The FDA has belatedly added serious new warnings to gabapentinoids like gabapentin (Neurontin) & pregabalin (Lyrica): Withdrawal may cause suicidal thoughts, agitation, confusion, insomnia, psychosis. These symptoms match akathisia and can lead to self-harm, violence, or suicide. Tragically, akathisia is often missed, mistreated or misdiagnosed as anxiety or mental illness. Read more at http://The FDA has belatedly added serious new warnings to gabapentinoids like gabapentin (Neurontin) & pregabalin (Lyrica): Withdrawal may cause suicidal thoughts, agitation, confusion, insomnia, psychosis. These symptoms match akathisia and can lead to self-harm, violence, or suicide. Tragically, akathisia is often missed, mistreated or misdiagnosed as anxiety or mental illness.

Prozac was marketed as a wonder drug fourty years ago–but millions of people who were harmed by the drug wonder why they were never warned of its serious and sometimes fatal effects. Today’s New York Times has an article about Prozac withdrawal, one of many adverse effects that prescribers and uninformed consumers still know little about. See https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/03/opinion/antidepressants-withdrawal-rfk.html.

Kim Witczak, a Global drug safety advocate and advisor to MISSD, intuitively knew Zoloft precipitated her husband’s out-of-character death. That the coroner who investigated Woody’s death asked about medications he took was helpful–and rare. Today, decades later, most coroners don’t ask questions about medications and formal reports don’t often include a list of all medications taken or recently discontinued. This needs to change so that medication-induced suicides are correctly recorded and data can be compiled to increase akathisia understanding and prevention.

Listen to the Kim’s podcast interview at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fSYT2OtNpo.

Most people prescribed benzodiazephines are unaware that they should only be used for a brief duration and that they can cause dependency and adverse effects even when taken as directed or discontinued. This global health problem has largely been ignored by medicine regulators in all countries.

However, one country, France, has recently launched a new campaign “to raise awareness, among the general public and healthcare professionals, of the dangers of overuse of benzodiazepines which are medicines typically prescribed for the treatment of anxiety and insomnia.”

French health authorities estimate that 40% of people treated with benzodiazepines have prescriptions that offer the drugs for too long. Read the full article at https://www.connexionfrance.com/practical/warning-over-overuse-of-anxiety-and-insomnia-medication-in-france/718550.

A licensed clinical social worker, Laura Vigiano, adeptly shares her akathisia experience when trying to discontinue Cymbalta. Her Mad in America article can help all better understand withdrawal akathisia. “After an eight-month taper off 60 mg of Cymbalta in 2019 I was SLAMMED with delayed akathisia so severe that I had a plan to end my life if reinstatement of the drug didn’t work. (Akathisia can be a side effect of medications or withdrawal symptoms. It is a cluster of very distressing physical symptoms and an overwhelming sense of terror much worse than anxiety.”

Read the full article at https://www.madinamerica.com/2025/04/akathisia-after-a-five-year-taper-chained-to-an-antidepressant-forever/.

Adding withdrawal info on SSRIs to clearly communicate that withdrawal problems can cause akathisia and suicide can save lives.

“Olivia was prescribed Citalopram in November 2020 for anxiety, but in June 2021, she began to stop taking the medication. She suffered extreme withdrawal symptoms which led to her taking her own life in September 2021.” Read the full article at https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/25070318.mp-backs-family-olivia-russell-anti-depressant-information-bid/.

Today the European Cardiology Congress announces another potentially deadly ADE associated with SSRIs—progressively increasing cardiac risks. This information “calls for greater awareness among both patients and healthcare providers.” Like akathisia, this ADE can cause avoidable iatrogenic deaths.

Read the full article at https://rollingout.com/2025/04/06/warning-antidepressant-users-under-49/.

This recent article about benzo risks highlights an alarming problem given that the rate of benzo prescribing is on the upswing and most consumers remain unaware that these medications can cause akathisia–even when taken as directed. Many, if not most, people prescribed benzos are unaware that they can cause akathisia and withdrawal problems. Read the full article and learn more at https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/the-untold-story-of-benzodiazepine-dependency-5800228?src_src=healthnoe&src_cmp=health-2025-04-02&est=7Hdfll1t%2FIbSbHCZqOxjVIx5ZC%2FottbyJYPF%2FfE%2FLK1TMJSAN1q8UKDIOJIuDw%3D%3D.

When mental health professionals and educators know the causes and symptoms of akathisia they can better ensure warning signs are identified and appropriate treatment is sought. Read our press release about our recent conference presentations to the National Learning Disabilities Association of America and Psychotherapy Networker Symposium here https://www.einpresswire.com/article/797279106/missd-expands-akathisia-awareness-and-suicide-prevention-at-national-conferences.

March was an exceptionally productive month for MISSD!

MISSD is pleased that our educational resources will reach professionals attending this week’s Learning Disabilities of America annual conference. Children prescribed meds with known risks of suicidality and adverse psychiatric effects deserve informed care prior to prescribing.

Fact: A 2020 study found that 6.5% of U.S. children (ages 3–17) take psychiatric meds, and many more are given meds that can cause suidicality. Awareness is critical to reduce harm and save lives.