Making a Killing with Psychiatric Drugs … Literally
by Vin Miller
More people than ever are taking psychiatric medications, many of which have dangerous side effects. Many of these people don’t even need the medications that they’re taking, and in some cases, the side effects can be fatal or cause permanent damage that’s much worse than the original diagnosis.
Psychiatric medications kill approximately 3,000 people every month which is more than two and a half times the number of people killed by homicide. Many people who take psychiatric drugs aren’t aware of such risks, and to make matters worse, many of these drugs are just barely more effective than a placebo. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of deception and conflict of interest behind the marketing, research, and prescribing of these medications, and it’s important for anyone who is or will be taking them to be aware of it.
The Subjectivity of Psychiatry
Having been through chronic fatigue syndrome, I am well aware of the difficulty that many people face in regard to their condition not being accepted or understood. Personally, I just wanted to determine the cause of my problems, correct them, and resume living my life. I knew that how I felt was far from being right and definitely wasn’t just “in my head”. However, it was still frustrating to have others think it was. Based on this experience, I’m always cautious about questioning the legitimacy of a disease, condition, or diagnosis. However, it’s important to consider if the intent is to truly identify the underlying problem and restore proper function, or if it’s nothing more than an excuse to promote a drug or treatment. Unfortunately, the latter is often the case with the diagnosis of psychiatric disorders.
Most psychiatric disorders are believed to be caused by chemical imbalances in the brain. However, there’s no accurate way to test for this, and as such, the diagnosis of such disorders is often highly subjective. Psychiatrists rely on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) for diagnosing and prescribing, and the disorders in this manual are identified not through scientific research, but rather by the suggestion and consensus of psychiatrists who often have financial ties to the drug industry. The DSM has grown to contain nearly 900 pages in its current version and defines so many disorders that any healthy individual could easily be diagnosed with one.
The Tremendous Influence of the Drug Industry
It’s become abundantly clear that we can’t trust the drug industry. Unfortunately, we can’t even trust the FDA whose primary purpose is to regulate the drug industry. This has especially been a problem since 1992 when Congress approved the Prescription Drug Fee User Act which allowed the FDA to collect a substantial fee from drug companies seeking approval of new drugs. Based on this legislation, the FDA is now largely funded by the very same industry that they’re supposed to be protecting us from. It’s a significant conflict of interest to say the least.
Many of the FDA researchers who approve new drugs regard the pharmaceutical companies that manufacture them as their clients and do everything they can to please them. In fact, many of these researchers also have financial ties to the very same companies that they’re evaluating drugs for. As such, the FDA has basically become a branch of the drug industry and has lost site of their true purpose of protecting public health. The approval of the antidepressant Paxil is just one of many examples that make this evident. This controversial drug is associated with an increased risk of suicide, but the FDA approved it anyway, and every single member of the approval panel had ties to the pharmaceutical industry. Similarly, Cymbalta, another antidepressant, was approved by the FDA despite 4 suicides and an additional 11 suicide attempts during clinical trials.
Unfortunately, it’s not nearly as profitable to cure people of their illnesses as it is to have them take a drug for the rest of their lives, and in most cases, such drugs do nothing more than mask symptoms. The drug industry uses a number of tactics to promote this approach. They pay psychiatrists up to a half million dollars per year to encourage other psychiatrists to prescribe their medications, and they have their drug representatives provide free samples and free gifts to the doctors and psychiatrists who can prescribe their drugs. In round about ways making it seem legitimate, they also reward the physicians and psychiatrists who write the most prescriptions with free trips and monetary bonuses. Pfizer, the world’s largest drug manufacturer, was recently fined a record breaking $2.4 billion for this type of behavior.
In addition, the FDA leaves it up to drug companies to provide the research proving that their own drug is safe and effective. This research is much too short in duration, the results are often manipulated, and the supporting data is rarely published. Once a drug is approved, drug companies even ghostwrite research papers supporting the effectiveness of their drugs and pay prominent researchers who had no involvement with the work to put their names on it. These papers are published in prestigious medical journals, which also happen to rely heavily on advertising from the drug industry. The information in these papers is also quoted and propagated by the media. In the infamous case of the painkiller Vioxx, this type of behavior caused more deaths to Americans than the Vietnam war!
Are You Participating in this Giant Experiment?
Because of the inadequate research that drug approvals are based on, the general public becomes unknowing participants in the real clinical trials that occur once a drug is released. The people who are prescribed these drugs will be the ones who identify the side effects that haven’t been identified through the approval process. This is why it’s recommended to think twice about taking any medications that haven’t been in the market for at least 7 years.
