Award winning playwright, Lisa Loomer, premiers a new production in the Washington, DC area about adverse drug effects, including akathisia. Loomer and her son previously shared their akathisia experiences on MISSD’s podcast and mentions MISSD as a resource.

Click on the links below for Loomer’s bio, ticket information, and learn more about her efforts to spotlight a medical system that too often makes us sicker.

Award winning playwright, Lisa Loomer, premiers a new production about adverse drug effects, including akathisia. Loomer and her son previously shared their akathisia experiences on MISSD’s podcast and mention MISSD as a resource.

For ticket information and to learn more about Loomer and her efforts to spotlight a medical system that too often makes us sicker, see https://catf.org/2025-play-side-effects-may-include-by-lisa-loomer/.

The FDA warns that benzos—like Xanax, Ativan, and Klonopin—can cause serious problems, problems that many consumers have been warning about for decades. Even a few weeks of benzo use can lead to dependence, and stopping too fast can trigger anxiety, seizures, and akathisia. Doctors are advised to limit prescriptions to 1–2 weeks.

Read the full article at https://www.center4research.org/fda-black-box-warnings-benzodiazepines-miscarriages/.

By Ajay Singh – June 6, 2025 Psychiatric drug side effects like akathisia are too often dismissed—until it’s too late.

Is it akathisia?” asks the digital billboard, its bold white letters etched against a scrubs-blue sky—the color of calm and care—like a diagnosis writ large on the highway of denial. “Akathisia: an adverse medication effect often misdiagnosed as anxiety. It can cause suicide.”

Strategically placed in the high-traffic corridor of Sandusky, Ohio—just miles from Cedar Point Amusement Park and a bustling sports complex—the message reached tens of thousands of holiday travelers over Memorial Day weekend.

But for those who know the horror behind the word, the message doesn’t just inform—it warns.

Akathisia—derived from the Greek term for “inability to sit”—is not a household term. Yet, according to a 2023 study, it’s a well-documented side effect of commonly prescribed drugs, from antidepressants to anti-nausea pills. The syndrome, often misidentified as anxiety or depression, can provoke unbearable inner restlessness, violent agitation and, tragically, suicide. As the pharmaceutical industry expands and prescriptions multiply, patient advocates warn: This silent side effect is claiming lives in plain sight, with doctors too often unaware and patients left misjudged—or worse, dead.

The Ohio public health campaign is the brainchild of the Chicago-based nonprofit MISSD—short for Medication-Induced Suicide Prevention and Education Foundation in Memory of Stewart Dolin. The organization has made it its mission to publicize the often-overlooked risks of akathisia, particularly as they pertain to psychiatric drugs and even commonly used medications.

“May is Mental Health Awareness Month,” said Wendy Dolin, the foundation’s founder. “Yet few—if any—suicide prevention and mental health nonprofits ever mention that medications can cause psychiatric symptoms and suicide.”

Dolin’s advocacy began after the 2010 death of her husband, Stewart, a successful Chicago attorney who had no prior history of disturbance. On an ordinary afternoon, shortly after lunching with a client, Stewart inexplicably left his office, walked to a train station he’d never used and jumped in front of an oncoming train.

“I kept saying, ‘What could happen in that hour?’” Wendy recalled in a 2021 interview. Her husband’s sudden death seemed inexplicable—until she began digging into the known side effects of Paxil, the antidepressant he had recently begun taking.

A nurse who saw Stewart shortly before his death told Wendy he was “pacing like a caged polar bear”—a textbook sign, she later learned, of akathisia.

It’s like a switch gets flipped, an authority on akathisia explained to her, referencing a phenomenon sometimes seen in Parkinson’s patients: fluid motion one moment, frozen the next. Akathisia, Wendy realized, could likewise trigger such drastic shifts—“the flip”—from calm to chaos. From coping to catastrophe.

Indeed, the 2023 study describes akathisia as a syndrome of relentless physical and internal agitation. “The individual may cross, uncross, swing or shift from one foot to the other,” the authors state, appearing to outsiders as “a persistent fidget.” But the internal experience is more than discomfort—it’s torment.

Some estimates suggest that up to 5 percent of people taking certain drugs may develop akathisia. A MISSD-produced video doesn’t mince words: “Death,” it declares, “can be a welcome result.”

