Science of Psychiatric Drugs

Only One of Five Key Xanax Trials Deemed Positive by F.D.A.

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The published literature is misleading, as the negative Xanax trials either went unpublished or were spun to appear positive.

Do Antipsychotics Protect Against Early Death? A Review of the Evidence

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Psychiatry is now claiming that research has shown that antipsychotics reduce mortality among the seriously mentally ill. A critical review of the literature reveals that this claim is best described as the the field's latest "delusion" about the merits of these drugs.

Recovery Rate Six Times Higher For Those Who Stop Antipsychotics Within Two Years

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People with "serious mental illness" who stop taking antipsychotics are more likely to recover, even when accounting for baseline severity.
brain against blue dna strand with chemical structures

No Difference in Antidepressant Effectiveness After Genetic Testing

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Genetic testing may help reduce the length of time people experience the harmful effects of antidepressant drugs, but it is not helpful for predicting efficacy.

SSRI Use During Pregnancy Alters the Child’s Brain Development

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Reduced brain volumes due to SSRI exposure in pregnancy was not explained by maternal depression alone.
Battle of the brains and war of wit concept as two opposing open human brain symbols fighting as a debate or dispute metaphor and an icon for creative competition in a 3D illustration style.

Pharma CEO, Others Attempt Contradictory Critiques of Serotonin-Debunking Study

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Moncrieff et al. respond to the contradictory and, in some cases, false concerns raised by these critics of their serotonin review.

Psychiatry Defends Its Antipsychotics: A Case Study of Institutional Corruption

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Jeffrey LIeberman and colleagues have published a paper in the American Journal of Psychiatry stating that there is no evidence that psychiatric drugs cause long-term harm, and that the evidence shows that these drugs provide a great benefit to patients. A close examination of their review reveals that it is a classic example of institutional corruption, which was meant to protect guild interests.

Prolonged Negative Impacts of Benzodiazepine Use Revealed in New Study

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Researchers find that adverse effects often last over a year, with many users experiencing substantial life changes.

Stuart Shipko – SSRI Withdrawal: Shooting the Odds

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We interview Dr. Stuart Shipko, a psychiatrist and author who has a particular interest in the side effects and withdrawal effects of SSRI antidepressants and the need for informed consent when prescribing.

New Data Reveal the Full Extent of STAR*D Failure

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The initial study, which has been used to promote antidepressants, employed outcome switching to hide poor results.
VA Secretary Robert Wilkie

An Open Letter to VA Secretary Robert Wilkie: A Plan for Deprescribing Veteran Suicides

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Through my research and experiences, I've found that what the Veterans Administration has been doing to fight the veteran suicide epidemic isn't working and appears to be unintentionally exacerbating it. These problems are fixable. But I need your help.

Suicide Rates Rise While Antidepressant Use Climbs

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Multiple media sources are reporting on new data from the CDC revealing a substantial increase in the suicide rate in the United States between 1999...
Scowling teenage boy holding up pills sealed in blister packs in his hand as he leans on a wooden table with an intense stare

Risk of Depression Spikes When Kids Take Ritalin

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Risk of depression increased when children were taking methylphenidate for ADHD, but once they stopped taking the drug, depression risk dropped to normal levels.

Study Highlights Lack of Evidence for Antidepressants in Treatment of Chronic Pain

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A new Cochrane review details the lack of evidence for antidepressants in the treatment of chronic pain.

Antidepressants Do Not Prevent Suicides, May Increase Risk

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When the CDC released data revealing an increasing suicide rate in the US, some experts, speaking to major media outlets, speculated that the increase...

Medication-Free Treatment in Norway: A Private Hospital Takes Center Stage

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At the Hurdalsjøen Recovery Center in Norway, patients with a long history of psychiatric hospitalizations are tapering from their medications and, in a therapeutic environment that emphasizes a good diet, exercise, and asking patients "what do they want in life," are leaving their old lives as chronic patients behind.

Do Not Prescribe Antidepressants for Mild to Moderate Depression or at First Visit

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World Psychiatry article challenges conventional antidepressant prescription practices.

A Short History of Tardive Dyskinesia: 65 Years of Drug-Induced Brain Damage That Rolls...

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Psychiatry has long turned a blind eye to the full scope of harm associated with TD. New TD drugs "work" by further impairing brain function.

Contribution of Antipsychotics to Suicidality and Depression

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Peter Lehmann reviews the contribution of antipsychotics to suicide and depression in schizophrenia in the current International Journal of Psychotherapy.  Publications about the intrinsic effects of...

New Study Concludes that Antidepressants are “Largely Ineffective and Potentially Harmful”

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A new study published in Frontiers in Psychiatry concludes that “antidepressants are largely ineffective and potentially harmful.”

Antipsychotics Increase Risk of Dementia; New Research Illuminates Why

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In JAMA psychiatry, researchers outline new theories connecting antipsychotic use in people with schizophrenia and increased dementia risk.

Antidepressants Blunt Ability to Feel Empathy

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A new study suggests that taking antidepressants impairs empathy, while the experience of depression itself does not.

Psychiatric Drugs Do Not Improve Disease or Reduce Mortality

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Nassir Ghaemi: “Most psychiatric medications are purely symptomatic, with no known or proven effect on the underlying disease. They are like 50 variations of aspirin, used for fever or headache, rather than drugs that treat the causes of fever or headache.”
A boy is holding a head. He is unhappy and upset.

The Faulty Reasoning That Turned ADHD Into a Disease

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Leading ADHD researchers outline four mistakes that turned ADHD from a description of behavior into a medical disease.

Understanding the Neurobiology of Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction

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Post-SSRI sexual dysfunction (PSSD) may be a common adverse effect of antidepressants. Researchers are now attempting to understand the neurobiology behind it.