Medication Madness

This week, to further my knowledge of the accusations made against antidepressants and other psychiatric drugs, I read Medication Madness: A Psychiatrist Exposes the Dangers of Mood-Altering Medications, another product of Peter Breggin. While my critique of his last book may have seemed dismissive, I respect Breggin for his part in many complicated court cases dealing with what he calls "medication madness." I examined this idea in the second book of his. It seems that there are cases in which certain antidepressants and other psychiatric drugs can produce severe adverse reactions. We've all heard the television commercials warning that certain drugs may cause suicidal thoughts, but I doubt many have stopped to imagine the horrific reality that fact is derived from. In the rare occasions that suicidal thoughts are induced they are often severe and accompanied by other side effects like mania, akathisia, and psychosis. Information regarding these symptoms is provided with the prescriptions by the FDA, and the information is available online, however, Breggin laments that this knowledge is not openly acknowledged. I would agree that it is of the utmost importance that the drug companies are forthcoming with the risks of their drugs (the suicidal effects were not recognized until years of the drugs being on the market). Also, it is important that doctors make informed decisions in prescribing these drugs. It seems that the severe suicidal and manic symptoms occur at the beginning of the drug-taking period or after an increase in the dose of the drug. Because I am not as skeptical of the antidepressants' ability to be successful in many cases, I propose that these side effects are made more well known rather than the drugs being taken of the market. The main focus was on the SSRI class of antidepressants. While the disastrous results of these severe side effects are significant, they do not seem to have long-lasting physical damage in the cases where the drugs were prescribed as is clinically proper. For this reason,  I would suggest that the antidepressants serious side effects can be dealt with through a more comprehensive treatment plan. Those beginning to take SSRI antidepressants should be seen by their doctor within the first week of taking the drugs and also after any increases in dosage. Furthermore, I would recommend that the patient notify their loved ones about the warning signs of the severe side effects. Dr. Breggin often speaks about patients being "medication spellbound," in regard to the patient's complete obliviousness to the deterioration of their mental state. With a significant support group of loved ones and doctors, I think that the chances of noticing these more subtle yet serious side effects would be much higher. To emphasize the rarity of these side effects, I recall a study mentioned in Breggin's book that indicates only 8.5% of adults in a clinical trial experienced increased suicidal activity. In my second post this week, I intend to explain why my research has lead me to believe that medicine's antidepressants are on the right track scientifically despite prevalent skepticism and the unavoidable suicide risks. I would like to add that this risk is more profound in children, and the apparent lack of demonstrated efficacy of the drugs in children makes the prescription of SSRI antidepressants to children something I would not endorse.
 

Breggin, Peter Roger. Medication Madness: A Psychiatrist Exposes the Dangers of Mood-altering Medications. New York: St. Martin's, 2008. Print.