And sometimes, the cause is not misuse. “Akathisia can occur even when medications are taken exactly as prescribed—or when they are stopped,” warns the foundation.

Still, unsurprisingly, drug manufacturers tread carefully around the word, trying to recast “akathisia” as something relatively benign. “The pharmaceutical industry has pretty much tried to water down the term,” said Wendy. “They’ll say it’s restless leg syndrome or emotional lability.” But “being moody doesn’t lead to ending your life.”

MISSD’s latest billboard campaign, which is expected to reach millions this year, owes its launch to an Ohio resident named Shelly, whose personal brush with the disorder nearly cost her her life.

Following the death of her mother from cancer, Shelly sought help from her family doctor, who prescribed Ativan, a Schedule IV controlled substance.

“Having an academic degree in the healthcare field and a previous career in the profession, I made sure to ask him about possible side effects,” Shelly said. “He casually described the medication as ‘like drinking two beers.’ That was it.”

What followed was five years of hell. Although she took the drug in small, physician-approved doses—four to five pills per month—Shelly’s symptoms steadily escalated. Severe insomnia. Heart palpitations. A surreal sensation of being “on a boat.” Unbearable sensitivity to light and sound.

Then came the night terrors—what she describes as “a constant state of terror,” complete with electric flashes in the brain and violent chest vibrations. “I asked my husband to put his legs over mine to reduce my shaking,” she recalled. “I thought he could see all my movements, but later realized that some of what I felt—the restlessness—was also internal.”

The condition grew so debilitating that she could no longer walk unaided, climb stairs or even read or listen to music. “The worst of it all is the trauma of being gaslighted by the very professionals I trusted and turned to for help,” Shelly said. 

Her story is no outlier. As the list of drugs linked to akathisia grows—including drugs for depression, asthma, hypertension, nausea, even weight loss—experts and survivors alike are sounding the alarm.

“The lack of education about this condition is scary—especially given how many medications can cause it,” Shelly’s husband said. “This entire experience turned my wife’s life upside down and could have been prevented if doctors were properly trained and truly listened to their patients.”

The billboard stands where locals and tourists alike pass, most of them probably untroubled, on their way to roller coasters and baseball games. But for those who know the torment of akathisia, it stands as an indictment—not of what the psychiatric establishment forgets, but of what it refuses to admit: that in its so-called effort to “treat,” it readily destroys.

In a world saturated with prescriptions but starved for informed consent, MISSD’s urgent question hangs in the air, chillingly relevant to many:

“Is it akathisia?”

Veterans, military members, and their friends and families are in Washington this week meeting with politicians and marching on the Capitol to highlight the epidemic of overprescribing psychiatric medications in lieu of cognitive behavior therapy. MISSD has been spotlighting this crisis for many years and are pleased to see this issue is gaining the attention of politicians willing to listen to those with lived experience.

Please see and share our Voices of Veterans’ public health video and programs featuring K9’s for Vets and MISSD founder Wendy Dolin on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAKA3QonZPo&t=155s.

This Memorial Day, MISSD remembers all who served. Veterans and active duty military deserve safe, effective mental health care with talk therapy as a first-line treatment option. Veterans in our latest public health video share their adverse experiences with medication-induced suicidality so that others might be safer and better informed. See Voices of Veterans: The Hidden Dangers of Medication at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4etol17hmPo.

A new akathisia awareness billboard in Northeast Ohio will reach thousands this Memorial Day weekend–and millions more in the coming year. Sponsored by Shelly and her husband, the digital public health ad is located in a high-traffic area near Cedar Point amusement park and a major sports venue.

“The lack of education about this condition is scary—especially given how many medications can cause it. This entire experience turned my wife’s life upside down and could have been prevented if doctors were properly trained and truly listened to their patients.” –Shelly’s husband remarking on his wife’s adverse experiences after multiple doctors missed and mistreated.

See today’s press release to learn more at https://www.einpresswire.com/article/812653451/missd-spotlights-suicide-prevention-akathisia-and-medication-risks. Read Shelly’s story at https://missd.co/a-collaborative-campaign-for-awareness-2/.

