One reason may be a common side effect called akathisia commonly found in people taking antipsychotic drugs and antidepressants.
Akathisia is a terrible feeling of anxiety, an inability to sit still, a feeling that one wants to crawl out of his or he…
One reason may be a common side effect called akathisia commonly found in people taking antipsychotic drugs and antidepressants.
Akathisia is a terrible feeling of anxiety, an inability to sit still, a feeling that one wants to crawl out of his or her skin.
Behind much of the extreme violence to self or others we see in those taking psychiatric drugs is akathisia.
As early as 1975, studies described patients experiencing “violent urges to assault anyone near” them while taking psychotropic drugs. A 1990 study determined that 50% of all fights in psychiatric ward could be tied to akathisia.
Patients described “violent urges to assault anyone near” them.
Though psychiatrists are keenly aware that extreme violence is a documented side effect both of taking psychiatric drugs and withdrawing from them, they will often blame it on the patient’s “sickness” or his failure to continue his or her medication.
But this is not the case.
Government drug regulatory agencies around the world have made the connection between psychiatric drugs and violence, warning that Selective Serotonin* Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants such as Prozac, Zoloft and Paxil/Seroxat cause agitation, irritability, hostility, impulsivity, akathisia and mania.
(* serotonin: Substance that is mostly found in the gastrointestinal tract, where it modulates the rhythmic movements kneading food through the stomach; in the cardiovascular (heart) system, serotonin helps regulate blood vessels to control the flow of blood. It also plays an important role in blood clotting and is used in the reproductive system. About 5% of the body’s supply of serotonin is in the brain.)
Warnings have also been issued about the antidepressant Strattera, prescribed to children for so-called attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), stating it could cause extreme irritability, aggression and mania.
In the last few years, drug regulatory agencies have cracked down on psychiatric drug labeling, such as a requirement to indicate in package inserts that stimulants such as Ritalin may cause “psychotic behavior, as well as aggression or violent behavior.”
The package for Effexor ER (extended release) must warn of the risk of “homicidal ideation” (thoughts).
Studies also show that, “From agitation and hostility to impulsivity
and mania, antidepressant-induced behaviors are identical to that of PCP (hallucinogenic drugs such as angel dust), methamphetamine and cocaine—drugs known to cause aggression and violence.
It is not just the taking of antidepressants that can cause extreme violence.
Withdrawal from antidepressants can cause extreme violence too.
Research shows that in just a few days, a person can unknowingly go into severe withdrawal and not even know why he or she is feeling so violent or suicidal.
A common symptom of withdrawal is the return of the symptoms the drug was supposed to treat.
Psychiatrists will commonly tell you that this is the “return of the mental illness.” It is not.
This is withdrawal, an indication of addiction or dependency.
When there was too much proof to ignore, one drug company funded a closed-door conference with experts who decided to rename it “discontinuation syndrome” to avoid the negative connotations of drug withdrawal effects.
Children are particularly vulnerable to psychotropic drugs because their bodies are still developing.
The drugs can create horrific physical and mental side effects including, but not limited to, hostility, spasms, grimacing movements, manic reactions and seizures.
In the US, between 1990 and 2005, there was a more than 380% increase in the pediatric use of stimulants in the US that the FDA warned in 2005 could cause psychosis, mania and aggression.
In September 2006, the findings of a study determined that Paxil raised the risk of severe violence in people taking it.
In summing up his findings, lead researcher Dr. David Healy noted, “What is very, very clear is that people do become hostile on the drugs [SSRI antidepressants].”
https://www.cchr.org/download-material/education.html
https://www.cchrint.org/psychiatric-drugs/drug_warnings_on_violence/
https://www.cchrint.org/2011/10/03/judge-agrees-prozac-turned-teen-into-murderer/
https://www.cchrint.org/2011/12/21/prozac-is-now-a-defense-for-murder-writes-australian-member-of-parliament-martin-whitely/
https://www.cchrint.org/2019/09/19/antidepressant-makers-20-million-secret-court-deal/
