Psychiatric drugs: Shocking consequences

Psychotropics (mind-altering psychiatric drugs) were handed out like candy, sometimes with several types at once, and for purposes for which the usefulness has never been proven. Indeed, even for reasons the Food and Drugs Administration (the US food and drug regulator) has never authorized. Not long after this large-scale drugging of troops began, the number of military suicides had risen 31.25% (160 in 2004 and 210 in 2006). In 2012, the number of suicides reached 350. Psychologist Dr. Toby Watson reported, “These antidepression medications, especially the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), are known to trigger suicidal thoughts and aggression.” The Dutch daily NRC also reported on this and suggested that the pills should be prescribed less frequently.

How haphazardly psychiatric drugs were distributed to military veterans was revealed when researchers at Yale University School of Medicine gained access to Veterans Health Administration figures. Not only were 1.85 million veterans prescribed these drugs in 2010, but 30% (more than 600,000!) did not even have a psychiatric diagnosis.

The aforementioned suicide rates turned out to be only a harbinger of what was to come. While the number in 2012 was “only” 350, according to a report by the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), in 2017, as many as 6,399 veterans committed suicide; in 2018, the number of suicides rose to 6,435, or 17 per day. How many of these are attributable to psychiatric medication?

An open letter to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from 2020 is interesting in that context. The author, himself a war veteran, presented figures showing that the suicide rate among veterans receiving psychiatric care through the VA was as much as 32% higher than among veterans who did not turn to the VA for help. Veterans who do use the VA are disproportionately prescribed antidepressants. This is not because they are sicker, but because they directly enter the psychiatric circuit. Apparently, psychiatric drugs increase their risk of suicide.

As early as 2006, researchers noted that both clinical trial and pharmacovigilance (the monitoring of the adverse effects of drugs) data indicate possible links between antidepressants and violent behavior. This also appears to be the case among veterans, as the consequences of psychiatric medication were not only limited to suicide; the families of users of these drugs also suffered the consequences. The American Free Press cited figures from the U.S. military: during 2006 and 2011 there was a 64% increase in sex-related crimes, a 33% increase in domestic violence, and a 43% increase in child abuse. The newspaper concluded with the cost: over the past 10 years, 4.5 billion dollars was spent by the U.S. government on psychiatric drugs for soldiers and veterans. On top of that, between 2007 and 2014, the Veterans Administration doubled its budget for these funds from 3 billion to nearly 7 billion dollars.

The Military Times reported that the White House plans to increase the budget to $8.5 billion by 2023.

You may decide for yourself whether that money was well spent.

In Deadly Lies: How Doctors and Patients Are Deceived, and particularly in The Hidden Horrors of Psychiatry, you can read about conflicts of interest, the lack of scientific foundation of Western medicine, as well as how psychiatry and the pharmaceutical industry have joined forces. That alliance has caused an explosion in the use of psychiatric drugs. These drugs should be provided only in extreme cases and on a short-term basis, as they often have serious side effects. Especially during withdrawal, sensations that are difficult to control arise.

You will be amazed at how things work within psychiatry. Psychiatric “diagnoses” have no hard scientific basis and the basis on which medication is prescribed is equally flawed. These books not only describe the problems but also provide solutions.

Veterans who have been in war zones and suffered trauma are often labeled with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). They often struggle with sleep problems, uncontrolled emotions (anxiety, anger, and sometimes apathy), and contact disorders. Unfortunately, there is no medication that really helps, according to research and practice. Medication does not address the cause anyway and often has very unpleasant side effects, not to mention the aforementioned risk increase of suicide.

So, as a veteran, what can you do? Possibly the all-natural tips listed here may bring relief.