Analysis Of The Crazy State Of Psychiatry By Marcia Angell

The Demons in Drugs We go to hospitals for medicine, hoping to alleviate or get rid of the pain that we have. Medicine has been the answer to all of the world’s sicknesses for many years. Without medicine, the human race would cease to exist. In “The Crazy State of Psychiatry”, Marcia Angell sheds light into the slowly but surely rising epidemic known today as mental illnesses. Angell presents the claim that psychiatrists are prescribing antipsychotics at an unimaginable, almost abusive level to their patients. It is startling when she also states that mental illnesses are not even decreasing as the prescribing of antipsychotic medication is increasing. Angell ends her spiel with a heart clenching account of the death of a child as a result

Angell even states that the drugs being used today, weren’t even originally for mental illnesses (Angell, 2011). Therefore, the side effects associated with these medications can be alarming. Along with the medication, a paper is given to list almost over 50 side effects. Most of the time, patients toss that paper to the side. Many don’t know how those side effects could change their lives in the long run. It could be the difference between turning thirty from the age of twenty- nine. The use of medication increased when second generation antipsychotics were introduced (ADA, 2004). Second generation antipsychotics grew to popularity because of their smaller list of side effects. Although this may seem like something the antipsychotic industry and its patients can benefit by, it has had serious side effects as well. There were reports of diabetes, weight gain, and metabolic decomposition as a result of second generation antipsychotics (ADA, 2004). The fact that a medication can give diabetes to someone who doesn’t even have diabetes, is something that needs to be comprehended by psychiatrists prescribing this. Diabetes is a lifetime illness with no cure, and would drastically change a person’s day to day life. What needs to come to mind, is that all antipsychotic medication has its set of severe side effects, even if that list is short. All ages are subject to these side effects. If anything, the risks for children

Illnesses such as anxiety and depression are very common upon the spectrum of patients that are diagnosed. Patients who are prescribed medication for these illnesses are subject to the increasing rate of suicide associated with it. According to Manninen, the FDA or Food and Drug Administration sanctioned that there needs to be warning labels on the antidepressents and antianxiety medications because of the increased rates of suicide associated with it (Manninen, 2006). This is an alarming offense to keep that drug out there for millions of people to use. A label which can be ignored when taking this medication, can change the life of the recipient. Someone can go from feeling better, to wanting to end their own life because of the harsh medications that are being prescribed. When is enough, enough? Lives are at risk because of antipsychotic medications, and not many people want to do anything about