Even some so called consumer advocacy groups claiming to provide this type of unbiased information on psychiatric drugs can’t be trusted because they’re run by psychiatrists who are funded by the drug industry.
The Dark Side of Psychiatry
The advent of psychiatric drugs has earned psychiatrists much more respect and perceived importance from the general public. As such, many psychiatrists are more than happy to base their practice on the use of prescription drugs. As expected, the drug industry is more than happy to support and promote this.
Some of the medications prescribed by psychiatrists, such as Paxil, have serious side effects including an increased risk of suicide. Based on the questionable definitions in the DSM, these drugs are often prescribed within as little as 5 minutes of a psychiatrist consulting with a new patient. The drug industry influences this behavior by running television commercials and providing internet surveys that lead the average person to believe that they have a mental disorder and need treatment. These ads and surveys, as well as the disorders described in the DSM, are designed in a way that could characterize the typical ups and downs of normal life as a symptom of a psychiatric disorder.
Even children are at risk. Drug companies have a substantial financial incentive, sometimes worth billions of dollars, to conduct research on children because it can extend their patents by 6 months. The increase of bipolar disorder has been of particular concern among children. This diagnosis was made popular by Dr. Joseph Biederman who was the primary force behind the 4000% increase in the diagnosed cases of bipolar disorder in children and the associated 2.5 million prescriptions. Dr. Biederman was eventually exposed for having been paid by 25 different drug companies and having failed to disclose 1.6 million dollars in income from them.
There’s no doubt that many people are suffering from undesirable mental symptoms, but psychiatric medications are rarely the best solution. In more cases than most people realize, symptoms such as depression, irritability, anxiety, and even forgetfulness are caused by lifestyle factors. Diet in particular has an especially strong effect on mood. Other lifestyle factors that can significantly improve mental wellness include stress management, good sleep habits, regular exercise, having a positive perspective on life, living with passion, and even sun exposure. These should be among the first things considered by people who are unhappy with their mental wellness, but unfortunately, it’s rare for a psychiatrist to recommend such solutions. Instead, they prescribe drugs that often create the need to prescribe additional drugs to deal with side effects and start a downward spiral that keeps the drug industry happy and the patient at risk and in poor health.
Not every mental symptom can be corrected through healthier lifestyle habits, but many of them can. Before improving my health, irritability, discontent, anxiety, and depression were all problems for me and I’m sure that I could have easily gotten a prescription for these issues if I had chosen to see a physician or psychiatrist about them. Instead, through the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle, I’ve minimized these symptoms to the point of them not being a concern at all.
A Heart Wrenching and Infuriating Documentary
The following documentary, Making A Killing – The Untold Story of Psychotropic Drugging, provides an excellent although unsettling depiction of what’s really happening in the psychiatry field. If you or anyone you know is or will be taking psychiatric medication, this documentary is a must see.
About an hour in to the documentary, you’ll learn about:
- A normal 17 year old girl who was diagnosed with 2 mental disorders by the TeenScreen survey that she was directed to take at school without her parents’ consent.
- A normal 11 year old girl who was flagged as suicidal by the same TeenScreen survey and taken into custody for six months without her parents consent or knowledge and was drugged with 22 different medications.
- How the inventor of the TeenScreen survey admitted that it incorrectly flagged 84% of all students as being suicidal.
- Two people with loving families and no symptoms of depression who committed suicide within a short time of being prescribed the antidepressant Paxil to treat insomnia.
- A two year old girl who was questionably diagnosed with several mental disorders, prescribed multiple psychiatric medications, and died at the age of 4.
Words cannot do these stories justice. I highly recommend that you watch them.
This documentary is produced by the Citizens Commission on Human Rights. Although some people might be tempted to discount the significance of this documentary because the CCHR is founded by the Church of Scientology, I think this would be an unfortunate mistake. I myself am not a supporter of Scientology and highly recommend that you watch the entire hour and a half video regardless of your religious beliefs. It includes interviews with a number of reputable experts and provides important information that we all need to be aware of.
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Hi Vin. Another excellent article. I have taken several varieties of anti-depressants over the years. In addition I have taken a huge number of different prescriptions for almost everything you can imagine. Doctors don’t treat causes, they relieve symptoms. Further as you so correctly point out that symptom relief comes at a great cost. I have become convinced most drugs cause more problems than they solve.
