June 30, 2020 at 12:32 pm

Help for the Bereaved

MISSD, No Shame on U and JCFS Chicago have collaboratively produced a new publication to help navigate grief caused by losing a loved one to medication-induced death and suicide. Please see https://www.jcfs.org/our-services/jewish-community-programs/suicide-prevention-and-support

June 19, 2020 at 1:27 pm

Harvard Health Highlights SSRI Risks

Before taking depression pills for a temporary situation, consider the risks. “There’s no evidence that taking an antidepressant in the short term will help or that it will prevent longer-term consequences of stress, such as post-traumatic stress disorder,” cautions Dr. Jane Erb, psychiatric director of the Behavioral Health Integration in Primary Care Program at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

“Taking an antidepressant isn’t like taking an occasional pain reliever for a headache. You don’t just pop a pill, experience quick relief, and stop taking the drugs whenever you want. Instead, antidepressants have many potential challenges and risks.”

Get the full story at https://www.health.harvard.edu/depression/should-you-use-an-antidepressant-to-get-through-a-difficult-time

June 18, 2020 at 8:37 am

MISSD in the News

Prescriptions for drugs marketed as anti-anxiety, anti-insomnia and anti-depression treatments has increased since the COVID19 epidemic began. People who are experiencing normal stress in response to the COVID19 epidemic and decide to start taking these drugs should ask their doctors to discuss risks vs. possible benefits and be aware of signs of akathisia.

MISSD has long publicized that “caregivers and patients should pay close attention to any sudden changes in mood, behaviors, thoughts and feelings when an antidepressant medicine is started or when the dosage is changed.”

Read the full article at https://www.ktva.com/story/42130648/fda-adds-zoloft-to-drug-shortage-list-as-35-of-americans-reporting-anxiety-depression

June 12, 2020 at 8:00 am

Asthma Drug & FDA’s Black Box Suicide Warning

The FDA updated its warning label for Singulair, a drug marketed by Merck for asthma. The drug carries a black box warning (also called a boxed warning), which is the FDA’s strongest warning. The National Center for Health Research is helping to better inform the public that “the black box warning for Singulair describes psychiatric side effects such as aggression, depression, agitation, sleep disturbances, suicidal thoughts, and suicide.”

Read the full article at http://www.center4research.org/new-warnings-on-singulair-allergy-and-asthma-drug/?fbclid=IwAR3CKQAZVPS5l8HBnX8AsfZNVo5snDN6tDxofVBofaec_BVslzUc3a9Ifc4

June 10, 2020 at 7:56 am

FDA SSRI Warnings are Often Downplayed

A new study out of Australia finds suicide prevention organizations and key opinion leaders with ties to pharma ignored key findings & minimized the importance of FDA warnings about suicidality as an adverse effect of drugs marketed as antidepressants.

As more teens are prescribed SSRIs off label, the risk of iatrogenic harms precipitated by akathisia also likely increases. Get the full story at https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00478/full?fbclid=IwAR0tRGKGFAxUrjveP3OV_PIt9R6eMYMqWKvX3XOx19kzPPthHVFmBBsQErc

June 8, 2020 at 6:23 pm

Shared Decision Making & Informed Consent

A news study published in the BMJ and made freely available to the public, explores what patients want and want to know when receiving informed consent. Informed consent regarding risks vs. benefits can play a key role in reducing adverse drug effects and identifying drug-induced disorders, such as akathisia, before it’s too late.

Read the full article at https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/bmjopen/9/7/e028957.full.pdf

June 3, 2020 at 10:36 am

1 Hour Can Save a Life

Take our accredited, free Akathisia 101 course at MISSD.LearnUpon.com. In just 1 hour, you can learn more about akathisia to reduce avoidable suffering and help save lives.

Comments from course completers include:

“I feel much more competent in supporting my clients as a result of taking this course. I work primarily with veterans struggling to cope with PTSD.”

“Course material was interesting, explanatory, easy to understand.”