Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in AmericaUpdated with bonus material, including a new foreword and afterword with new research, this New York Times bestseller is essential reading for a time when mental health is constantly in the news. In this astonishing and startling book, award-winning science and history writer Robert Whitaker investigates a medical mystery: Why has the number of disabled mentally ill in the United States tripled over the past two decades? Interwoven with Whitaker’s groundbreaking analysis of the merits of psychiatric medications are the personal stories of children and adults swept up in this epidemic. As Anatomy of an Epidemic reveals, other societies have begun to alter their use of psychiatric medications and are now reporting much improved outcomes . . . so why can’t such change happen here in the United States? Why have the results from these long-term studies—all of which point to the same startling conclusion—been kept from the public? Our nation has been hit by an epidemic of disabling mental illness, and yet, as Anatomy of an Epidemic reveals, the medical blueprints for curbing that epidemic have already been drawn up. Praise for Anatomy of an Epidemic “The timing of Robert Whitaker’s Anatomy of an Epidemic, a comprehensive and highly readable history of psychiatry in the United States, couldn’t be better.”—Salon “Anatomy of an Epidemic offers some answers, charting controversial ground with mystery-novel pacing.”—TIME “Lucid, pointed and important, Anatomy of an Epidemic should be required reading for anyone considering extended use of psychiatric medicine. Whitaker is at the height of his powers.” —Greg Critser, author of Generation Rx |
Contents
A Modern Plague | 3 |
Anecdotal Thoughts | 12 |
The Science of Psychiatric Drugs | 37 |
The Roots of an Epidemic | 39 |
Psychiatrys Magic Bullets | 47 |
The Hunt for Chemical Imbalances | 67 |
Outcomes | 87 |
A Paradox Revealed 89 | 89 |
An Episodic Illness Turns Chronic | 148 |
The Bipolar Boom | 172 |
The Rise of an Ideology | 263 |
The Story That Was and Wasnt Told | 283 |
Blueprints for Reform | 331 |
Epilogue | 361 |
Acknowledgments | 395 |
The Benzo Trap | 126 |
Other editions - View all
Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the ... Robert Whitaker Limited preview - 2010 |
Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the ... Robert Whitaker No preview available - 2011 |
Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the ... Robert Whitaker No preview available - 2010 |
Common terms and phrases
ADHD adolescents adults alprazolam American Journal anti antidepressant anxiety atypical antipsychotics began behavior benzodiazepine biological bipolar disorder bipolar illness bipolar patients brain Breggin cause chemical imbalance child chlorpromazine chronic cocktail cognitive depressed patients diagnosed disabled mentally ill disease doctors dopamine efficacy Eli Lilly epidemic episodes fluoxetine follow-up function Healy hospital hyperactive impairment interview investigators Journal of Psychiatry kids lithium long-term outcomes major depression mania manic manic-depressive Medicine mental disorders Mental Health mental illness methylphenidate mood mother neuroleptics neurons NIMH percent pharmaceutical companies physicians pill placebo prescribed problems Prozac psychi psychiatric drugs psychiatric medications psychopharmacology psychosis psychotic psychotropic rates receptors regularly relapse reported researchers Risperdal Ritalin Sabshin says schizophrenia schizophrenia patients scientific serotonin side effects social SSDI SSRIs stimulants story suffered symptoms tardive dyskinesia tell therapy Thorazine tients tion told treated treatment trials University withdrawal worsen wrote York Zyprexa