I feel much better now that I stopped taking all that crap. I don’t think doctors realize what they are doing. Most of them aren’t schooled properly. Your simple and natural prescription of diet and exercise is the integrated way to go.
The DSM is ridiculous. There are probably a few underlying causes to various mental problems and yet the DSM thinks there are thousands of mental “diseases”. Unbelievable.
Thanks, Stephen!
In regard to most chronic health conditions that are prevalent today, I totally agree that drugs cause more problems than they resolve. As you pointed out, this is especially the case when you consider the fact that drugs rarely address the root problem.
Your story is inspiring and I think it’s great that you’re enjoying the benefits of having found a better and more natural way. I’ve never taken anti depressants, but when I was being treated for chronic fatigue syndrome and Lyme disease, I was taking strong antibiotics and a number of other medications for 6 months and it was easily the worst period of my life.
Vin,
That was a great article. I have never used nor understood why people would use a drug to help altar human emotion’s. I have always believed that psychiatrists and our regular doctor’s would prescribe drugs as if it was the only way that we would survive.
Several years ago I was hospitalized with Pancreatitis, was put on Nexim (which I never took), had to have my gall bladder removed (which they found nothing wrong with it- no stones). Finally a doctor stepped in and instead of scratching his head saying why did this happen, he went in and made a small cut into the biliary duct, which released the years of sludge backed up from undigested stuff (YUCK), and a few weeks later I was fine. It took almost 2 years of countless test, removal of body parts and 8 different types of drugs, that I would refuse to take, including the pain medicine to finally have a doctor listen to me and fix the problem.
I think that we are all subjected in believing that the health care professionals know what is best for us…. That is so not true…. If it wasn’t for the one Doctor (Dr. Gumastop) they would still be trying to make me pop pills and run countless tests.
I really enjoyed your article. I think that you are truly correct when you ask the question “are we participating in this giant experiment.” That is how I felt Several years ago. All I wanted to do was feel normal again. I didn’t want to have to pop drugs to make me pretend that I was healthy. I felt like every Doctor was just trying to push drugs down my throat.
I really hope that someone reads your article and will understand that you don’t need drugs to have human emotions!
Thanks, Tracey!
It’s a shame that you had to lose your gallbladder throughout all of this, but it’s great that you were smart enough to avoid an undesirable treatment that proved to be unnecessary. Nexium impairs the stomach’s ability to produce acid, and since stomach acid is critically important for digestion, and therefore good health, long term use of Nexium can cause a number of health issues related to nutrient deficiencies.
A sneaky fact about Nexium is that it’s really just a variation of Prilosec, which is now available over the counter for much cheaper, that was relabeled for patent and marketing purposes. Yet another example of the true motivation behind many of these drugs.
I’m glad you enjoyed the article! I appreciate your feedback and am hopeful that others will benefit from your story.
Vin, this is a brilliant article. I see so many people in my line of work being given psychiatric drugs to help with their alcoholism. Alcoholism by it’s very nature is a depressant and makes people feel very depressed and yet doctors prescribe them anti depressants for it when the root cause, the alcohol, should be the primary concern. Same with drug addicts, they are substituting one drug for another in an attempt to stop being an addict for example: heroine users are prescribed the methadone program and then gradually weened off methadone: it’s crazy.
The drug industry are definitely the winners here which is why there is so much information debunking alternative therapies.
Thanks, Steven!
That’s very unfortunate and sounds similar to using drugs to treat the side effects of other drugs. You’re right, the drug industry does go out of their way to defame and destroy their competition, and unfortunately, this influences the research that is published in medical journals and even the actions of the FDA.
Another unfortunate aspect of addiction that I’m sure you must encounter is that many recovering addicts become addicted to sugar as a replacement for their drug. Although, some people would argue that sugar is a drug as well.
Excellent article, Vin. Albeit a depressing one, especially those mentions of the kids and teens that have killed themselves after being forced to take drugs they didn’t need. I know it’s a trite thought, and perhaps reflects my own naivete, but I can’t help but wonder how people who purposefully propagate these drugs purely for profit can sleep at night. Amazing, and depressing both.
Is there any chance of repealing the Prescription Drug Fee User Act? That seems like an excellent way to start.
Thanks, Phil!
Yes, this is a depressing topic, but the only way to make it less depressing is to make more people aware of it.
I too wonder how the people behind this can sleep at night. Unfortunately, many of them are put into situations where they have to abide by the flawed system or risk ruining their careers and losing the ability to support themselves and their families. While this certainly isn’t a valid excuse, it is a difficult situation.
