“This course is so important for mental health workers and educators. It should be required learning.”

— MISSD course completer

Our accredited online akathisia course is available to all. Take it at http://MISSD.LearnUpon.com.

Today is World Suicide Prevention Day, and MISSD is proud to have produced the first–and only–public health video that includes akathisia as a suicide risk factor. Many medications–even when taken as directed or discontinued–can cause self-harm, violence, and suicide. Be informed.

Our third public health video shares the first-hand experiences of family members who unknowingly witnessed a loved one suffering from akathisia. Knowing the causes and symptoms of akathisia can reduce suffering and save lives. Please see and share.

Mental health nonprofits and suicide prevention programs that refuse to educate the public about medication-induced self-harm, violence, and suicide are likely supported by pharma. MISSD isn’t.

Our 2nd public health video, released four years ago, helps people understand what akathisia symptoms can look like. See and share at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ER4JGnRssSk.

National Suicide Prevention Week starts on Sunday, but MISSD’s free educational resources are available anywhere, anytime, every day of the year. Akathisia awareness saves lives. Please see and share our public health videos. This one was our first of many. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x86aCDtvbT0

We’re glad to see this Washington Post article increase awareness of benzo withdrawal. Few doctors know that symptoms can be long-lasting, including withdrawal akathisia and delirium.

“But many physicians fail to follow the guidelines. One reason is that doctors typically don’t learn much, if anything, about the drugs in medical school, Lembke says.”

Read the full article at https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/09/02/xanax-klonopin-benzo-withdrawal-addiction/.

This insightful article highlights how akathisia and Functional Neurological Disorder can be caused by a seemingly benign medication prescribed for heartburn. The sufferer states, “It is hard to really describe how bad akathisia is. In the patient information leaflets it is often described as restlessness paired with insomnia. I would describe it as my nervous system being tortured, all my sensory nerves being stripped with knives, a complete inability to rest or lie down and extreme insomnia.”

Read the full article at https://www.madinamerica.com/2023/08/harmed-psychiatric-drugs-prescribed-acid-reflux/.

It’s always good to see an akathisia article focused on educating healthcare professionals. Unfortunately, a fee is required to access this full article. We hope clinicians will read it and learn more about this critical and often misdiagnosed medication-induced disorder. See the article summary at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1742-1241.1996.tb09548.x.

A new study led by Tyra Lagerberg at Sweden’s Karolinska Institute and published in Neuropsychopharmacology states: “For those younger than 25, with no history of suicidal behavior, taking an antidepressant makes you up to three times more likely to attempt suicide, with that likelihood decreasing as you age. For those 25 or older, taking an antidepressant doesn’t help reduce suicide. Similarly, for those at high risk for suicide, taking an antidepressant doesn’t reduce the risk.”

Read the full article at https://www.madinamerica.com/2023/08/antidepressants-increase-suicide-attempts-in-youth-no-preventative-effect/.