Update-May, 2025: MISSD’s Ohio akathisia awareness campaign kicked off in December 2024. The first billboards ran near Cleveland medical centers in Northeast Ohio. A new digital billboard was recently added in a high-traffic area near popular tourist and sports venues and will reach millions throughout the year. Shelly and her husband proudly collaborate on this campaign to ensure others are safer and better informed than she was. Her powerful story reveals how akathisia is often misdiagnosed and mistreated and highlights the pressing need for akathisia education.

They Said It Was Anxiety–But It Was Akathisia , By Shelly from Ohio

The Beginning

My mother was one of my best friends. We swam together at our local rec center and enjoyed special moments just goofing around and having fun. With a caring, outgoing personality, my mom made strangers feel at ease and could make anyone laugh. During our last Thanksgiving, as we prepared dinner together for our family, I recall feeling like I was on top of the world. I was newly engaged to a wonderful man I met late in life; it was an exciting time filled with dance lessons, golfing, and getting to know his family and friends. It was a great Thanksgiving, and I looked forward to many happy years ahead.

Later that holiday weekend, my mom said she had received some abnormal test results. She shared devastating news: She had lung cancer, small cell carcinoma, an aggressive cancer. In just six weeks, she deteriorated, and on January 5th, she was gone. My entire family was in shock. 

Even though I was crushed and heartbroken, what I was going through was normal grieving. It wasn’t anxiety or depression, nor did I have a history of such. In addition to the shock of how quickly my mom died, I was also worried about my newly widowed father, who seemed a little lost. 

This situational stress and grief led me to see my family doctor, who prescribed Ativan (lorazepam). Having an academic degree in the healthcare field and a previous career in the profession, I made sure to ask him about possible side effects. I recall he casually described the medication as “like drinking two beers.” That was it—the only information he shared.

Ativan is a benzodiazepine; “benzos” are psychotropic medications often prescribed for anxiety. Other benzos include but are not limited to, Valium, Xanax, and Klonopin. I share this educational info because most people are unaware the anxiety medications they are taking are benzos. Further, benzos are often prescribed off-label for unapproved conditions.

• Missed opportunity: Receiving proper informed consent from my family doctor, who prescribed Ativan, would have prompted me to seek other non-medication options.

Symptom Escalation and Misdiagnoses

I took Ativan as prescribed and took it sparingly as needed, which was four or five pills a month, about one pill per week. I thought I was being cautious and doing the right thing. Within the first couple of weeks, I experienced frequent insomnia and occasional heart palpitations. Thinking it was from the stress of my mom’s death, I just tried to deal with it.

For the next few years, I took Ativan in the same manner, and my insomnia and heart palpitations became more severe and frequent. I also developed a sensitivity to noise and light and an indescribable restlessness. These symptoms never felt like anxiety. I can best describe the restlessness as feeling like I would fall out of my chair. Other symptoms soon emerged. They included dizziness, sometimes vertigo, ringing in my ears (tinnitus), and this frequent, unbalanced feeling of “being on a boat.”

Eating at restaurants and driving on the highway became difficult and eventually impossible. Sitting at busy intersections made me feel restless and trapped. Simple things were out of the question, such as having friends and family over to visit. Losing my ability to participate in routine daily activities was particularly distressing, considering that before my mom’s death, I was an outgoing woman who enjoyed social events and passionately supported my husband’s growing business.

Alarmed by symptoms I had never before experienced, I needed to know what was happening to me. I scheduled an appointment with a new General Practitioner because my family doctor was retiring. His nurse practitioner received a detailed history of my symptoms and medication. I said these symptoms and sensations felt markedly different from anxiety. However, she disagreed with me, insisted it was anxiety, and suggested I increase the frequency of the Ativan.

When things did not improve, almost two months later, I saw an Audiologist and an Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist. I hoped that these two specialists would help me. However, after a series of tests, I was again told my symptoms were due to anxiety and that the mild dizziness was from an “unknown cause.” Neither specialist suspected that Ativan was causing problems.

• Misdiagnosis: Had the nurse practitioner and medical specialists accurately recognized akathisia, it would have helped me explore a patient-led, safe-tapering option.

