Peter R. Breggin

Having spent the better part of the last 12 years on a virtual A(tenolol)to Z(oloft) tour of drugs prescribed to treat my symptoms of low self-esteem, generalized and social anxiety, and depression, I began to suspect these pretty, candy-like pills--so quickly prescribed interchangeably by psychiatrists and GP's alike--were not only affecting me in the short-term, but also manifesting long-term (if not permanent!) changes in my body--most notably a reduction in sex drive and function and show more excessive sweating--all without an appreciable, lasting reduction in my original symptoms. Therefore, when I stumbled across this book on Amazon.com, I was intrigued; what I found in it's pages left me with mixed feelings of horror, relief, knowing, and suspicion. Not only did I recognize the myriad of side-effects and withdrawal symptoms from my own experience, but Drs. Breggin and Cohen portrayed with uncanny accuracy my attempts at enlisting the help of practitioners unwilling to comply with my wishes to de-medicate. Too many times I have entered my psychiatrist's office ready to reduce, if not eliminate, the amount of medications I take, only to emerge twenty minutes later with a prescription for an ADDITIONAL drug, often with the intent to treat the side-effects of the first! This book has given me additional tools and strategies with which to broach the subject at my next appointment. Am I afraid of the probable return of the original emotional difficulties that brought me there in the first place? Absolutely. Am I dreading the all-too-familiar onslaught of dizziness, nausea, restless legs, headaches, depression, and intense emotional suffering that accompanies withdrawal? No question. But I am tired of the endless stream of side-effects and general numbing I experience on each successive drug, which inevitably stops working within a few months only to be replaced by something "better". I'm tired of being afraid of my doctor's disapproval, my mental "illness", and of living.

All this having been said, it's only fair to point out some of the obvious flaws of this book. As mentioned in previous reviews, it is repetitive in places, oddly devoid of any sense of actual experience with emotional suffering, and conspicuously one-sided. To claim that "the degree to which we suffer indicates the degree to which we are alive" is laughably new-agey and useless in a real-world context. Try sharing that bit of fluff with the person so deep in a depression that they can't get out of bed, can't care for themselves or their kids--indeed, can't even cry--and see how it is received. Also, the section on reducing your medications is a bit difficult (even dangerous) to follow if your medication comes in capsule form. Their suggestion that a capsule be opened and its contents separated into smaller doses isn't very helpful--how do you administer the smaller dosages? Couldn't it be risky? All in all, the weakest section of the book is Chapter 13, entitled "Psychological Principles for Helping Yourself and Others Without Resort to Psychiatric Medications". It's rife with mindless psychobabble, offering far too many pat fortune-cookie suggestions without any substantive plan for action. Most disburbingly, Breggin & Cohen tread a dangerous line by zealously condemning ALL use of psychiatric medications (all the while assuring the reader that they don't blame the user). Surely every schizophrenic or bipolar person (and their loved ones) won't find solace in the simple realization "that emotional crises and suffering are opportunities for accelerated personal growth" (p210), nor by focusing "on finding a rational, loving, and confident center in yourself that can rise above your emotional crisis or suffering" (p205). Common sense would suggest that sometimes, for some people, a medication can be the sanest, if not the only answer.

At any rate, this book provides a welcome counterpoint to a nation blindly medicating their children into conformity, eagerly requesting prescriptions for psychotropic drugs they see advertised during "Survivor", and assigning a convenient DSM label (with the inevitable, corresponding "miracle" pill) for every emotional fluctuation. In itself, "Your Drug May Be Your Problem" is best regarded as a jumping-off place for further research rather than the end of the line. show less

World renown Harvard-trained psychiatrist, author, and researcher Dr. Peter R. Breggin, M.D. unleashes a tour de force in his book Toxic Psychiatry that blows an enormous hole into conventional mainstream medical thought.

Dr. Breggin completely eviscerates the mainstream ‘chemical imbalance’ garbage that has been spewed for decades, and he does so in a logical, caring, and unprecedented manner.

The book to me is highly reminiscent of Dr. Brogans recent landmark book A Mind Of Your Own – show more The Truth About Depression. Both authors – Breggin & Brogan – in each of their respective books seeks to do the same: destroy the fallacy of “chemical imbalance causes depression” with mountains of scientific evidence while also showcasing some common sense solutions the individual can seek. For that, each individual should be taken seriously and supported as much as possible.

