Danger in psychotropic drugs, danger in psychotherapy! Is there an alternative?

Abstract

Dr Pittu Laungani has asked me to comment on his article on the treatment of mental disorders published in this issue. He is highly critical of the uses of psychotropic drugs. He also writes on the questionable psychological intervention practices by psychotherapists. My paper elaborates on the dangers of giving neuroleptics to mental patients. While the psychiatric literature extols the efficacy of drugs, it ignores the serious consequences of side effects and possibly fatal developments. A serious reading of the literature shows that the approach of prescribing neuroleptics is most unscientific and primarily depends on trial and error. To-day fewer physicians select psychiatry as a career. What is distressing is that the clinical psychology establishment in Washington D.C. is pushing through legislation to obtain “prescription privileges” for psychologists. In spite of great efforts and expenditure, no state allows “prescription privileges for psychologists, except Guam, one of the Marianas islands! It seems that the motivation behind these efforts is purely economic. I would agree with Dr Laungani that psychotherapy has been misused. However, in the past two decades, many promising studies have been undertaken to evaluate psychotherapy scientifically. There is a weakening of the rigid adherence to specific schools and to a tendency to a more eclectic approach.