I agree that getting rid of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act would be a great start, but as David Graham said in his testimony against the FDA and it’s approval of Vioxx, the FDA needs to be completely reformed. Unfortunately, as far as I know, the fees that the FDA collects through the Prescription Drug User Fee Act have increased substantially which means we’ve been heading in the opposite direction.
Excellent post, Vin. Like you, I’ve heard some horror stories about psychiatric drugs. But, I wouldn’t discount them entirely because I’m aware that while they have terrible side effects, they can also help to relieve the mental hell that psychiatric patients are going through. Without the temporary relief, patients can be driven to extreme measures to reduce their pain.
On the other hand, I don’t advocate long-term use of such drugs, in fact any drugs — be it western or eastern. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), there’s a saying that says something to the tune of: in every medicine there’s a certain percentage of poison. So after getting a temporarily reprieve using drugs, patients should always try their best to address the root cause of their condition instead of relying on drugs perpetually.
It’s interesting for you to mention that a number of psychiatric conditions are due to some imbalances in the body. TCM believes so too, hence every condition can be traced to certain yin and yang imbalances in our body. The tips you’ve given for a good mental health are very relevant. If I may add meditation to the list.
Meditation can be useful in helping one to learn to live in harmony with his or her thoughts. For patients with mental aliments, thoughts are usually perceived as out of control as if there are something external and separate from us. Meditation helps in this case by giving us a chance to face our thoughts directly, instead of running away from them, and befriend them. It also helps us to see that thoughts are transient. They come and go and therefore shouldn’t be taken too seriously or literally. When we are able to tolerate the worst thoughts in our mind, we’ll be released from their grip and the fear that come with them.
Hi Wee, thanks for mentioning meditation. I agree that it’s an extremely effective way to promote mental wellness. It’s amazing how much one’s perspective on life can improve with a clear mind!
I also agree that psychiatric medications (or any medications for that matter) shouldn’t be completely discounted. Although, I think today’s culture of instant gratification and quick fixes leads too many people into thinking that they “need” medication when there are much better alternatives.
Love this article, and this topic is a very important one. I always emphasize to people as well that you can educate until the cows come home about saying no to drugs and alcohol, but that if you don’t include in that education something about healthy living through healthy dietary habits and prevention – as in, if you eat right and take care of yourself, you don’t have to use pharmaceutical intervention. And beyond that, all these campaigns that focus on saying no to drugs and alcohol never say a word about people who abuse pharmaceuticals and how those substances become a crutch for so many people who don’t know or refuse to change their lifestyle and eating habits.
Hi Raine, thanks for your comment!
I completely agree. What’s even more upsetting is that it’s now common for kids to use painkillers and other prescription medications as recreational drugs.
Hi Vin,
Fantastic article! My husband is in his final year of med school and just finished up his psychiatry rotation. He found it incredibly frustrating to be dealing with people with varying mental issues with absolutely no consideration being given to nutrition or physical activity. It’s interesting that schizophrenics, in particular, are known to have serious issues with sugar addiction… hmmm…
I, personally, have a surefire way to fall into depression. If I eat sweet stuff (oh, the organic stuff will still do the trick quite nicely) and don’t move my body my entire perspective changes. It took my a few years to do this, but I’ve gotten to the point of being able to recognize my true nature and the hazy/dark feelings that are brought on by not following a primal style of eating and movements. It’s really sad that there are so many people feeling hopeless that could be easily helped without the controls of pharmaceutical drugs.
Your site is brilliant!
Tara
Thanks, Tara!
What a refreshing story about your husband! It’s always nice to hear about people who go through medical school and manage to maintain respect and interest for the principles of natural health.
It’s great to hear that you were able to isolate sugar as the cause of your symptoms. I’ve experienced mood issues from sugar as well, but for me, gluten is much more of a problem.
just getting around to reading this article. it is amazing, and sadly/depressingly(no pun intended!) oh so true. i myself am recovering from anorexia, and it is a mental disorder/psychiatric disease. the cure is DEFINITELY not in the drug industry. the only way to fix my nitch is through a healthful diet. the only way to balance out my brain is to gun-ho it with saturated fat. no doctor told me that, i had to find out for myself after an actually thinking about suicide when i was put on prozac which was dumbfounded so i threw the bottle away, took recovery in my own hands and later found WAP website, and the real deal behind nutrition. my first nutritionist i saw actually told me to eat low-fat products like yogurt and milk, and focus on rice/pasta/”whole grain” bread, as well as to avoid butter and in place use margarine. what a mess… it is such a money making capitalistic society and it is SO frustrating
your blog is outstanding i commend you once and again for it !