Fateful ER Visits 

As my condition worsened, my husband and I thought for sure that I had a brain tumor. Our concerns led us to the local ER, affiliated with a well-known, reputable medical facility we trusted. 

After sharing my medication and symptom history, they treated me with Reglan (metoclopramide) and Benadryl (diphenhydramine), a combination called a “migraine cocktail.” Not to be confused with a drink, the migraine cocktail was a polypharmacy mix administered intravenously. I thought I would finally get relief from the last few years of suffering.

Before administering the IV, the doctor and physician’s assistant said, “This cocktail may cause slight, temporary irritability.” That was it. There was no mention of any serious adverse risks or the FDA black box warning.

Within minutes of the IV push, my heart raced, and I instantly felt sheer terror and agitation on an inhumane level. It felt like my brain was burning. I shook, got up, and began uncontrollably pacing. My husband saw it all unfold and later reflected, “My wife as I knew her changed in an instant–from someone normally at ease to having a look of terror and pain on her face.” 

When the doctor became aware of how dreadful I was feeling, he brushed it off as no big deal. I was discharged in far worse condition than when I arrived, and we left the ER clueless. I felt deathly ill. Knowing something was terribly wrong, we Googled “Reglan” on our way home and easily found info about its severe adverse effects and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) black box warning. The warning mentioned tardive dyskinesia but failed to mention akathisia. 

• Informed consent: I would have NEVER permitted the ER to administer Reglan had I been properly warned of the possible severe adverse effects.

I went to bed that night in such a horrible way; it was a nightmarish, constant state of terror. I felt ‘lightning’ in my brain. My body was strongly vibrating, mostly in my chest and legs, and I asked my husband to put his legs over mine to reduce my shaking. I thought he could see all my movements but later realized that some of what I felt, the restlessness, was also internal.

I didn’t sleep at all. My unexplainable intense sense of doom and agitation was peppered with intrusive thoughts that can only be described as a sci-fi movie. They were nonsensical and frightening. 

The next morning, I paced uncontrollably in my living room. With no relief, I returned to the same ER. They provided Xanax and a diagnosis of “medication reaction.” Xanax can cause akathisia, yet nobody ever mentioned the word akathisia.

• Mistreatment: Prescribing akathisia-inducing medications to a person who is suffering from akathisia can cause further harm.

Uncovering the Truth

As my life-altering symptoms continued, my husband and I adapted to improve my safety. We made several physical changes to our home, such as installing handrails in the shower and moving necessary items to the first floor since I couldn’t use the stairs. We also changed our daily routines and eliminated social activities that would be impossible for me to endure.

Increasingly isolated and desperate to find someone who would listen to me and consider my symptoms, I again turned to the Internet. After Googling “urge to move, uncontrolled movements and pacing,” I saw it right there on my cell phone screen: Akathisia. It was a term I had never heard, yet the more I read, the more apparent the cause of my symptoms became.

This newfound knowledge helped me realize that I had early signs of akathisia when I started Ativan. That I was frequently misdiagnosed and mistreated caused me further harm. This type of harm is iatrogenic, which means caused by medical error or medical intervention.

When I ordered my medical records, I discovered something shocking in my chart from my second ER visit. In a part of the chart that patients don’t see unless they request their records, the doctor wrote: “Akathisia not responding to Benadryl.” 

Why was this critical info never shared with us? Why was akathisia kept in the dark? Withholding this information was wrong. It denied me the opportunity to understand what was really happening, seek appropriate care, and make choices to help me heal sooner. 

Although it was a relief to learn my symptoms had a name, there was still no relief from my symptoms. Feeling like I might not make it to Christmas, we sought help from a counselor nearby. We brought akathisia information from established medical journals and explained how Ativan and Reglan harmed me. Yet again, I was told my symptoms were just anxiety, and he said my excruciating urge to move was “part of my personality.” Even after my husband’s insistence that this was not who I was before taking these medications, the counselor disbelieved us. He dismissed the akathisia info–and even made a joke about my symptoms. That was the last time I sought help from medical professionals.

Medical Gaslighting and Five Lost Years

I was always a person who was available to help friends and family, but my symptoms were so debilitating that some of my friendships ended, and others were put on hold. Explaining my situation became exhausting. A few friends didn’t take it seriously, and others likely didn’t believe me. The intense suffering and uncomfortableness that acute akathisia can cause are on a scale few can understand. 

