Citation

Breggin PR. Ethical Hum. Psychol. Psychiatry 2006; 8(3): 201-215.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Springer Publishing Company)

DOI

10.1891/ehppij-v8i3a003

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Why do so many individuals persist in taking psychoactive substances, including psychiatric drugs, after adverse mental and behavioral effects have become severe and even disabling? The author has previously proposed the brain-disabling principle of psychiatric treatment that all somatic psychiatric treatments impair the function of the brain and mind. Intoxication anosognosia (medication spellbinding) is an expression of this drug-induced mental disability. Intoxication anosognosia causes the victim to underestimate the degree of drug-induced mental impairment, to deny the harmful role that the drug plays in the person's altered state, and in many cases compel the individual to mistakenly believe that he or she is functioning better. In the extreme, the individual displays out-of-character compulsively destructive behaviors, including violence toward self and others. © 2006 Springer Publishing Company.

Language: en

Keywords

disability; human; violence; Toxicology; alcohol; insomnia; depression; aggression; suicide attempt; disease severity; Substance abuse; alcohol intoxication; emotional disorder; review; victim; antidepressant agent; neuroleptic agent; drug intoxication; clinical feature; fluoxetine; paroxetine; serotonin uptake inhibitor; sertraline; priority journal; anxiety disorder; psychotropic agent; alprazolam; hostility; mental stress; drug dependence; benzodiazepine derivative; akathisia; restlessness; irritability; mania; side effect; fluvoxamine maleate; brain function; compulsion; psychostimulant agent; deterioration; nervousness; mood stabilizer; Adverse drug effects; anosognosia; Drug-induced cognitive deficits; Psychiatric medications