Hi Mal, thanks for your comment and your kind feedback!
A healthy diet fixes more health issues than most people are willing to believe, and even if it doesn’t completely resolve the issue, it should still be the foundation of the solution because it’s an essential requirement for good health. Unfortunately, most people have to learn this the hard way and far too many of them never learn it at all. I think the drug industry has had a major influence in this, and so has modern dietary advice such as how you were told to avoid fat. Advice like this can usually be tied to influence from the food industry, and unfortunately, this industry is a lot like the drug industry in some ways.
I’m glad to hear that you’ve found a better approach and wish you great success with your recovery.
Someone close to me whom I can not say due to privacy considerations mentioned to provider that he/she was depressed was recommend to go to hospital ended up staying more than a week and was discharged with 4 psych meds and 2 anti seizure meds plus two already taking for a total of eight and a considerable amount of money for the monthly prescription plus I don’t even recognize this person who is quite close to me altered physically and mentally don’t know what to do researched meds cannot be discontinued cold turky according to drug guide but I believe they are doing harm please any advice would be greatly appreciated thank you in advance.
Hi Mary,
I’m sorry to hear about your difficult situation. Unfortunately, coming off of prescription medication can be a very complicated process which is why it requires the cooperation of a doctor. If this person’s doctor is unwilling to cooperate in this manner, perhaps you can help them find another doctor.
Diet and exercise can have a significant influence on depression. I suggest reading the article I wrote about improving mood through diet and reading the book it’s based on which is The Mood Cure by Julia Ross. It would also be a good idea to encourage this person to engage in some low intensity exercise on a regular basis, even if it’s just walking. However, don’t let them turn into an exercise fanatic because if they exercise too much, it could make the depression worse.
If you’re able to help this person improve their depression through healthier lifestyle habits, then perhaps you can convince the doctor to gradually lower the dosages of the medications until they’re no longer needed.
I hope that helps and I wish you and your friend the best of luck!
Thanks for sharing this. I saw it referenced in the Jan ‘10 issue of Energy Times and nearly fell off my chair. My late husband, who committed suicide at 41 (2 years ago),
is one of these victims. I always suspected something like this after I lost him. The doctors tried to put me on Lexapro to help me “cope” with the reactive depression, PTSD of finding him dead like that and the grief of losing a loved one. I nearly committed suicide and decided those pills that made me feel nothing but want to end my life were like legalized murder in pill form. I’m glad I had time to work through those issues and process the loss before I was confronted with this proof. I’m trying to educate as many people as I can and now have a resource to refer them to so it doesn’t look like I’m making a mountain out of my single anecdotal story because it’s part of the proof of a pandemic.
I have had and taken the opportunity to redeem my loss by encouraging others who suffer a similar loss (http://www.rbc.org/radio-tv/words-to-live-by/2009/09/04/program.aspx) and by speaking out where and when I can. Thanks for creating this forum as a place of info.sharing on this critical topic of which so few are aware. “In Loving Memory” by Alter Bridge should be the theme song for this and for all of us who are walking wounded, survivors of the scourge.
Hi Susan,
I’m so sorry to hear of your loss and appreciate you sharing your story. I admire your courage and motivation to inform others and hope that your efforts will make a significant difference in many people’s lives.
Hello. Thanks for the article. I am very mixed about this topic, since I was diagnosed w/depression and panic disorder in 1991 and have been on meds since. Both came out of nowhere… I remember having ‘weird’ symptoms that no one could explain and feeling so far ‘in a dark hole’ that i felt nothing mattered at all…I saw no point to anything. It’s hard to picture if you’ve never been there yourself…its the worst mental feeling in the world to me. There was nothing to look forward to b/c nothing mattered. I thought about death, but was too afraid to kill myself.
I think the meds I was prescribed helped…b/c I did get out of the ‘hole’ that came from nowhere. I’ve had a few relapses though and just recently have had meds switched around b/c of weird symptoms, that are still going on, and fear BECAUSE of the weird symptoms. Fear is a BIG part.
I’ve wanted to try alternative therapy but don’t have the money. I also hear it’s not as ‘powerful’ as RX meds. I’d love to get off them but I’m very afraid of getting worse then, or/and having withdrawal.
So it may be that, in certain major cases, like mine, RX was the only way to make these thoughts go away. And like you said, there’s no proof or test that can look inside my brain (that i know of) to see what’s causing this (which is driving me batty).
