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Bob Whitaker responds to NYT article
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Will Hall
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Sep 19, 2006 13:09 PDT
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-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: NYT, violence, psychosis studies
Date: Tue, 19 Sep 2006 09:31:41 -0400
From: Bob Whitaker
To: Will Hall <wi-@freedom-center.org>
References: <450FEBDA-@freedom-center.org>
Will,
When I looked at this while doing research for Mad in America, the
evidence seemed to show this: Prior to the drug era (i.e. 1955),
patients released from mental hospitals committed violent crimes at
either the same rate or less than a corresponding population (age).
Since then, they have committed violence at a higher rate than the
general population rate.
This is a subtlety that is nearly impossible to discuss in the media.
But the reason for the increased violence seems to be this:
a) It is intimately associated with akathisia. (In the Fenton case, it
would be interesting to know if he was experiencing akathisia. Patients
who experience this talk about it as a kind of torture, so when Fenton
was talking about his needing to take an injection, it might have been
experienced in that vein. Also, was the person who killed Fenton on or
off drugs at the time?)
b) The cycling on and off the drugs, which is so common, does seem to
lead to deeper psychotic symptoms than a person would otherwise have.
That's the way to the worst outcomes imaginable (even worse than just
staying on the drugs.)
c) The drugs do diminish and damage frontal lobe activity over time, and
that's the part of our brain that helps monitor our own actions.
There seems to be increased recognition that the SSRIs can increase
violence/suicide. It amazes me that the media won't explore this subject
with neuroleptics, which are much more powerful, mind-altering drugs,
and the akathisia they can cause, by all accounts, can be absolutely
devastating.
Bob
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