Featured Publication

Mad in America • June 22, 2026

An Attorney Goes Public—My Experience of Misdiagnosis, Damaging Drugs, and Lack of Informed Consent

Without complete transparency, consent cannot be considered truly informed. While silence may feel safe, it keeps us immobilized. Ellen shares her deeply personal story of misdiagnosis, medication harm, and why she now speaks publicly.

Read on Mad in America

20268 min read

The Power of "No"

How I Threw Away My Handicapped Placard

After 25 years of being labeled as Bipolar I and prescribed antipsychotics despite never having experienced psychosis, I said "no" to the psychiatric establishment and reclaimed my life.

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In The Press

Featured Articles

Mad in AmericaJune 22, 2026

An Attorney Goes Public—My Experience of Misdiagnosis, Damaging Drugs, and Lack of Informed Consent

Read on Mad in America

Your Health MagazineSeptember 2026

At the Crossroads of Law and Mental Health Care: Why Patient Rights and Informed Consent in Psychiatry Should Be Non-Negotiable

The intersection of law and psychiatry is a complex space. Patient rights have become negotiable, and many patients are not provided sufficient information to advocate for themselves. With a more person-centered approach to mental health, the gaps between the legal and the ethical can be bridged.

Read on Your Health Magazine

Legal ReaderSeptember 2026

Why Psychiatric Informed Consent Needs a Stronger Legal Standard, Not Just a Clinical One

Informed consent as a legal standard should assure that patient autonomy never rests on professional opinion alone. When psychiatric clinicians prioritize patient-centered care, conversations around informed consent before anything is signed or prescribed are able to take place more naturally.

Read on Legal Reader

The Medical HeraldAugust 25, 2026

Psychiatric Malpractice and Holding Mental Health Systems Accountable

Ellen Lubensky shares her experience with psychiatric misdiagnosis and medication harm, advocating for stronger informed consent practices and patient rights in mental healthcare.

Read on The Medical Herald

Women's Daily MagazineAugust 25, 2026

Alternatives to Medication Parents Don't Hear Enough About

Ellen Lubensky discusses alternatives to psychiatric medication that parents often don't hear about, emphasizing the importance of informed consent and exploring all treatment options before medication.

Read on Women's Daily Magazine

MediumJuly 22, 2026

At the Crossroads of Law and Psychiatric Care: Why Patient Rights in Mental Health Care Should Be Non-Negotiable

Attorney and advocate Ellen Lubensky found that her autonomy eroded over years of following a treatment plan for a condition she didn't have. Now, she is on a mission to educate about informed consent and make sure others do not have to travel the same road.

Read on Medium

Ignite and Rise (Substack)June 3, 2026

What Today's Mental Health Policy Push Says About Safer First-Line Options Before Medication

Guest piece exploring why medication should not be the default first-line treatment, the importance of informed consent, and how policy reform is centering prevention and shared decision-making in mental health care.

Read on Ignite and Rise (Substack)

NewsBreakMay 28, 2026

Ellen Lubensky Announces Public Awareness Initiative Focused on Informed Consent in Mental Health Treatment

Mental health reform advocate Ellen Lubensky has announced a public awareness initiative focused on informed consent, treatment transparency, and patient education in psychiatric care.

Read on NewsBreak

Releasing the PhoenixMay 26, 2026

What Today's Mental Health Policy Push Says About Safer First-Line Options Before Medication

Ellen shares why medication shouldn't be the first line of mental health treatment and why it's important for individuals and families to have full information on medications and side-effects.

Read on Releasing the Phoenix

San Francisco PostMay 6, 2026

Why Psychiatry Professionals Still Fail to Give Informed Consent to Patients

Ellen Lubensky advocates for informed consent in psychiatric care. Learn why patients lack autonomy and how clinicians can improve transparency and treatment decisions.

Read on San Francisco Post

The Chicago JournalApril 25, 2026

Antipsychotic Medication Prescribing Surges Among Older Adults With Dementia Despite Safety Risks

The overprescription of antipsychotic medications among the elderly has quietly become a healthcare crisis, especially in long-term care and nursing facilities.

Read on The Chicago Journal

Invite Ellen to Share Her Story

Ellen speaks at conferences, podcasts, and advocacy events about psychiatric misdiagnosis, medication harm, and patient empowerment.

Book Ellen to Speak