During the worst of it, I set timers at one-hour increments to engage in distractions such as doodling and coloring. I focused all my energy on healing and relied on my husband to do almost everything, which was a humbling position to find myself in. I was:

• So physically weak that I needed a cane and sometimes a walker.
• Unable to climb stairs. 
• Too dizzy and unbalanced to shower while standing.
• Unable to drive. 
• Too over-stimulated to read, watch TV, or listen to music.
• Unable to sit still.

The list goes on, but looking back on it today, I think the worst of it all is the trauma of being gaslighted by the very professionals I trusted and turned to for help. I lost five years of my life to akathisia misdiagnosis and mistreatment. These errors were made possible by inadequate akathisia knowledge and not being believed. I knew myself well, and my husband knew me well, too. All of us are experts on ourselves. That is, caregivers and patients should be listened to and trusted when they provide detailed information that explains one’s “baseline” – how the person was before taking medication.

Unfortunately, my adverse experiences are not rare. Still, I feel a bit lucky, considering that one of the most serious symptoms of akathisia can include medication-induced suicidality.

In the early days of my “acute phase,” I remember developing this awful, strong urge to open the car door and jump out of our moving vehicle. These thoughts made no sense given that prior to akathisia, I loved my life and was incredibly happy. Never had I ever had such thoughts. It is important to note that these thoughts and urges always felt chemical in nature and foreign to me. I’m so grateful this symptom disappeared as I healed. 

Understandably, it is difficult to revisit and share medication-induced suicidal thoughts. It’s also challenging to comprehend that a medication-induced disorder can cause such severe symptoms. Yet, drug companies and regulators have been aware of this risk for decades. Akathisia-induced suicidality is noted in internal pharmaceutical documents, published in medical journals, and became apparent during clinical drug trials with healthy volunteers. Some clinical trials for various medications also miscoded akathisia as anxiety, similar to what I experienced.

Erroneous Beliefs 

In college, my courses briefly covered extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS). They touched on some extreme and obvious physical signs, like those caused by tardive dyskinesia. But we didn’t learn about akathisia, a word never once mentioned. We were taught that it was only first-generation antipsychotics that caused EPS. This misconception continues today. The reality is EPS is associated with hundreds of medications prescribed for various ailments such as acne, infection, and high blood pressure. I learned this lesson years too late—and learned it the hard way—when I developed akathisia. (For an extensive list of medications that can cause suicide, see RxISK.org at https://rxisk.org/drugs-that-can-cause-depression-agitation-suicidality/ and https://rxisk.org/500-drugs-that-cause-depression-and-suicide-aka-akathisia/.)

The adverse psychiatric symptoms of akathisia aren’t caused by situational challenges and are not DSM-labeled disorders. Yet my experience and that of thousands of others show that many healthcare professionals often believe otherwise. Akathisia-induced suicidality is not due to anxiety or depression, and akathisia-induced suicides aren’t traditional “deaths of despair.” 

Another misconception is that once an akathisia-inducing drug is out of one’s system, symptoms automatically subside. This is not always the case. Withdrawal akathisia is one of the four types of akathisia, and symptoms start when the medication is discontinued. I liken akathisia to being injured by a rock. The injury is not over after the rock hits you. Time is needed to heal after impact, and this timeline for healing varies from person to person. 

It’s essential to slowly taper off benzos, SSRIs, and similar psychoactive medications, as stopping abruptly can be dangerous and lead to withdrawal akathisia. This is noted in medical research and also by people with lived experiences who are members of various online support groups. After suffering adverse effects from Ativan followed by Reglan from the ER’s “migraine cocktail,” I was unable to taper via a patient-led safe tapering. More specific information about withdrawal can be found on the Inner Compass Initiative at https://www.theinnercompass.org/page/about-withdrawal-project.

Lastly, many healthcare providers and consumers believe that benzo injury is an addiction of sorts and that those suffering experience cravings. This falsity misleads both healthcare providers and patients to erroneously believe that because there are no cravings, the medication is not causing their symptoms. 

