A Commentary on the Finnish Analysis of Outcomes of First Episode Schizophrenia
There are a number of well-recognised problems with this sort of study and we should be very cautious about accepting its conclusions at face value. The main problem is that it is anĀ āobservationalā study, not aĀ randomised controlled trial, and these analyses can be seriously misleading.Ā
20-year Outcomes for First-episode Psychosis: Impact of Neuroleptic Drug Discontinuation
The authors conclude that the risk of treatment failure or relapse after discontinuation of antipsychotics does not decrease during the first eight years of illness, and that long-term antipsychotic treatment is associated with increased survival. This is a sobering finding and the paper warrants careful review.
How Big Pharma Deceives You About Drug Safety
FromĀ The Conversation: A Saskatchewan judge recently rejected a proposed settlement between the Canadian provinces and Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, over the opioid...
Usage of Depression Pills Almost Halved Among Children in Denmark
After a number of years with a steadily increasing sales curve, the number of children and adolescents in treatment with depression pills decreased by 41% in Denmark. Despite this welcome development, pharmaceutical companies and psychiatry professors continue to deceive the population and deny the facts about these drugs.
Social Support Improves Antipsychotic Discontinuation, Study Finds
A new study explores how people manage to discontinue antipsychotic medication and examines how social supports may improve outcomes.
The Unique Way the Dutch Treat Mentally Ill Prisoners
In this piece forĀ BBC, Melissa Hogenboom reports on the way that people who have been convicted of crimes and diagnosed with mental illness are...
Experts ‘In Denial’ Over Withdrawal Harm From Prescription Pills
FromĀ The Herald: MSP (Member of the Scottish Parliament) Michelle Ballantyne has spoken out about the epidemic of withdrawal effects of prescription pills, critiquing physicians'...
Antidepressant Use Linked to Higher Dementia Risk
FromĀ The Telegraph: A major new study has found a strong association between long-term exposure to antidepressants and risk of dementia.
"Researchers warned there may be...
A Text Therapy App Plans to Start Prescribing Drugs to Users
FromĀ Business Insider: Talkspace, a text message-based therapy platform, is bringing on a team of psychiatrists to prescribe medications to patients. The app is also...
Primary Care Practitioners May Mistake Irritability as Bipolar Disorder in Youth
Family medicine and pediatric providers are less confident in their assessment of irritability in youth than psychiatric providers, which may lead to overdiagnosis of bipolar disorder.
Online Communities for Drug Withdrawal: What Can We Learn?
FromĀ Psychiatric Times:Ā Patients are increasingly turning to the internet as a source of information and support for antidepressant and benzodiazepine withdrawal due to the psychiatric...
Here’s How to Beat Anxiety Without Medication
FromĀ The Independent: The medication that is frequentlyĀ prescribed to treat anxiety often does not work in the long-term. According to a new study, a variety...
Effort to Tackle Overuse of Antipsychotics in Older Adults Backfires
A partnership designed to decrease antipsychotic use in elderly patients may have led to increased use of medications with even worse risk/benefit profiles.
Antidepressants and Withdrawal: Readers Tell Their Stories
More than 8,000 people responded to the recentĀ New York Times article on antidepressant withdrawal. Here, reporter Benedict Carey describes differences in the way various...
Mediated Realities
In this editorial forĀ Tidsskriftet, Ketil Slagstad discusses how the Norwegian media's uncritical coverage of theĀ Lancet antidepressant study points to deeper underlying issues within the...
The Interview
A semistructured diagnostic clinical interview has been developed to identify and differentiate three different types of SSRI and SNRI withdrawal syndromes: new symptoms, rebound,...
Antidepressants and the Problem of Withdrawal
In this episode of WBUR'sĀ On Point Radio, Benedict Carey, author of the recentĀ New York Times report on antidepressant withdrawal, discusses the topic of discontinuing...
I’m Withdrawing From Antidepressants After Nearly 20 Years
FromĀ The Lily: In light of the recentĀ New York Times article highlighting the effects antidepressant withdrawal, Ashley Abramson shares her personal story of deciding to...
Bright Light Therapy More Effective Than Medication Alone for Bipolar Depression
A new randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial has found bright light therapy to be a powerful intervention that could provide an alternative to medication for people with ābipolar depression.ā
The Corruption of Evidence Based MedicineāāāKilling for Profit
FromĀ Medium: According to many prominent physicians, so-called "evidence based medicine" is no longer useful. Much of the evidence base has been corrupted by the...
Xanax Nation
In this blog post, Andy White highlights the role Xanax plays in silencing political dissent and keeping the public complacent. Instead of expressing anger...
Opioid Bill Includes Involuntary Commitment
FromĀ EDS and Chronic Pain News & Info: Recent legislation has proposed measures that permit people to be involuntarily committed on the basis of perceived...
Many People Taking Antidepressants Discover They Cannot Quit
FromĀ The New York Times: Global prescription rates and long-term use of antidepressants are rising rapidly. One unanticipated consequence of this trend is that more...
Experts Warn of an Emerging ‘Stimulant Epidemic’
FromĀ Medscape: While policymakers and members of the general public are justifiably focused on addressing the opioid epidemic, there is another epidemic that may be...
Overprescribing for Medicaid Kids Due to Shortage of Alternatives
FromĀ Modern Healthcare: Physicians may be overprescribing psychotropic medications to children on Medicaid or CHIP, which may be partly due to inadequate access to alternatives...