Moving on, as Dr. Breggins book outlines rather methodically, there is no biological basis for the chemical imbalance theory of depression carried out by the mainstream psychiatric establishment. This is buttressed by endless data supplied by the author.

In addition, Dr. Breggin sifts through examples of drugs like Lithium, Haldol, Halcion, Prozac & Xanax breaking down study after study after study regarding these drugs and their side effects in a way that mainstream media will never do. After all, Big Pharma pays mainstream media’s bills; who else do you think pays for the tsunami of advertisement we see on TV?

Of course, many folks are on a hair trigger when it comes to solving maladies with pills, and there’s a big reason for this. Big Pharma/Big Medica has played a megalithic role in how people view drugs, and how people have access to information regarding them.

While in other countries it is downright illegal for Big Pharma to advertise, in America, such is par for the course. America is one of only two countries in the world that allow this unfortunately.

How does that last fact couple with Dr. Breggin’s book?

As other doctors and investigators have mentioned, it’s no coincidence that there’s been an enormous upswing in how many people take antipsychotic medications over the last few decades. With over 30 Million Americans taking antipsychotic medications, Big Pharma & the media have been highly instrumental in getting those very individuals asking their doctors for medications.

After all, the Big Pharma advertising engine has created an unprecedented upswing in drug use where Americans now end up taking 1.4 Billion prescriptions yearly.

Disturbingly, as the Dr. Breggin attests, “People assume that FDA approval and the widespread distribution of a drug – with many patients taking it for months or years – means that long-term studies have found it safe in regard to side effects, drug interactions, dependency, addition, and withdrawal. Thus FDA approval grossly misleads the public, lulling it into an unfounded security.

The PDR admits that Prozac’s effectiveness has not been tested in controlled trials of “more than 5 or 6 weeks” and that “long-term” usefulness has therefore not been demonstrated.”[1]

Statements such as those should make sensible individuals pause.

Of course, many of those prescriptions are still doled out by psychiatrists/psychologists in the tens of millions.

However, this book does not end up pushing a no-medication type of solution. The author instead strives for a multi-solution approach, where he cites some examples of how other types of alternative care could help individuals if they so chose.

Ultimately, a great component of what the author recommends is fostering an atmosphere of utmost caring, which should have already taken place by now had the system not been so corrupt.

Listening, and doing so patiently would go a much longer way than prescribing most folks more prescription drugs. Such a simple choice would solve so many inherent issues.

The system that Dr. Breggin expounds upon should be adopted, or at minimum elaborated upon.

After all, if the current Big Psych industry was doing its job, people would be getting cured, drug use would decline and not increase, and overall health would also get better. However, we know the opposite is taking place.

Ironically, as some have stated, doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the very definition of insanity. To that effect, that’s exactly what the Psychiatric & Medical Establishment have been doing, and health in America has only gotten worse.

Its time for a change. This book helps lay part of that much-needed foundation.
_________________________________________________________________
Reference:

[1] Peter R. Breggin, M.D., Toxic Psychiatry, P168-169
_________________________________________________________________

P.S. For those curious about more avenues regarding health, besides Dr. Breggin, other great doctors that might be of interest to many of you would be as mentioned before Dr. Brogan, Dr. Mercola, Dr. Duzanne Humphries, Dr. Sircus, Dr. Natasha Campbell-Mcbride, Dr. Russell Blaylock, Tetyana Obukhanych Ph.D and the work of Sarah Ballantyne PhD. These people all put out very high quality information regularly and are concerned with various aspects of health. But don’t take my word for it, do your own research so you can be better informed. show less

A shocking account of the damage done by psychiatric medication and shock treatment. As this dates to the early 1990s, you would hope things have improved, but as the author is still appearing as an expert witness at court cases claiming compensation for permanent disability caused by treatment, it seems not.

I used to respect Breggin's work. He wrote evenhandedly about the disadvantages of psychiatric medication compared to psychotherapy and a better society. In this case, he has produced a diatribe. He gives the impression that these drugs can easily kill you and/or everyone around you. I suspect that he's also doing a little promotion of his career as an expert witness in trials involving crimes committed under the influence of these drugs, and lawsuits against drug companies. (This is fine, show more but his information should be balanced with common sense.) show less