Gratitude and a Supportive Path Towards Healing

We were now painfully aware that seeking help from medical professionals who were grossly undereducated about akathisia could cause me more harm than good. Eventually, I found people who not only listened to me but clearly understood my medication-induced harm. Their knowledge and this kind, gentle support system, along with my husband, helped remind and reassure me that my symptoms were temporary. Having this hope was crucial to my survival.

Some of these online support communities have been around for over 20 years and collectively have more than 100,000 members. These numbers reflect that akathisia and psychotropic medication-induced harm is not rare. In hindsight, I realize that akathisia has also affected friends and family. When one friend of mine presented to the ER with involuntary movement, EPS, and akathisia, she, too, was wrongly told it was just anxiety.

I am slowly healing and well on my way towards recovering my true self. I have made significant progress. While I’m not a doctor and everyone’s path will differ*, what’s really helped is time, being medication-free for five years, and excellent self-care. Also key to my recovery was the unwavering support from my husband and Angela Peacock, a trauma-informed coach who assists people recovering from medication harm. 

I am endlessly grateful to my husband, who never stopped advocating for me, and to family, friends, neighbors, and work colleagues who “stepped up to the plate” to help. I am joyfully reclaiming my life! 

Just last week, I went Christmas shopping for the first time in years. We even enjoyed a meal at a restaurant, and I didn’t have to rest for days afterward. Family and friends are invited to visit, and I don’t worry about how I might feel once they arrive. I used to sit on a bedroom chair, exhausted and in pain, just looking out the window. I couldn’t see a future for myself. But now I find myself daydreaming about future plans, and I take steps to put them into action. Although I was a prisoner of pain for five years, things are looking up. I attend outdoor concerts, drive, go to the park, laugh with friends, and even use the stairs. I’m thankful to regain my freedom and autonomy.

A Call for Education and Awareness

There is an urgent need for systemic change in how akathisia is understood and addressed. That akathisia-inducing medications are so widely and casually prescribed is also a significant factor causing immense and avoidable harm. Healthcare professionals must be educated about akathisia and its symptoms. Proper informed consent, thorough medication histories spanning several years, and attentive listening are critical. Patients and caregivers should also be empowered to advocate for themselves and trust their instincts when something feels wrong.

As I look back on my ER visits, I can’t help but consider things that may have helped me avoid misdiagnosis and mistreatment. One possibility is for medical facilities to have an informative akathisia poster on their wall, similar to a pain-rating scale with emoji-like faces used to assess a person’s pain level. An akathisia rating scale wouldn’t start with a happy face as these pain-rating tools depict. However, an akathisia poster can help ER staff accurately identify symptoms and highlight that akathisia can cause medical emergencies.

Other calls for action include:

• Mandatory medical education and ongoing training about akathisia and related adverse drug effects to include medications associated with akathisia, risks, and symptoms. (For a free, 1-hour accredited course, see http://MISSD.LearnUpon.com).
• Informing healthcare consumers and caregivers about the risks of akathisia and symptoms to watch out for and report. This info should include that akathisia can start after a final medication dose and that, in some cases, symptoms can last for months–even years.
• Providing proper Informed Consent. There can be no medical freedom of choice if patients are unaware of real risks.
• Offering a variety of treatments: treatment options to help people effectively deal with situational life challenges should include talk therapy, exercise, improving diet, improved sleep, self-care, getting a hobby, nature therapy, lifestyle changes, career changes, life coaching, etc.
• Taking akathisia out of the darkness. Patients exhibiting symptoms of akathisia should be told straightforwardly. This knowledge can help sufferers and their caregivers seek therapeutic care and prevent further injury. 

Let’s get comfortable saying the word “akathisia” and not keep it a secret.

Advocacy and Hope

After our adverse experiences, my husband and I are forever changed in various ways. While neither of us ever intended to become akathisia experts, the fact is, we are. We’re experts through years of lived experience coupled with extensive research that was necessary for our healing. It’s an unfortunate reality to find we have to educate medical professionals. One example is when my husband went to the ER for a kidney stone. He was speaking with the ER nurse about my Reglan injury, and she said, “I hate giving that drug because of that reaction. Not all ERs use it, but some still do.” We were glad she knew about ‘that reaction’ but disappointed she was unaware it’s related to akathisia.