My psychiatrist has suggested other forms of help…exercise, getting out of bad situations, breathing… so I really don’t know how much she is influenced by drug co’s and how much she is looking out for me. I’m hesitant to take new meds and my docs think I’m ‘too sensitive’ b/c of this.
Hi Danielle,
There’s no doubt that medication is necessary and perhaps the only solution for some people. However, the primary point of this article is that medication should generally be a last resort and that flaws in our medical system are encouraging it to be used prematurely and sometimes inappropriately.
It’s great that your psychiatrist suggested alternatives, but the value of this is dependent on their ability to truly facilitate the changes that they require, their willingness to fully support you in doing so, and your commitment to making the effort. It’s very possible for the doctor to only mention such alternatives in passing or for the patient to not be motivated. The latter is a personal choice, but the former is an unfortunate situation where the patient is not given a true appreciation for the significant improvements that lifestyle changes can bring.
In regard to alternative approaches being less powerful than medication, I think this depends on the circumstances as well as one’s interpretation of what powerful means. Is it powerful to have an instant effect, or to find success in a more natural and perhaps gradual manner that eliminates the potential risks and side effects commonly associated with medication? This is a personal choice, but the people who are faced with it should at least do themselves the favor of making a well informed decision. If you want to consider exercise as one potential alternative, here’s a study that showed exercise to be equally as effective as medication at improving major depression in people who are fifty or older. That’s pretty powerful if you ask me!
If you’re unhappy with your reliance on medication, you can try making lifestyle improvements while continuing to take it. Exercise is obviously an important one. So is controlling stress and reframing negative thoughts. Diet can make a significant difference as well and I highly recommend reading The Mood Cure by Julia Ross for more information. If such changes help you to feel well more consistently, you can explain to your doctor what you’re doing and ask for the dosage of your medication to be gradually reduced. Either way, I’m glad to hear that you’re feeling better and I wish you the best of luck making further progress.
I really appreciate your response and feedback to my comment. My psychietrist wanted me to go OFF my meds, or at least suggested it, before I ‘relapsed’…and I was too scared to go off…I thought, obviously, that all the ‘crap’ would come back, as well as withdrawal…plus, I read that the supposed reuptake of serotinin that happens with the meds will reverse to what it was before meds were taken, thus, resulting in me feeling just as bad as before I took them.
What they do in the brain is very interesting to me and is KEY in if they are worth it or not. If there is proof they change brain chemistry for the better (eg, I wasnt getting enough serotonin or whatever the case), then the meds are a good thing if someone is really suffering. It depends on what, if ANYTHING, brought on this dysfunctional brain chemistry; and that, imo, would decide if things other than meds can help. If the developers of the meds were just guessing, that’s something else.
My line of thinking, and a guess, is that whatever was wrong ‘up there’ wasn’t caused by anything I could see, and perhaps was some kind of defect, so it seemed meds were the only choice. It wasn’t in my family either, at least that I know of or that was diagnosed.
My neurologist has actually mentioned and urged exercise for me, which I do anyway. Stress is another thing though…especially worrying about the weird physical symptoms that I get. I am also a pretty sensitive person.
So-called drug therapy has done nothing to help my emotional problems. I have tried many psychiatric drugs and listened time and again to that old mantra that I just have not found the right cocktail to cure my symptoms. The fact is that all of those drugs produced symptoms that were worse than the mental issues. The physical problems, including massive weight gain or weight loss, were bad enough, but the blunting of my intellect and emotions was worst of all. Even on low doses of these drugs, I could not read a paragraph from a book and understand what I had read. Still not one psychiatrist or therapist has ever seriously attempted to address what is wrong in my mind and worked toward fixing that by probing into my life history or my present situation. All they did was listen to what I said was bothering me, summarize what I just told them, then throw more drugs at me in exchange for a huge fee. I have reached a point where I will not even bother to seek treatment for my mental issues because I know what they will do: More of the same. In my opinion, psychiatry should be banned and psychotherapy should be reformed so that it actually does something more than provide a patient with a useless sounding board. But that would be bad for the industry, would it not? After all, why cure people when they can keep the person paying these fees for a lifetime? Thank you for publishing this article. At least I know now that I am not alone in thinking about it this way.
Hi Melissa, thanks for sharing your experience!
I’m sorry to hear that you’ve had such a rough time and can certainly appreciate the frustration you’ve probably felt in regard to losing mental clarity. I hope your story will inspire others to pursue safer alternatives before resorting to psychiatric drugs, especially considering how difficult it can be to get off of them.