We seldom miss an opportunity to educate people about akathisia. From our participation in support groups to discussions with healthcare professionals, family, and friends, we share our knowledge with the hope that doing so can prevent others from enduring what I did. That our advocacy and awareness efforts have grown from first-person conversations to public health billboards in our community, is a proud achievement. Increasing public awareness is currently an unfortunate necessity. Yet, we hope doing so helps akathisia become a household word.

*Disclaimer

This article, “They Said It Was Anxiety, But It Was Akathisia,” by Shelly from Ohio, is for informational purposes only and not intended to be medical advice. It neither diagnoses nor treats any illness. Please consult a trained medical professional if you have any concerns about your health or well-being. Readers of this article take full responsibility for their decisions and actions and hold the author, Shelly from Ohio, not responsible for such decisions or actions.

REFERENCES

A deadly aversion to critical “A” words? (2024, December 19). The BMJ. https://www.bmj.com/content/366/bmj.l5102/rr-3

Akathisia during psychiatric drug withdrawal. (n.d.). The Withdrawal Project. https://www.theinnercompass.org/symptom/akathisia

Benzodiazepine Information Coalition. (2023, August 8). Akathisia – Benzodiazepine Information Coalition. https://www.benzoinfo.com/akathisia/#:~:text=Tardive%20(delayed)%20akathisia%20can%20occur,for%20a%20period%20of%20years

Chauhan, G., Nayar, P., & Kashyap, C. (2012). Metoclopramide-induced akathisia. Journal of Anesthesiology Clinical Pharmacology, 28(4), 548. https://doi.org/10.4103/0970-9185.101967

Controlled Trials & Adverse Events: Lessons from the history of antidepressants & suicide. (2004). Radical Statistics, Issue 107(Issue 107). https://davidhealy.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/2011-Healy-RCTs-and-Adverse-Events.pdf

Gibbons, R. D., Hur, K., Lavigne, J. E., & Mann, J. J. (2024). Risk of suicide attempts and intentional self-harm on alprazolam. Psychiatry Research, 335, 115857. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2024.115857

Hansen, L., & Kingdom, D. (2006). Akathisia as a risk factor for suicide. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 188(2), 192. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.188.2.192

Holistic Mental Health Coaching by Angie Peacock. (n.d.). Angie Peacock. https://www.angiepeacock.com/

Joseph, A. B., & Wroblewski, B. A. (1993). Paradoxical akathisia caused by clonazepam, clorazepate and lorazepam in patients with traumatic encephalopathy and seizure disorders: a subtype of benzodiazepine-induced disinhibition? DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), 6(4), 221–223. https://doi.org/10.3233/ben-1993-6408

Lallanilla, M. (2023, June 30). Popular “Benzo” drugs linked to suicide, brain damage — even if you stop taking them: study. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2023/06/30/popular-benzo-drugs-linked-to-suicide-brain-damage-study/

Qui, L. M., & Lim, B. L. (2011). Case of acute akathisia from intravenous metoclopramide. Singapore Med Journal, 52(1)(e12). http://www.smj.org.sg/sites/default/files/5201/5201cr5.pdf

The Royal Australian College of general Practitioners. (n.d.). Beyond anxiety and agitation: A clinical approach to akathisia. Australian Family Physician. https://www.racgp.org.au/afp/2017/may/beyond-anxiety-and-agitation-a-clinical-approach-t

Research and consumer experiences show depression pills may fuel alcohol use—not fix it. Consumers should be informed of such possibility and drug regulators should add proper diagnostic codes to help reduce risks and harms. Learn more and help get SNOMED/MedDRA codes recognized at https://rxisk.org/ostriches-doctors-ssris-and-tylenol/.

Most people who are prescribed benzos are never informed the drugs aren’t meant for long term use — and can cause severe withdrawal problems. Read more in today’s New York Times at https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/14/well/mind/benzo-withdrawal-symptoms.html.

Today’s New York Times has an opinon piece about depression pills. Regardless of whether or not people perceive they benefit from SSRIs–or any drug–everyone can agree that all should receive informed consent about real risks vs possible benefits BEFORE prescribing.

Read the full article at https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/17/opinion/rfk-health-antidepressants.html.