$238.6 million for 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline has been allocated specifically to “curb psychiatric overprescribing” and “drive deprescribing when clinically indicated.”

Yet 988’s official guidance lists counselors asking about safety, feelings, and social situation—but medication questions are NOT routine.

This gap needs fixing. If millions are being invested to address psychiatric medication overuse through 988, counselors MUST routinely screen for medications during every call. This is critical for:

✓ Assessing side effects that may contribute to crisis
✓ Identifying inappropriate prescriptions needing deprescribing
✓ Connecting callers to informed care about their treatment

MISSD offers courses two free akathisia courses open to anyone, anytime, anywhere. Equip yourself with the knowledge to understand a medication-induced disorder that can precipitate self-harm, violence, and suicide. Healthcare providers, consumers, and caregivers need accurate info to make informed decisions.

Explore our courses: MISSD.LearnUpon.com/catalog.

Yet another BMJ rapid response highlights the continued failure to recognize medication adverse effects—including akathisia—as a preventable contributor to suicide risk.

MISSD Foundation’s BMJ submission is cited as an important resource for identifying these effects, yet this knowledge remains largely absent from frontline training and guidance.

While patient information leaflets warn of suicidal thoughts and behaviors, these risks are still too often overlooked in practice.

Recent developments—including the Prevention of Future Deaths report following Thomas Kingston’s death and the MHRA’s ongoing review—reinforce the urgency. Read the full Rapid Response at: https://www.bmj.com/content/393/bmj-2026-959881/rr.

Dr. Peter Gordon, a former NHS psychiatrist, shares his severe SSRI withdrawal, akathisia, and suicidality after trying to discontinue paroxetine. Paroxetine, an SSRI, is sold in the U.S. under the brand name of Paxil.

He has been unable to fully stop the drug for nearly 30 years. This contradicts decades of official claims that withdrawal was “mild, transient, and self-limiting.”

When Dr. Gordon publicly questioned antidepressant withdrawal, he reports that his profession gaslighted and marginalized him. In today’s Mad In America article, Dr. Gordon describes the distress and isolation that caused. “The profession was utilising its unique power – the power to diagnose and deem someone mentally unstable – to undermine his credibility as a critic.”

MISSD has long highlighted that withdrawal is frequently misattributed as “relapse,” and that institutions need to collaboratively investigate and report on withdrawal problems and akathisia.

Decades of denial can never be erased, but providing clinicians and patients with accurate information can help reduce prescribed harm and save lives.

Read the full article here: https://www.madintheuk.com/2026/06/former-nhs-psychiatrist-speaks-about-his-own-lived-experience/.

It was a good week with the release of our new video and a Rapid Response published in the BMJ. Together, we’re closing the patient safety gap by providing accurate info, accredited courses and promoting comprehensive risk assessment that includes akathisia.

Read more at https://conta.cc/4uZprnz.

Questions about medication should be a routine part of any comprehensive suicide assessment and prevention training. That’s why when we recently read a British Medical Journal (BMJ) editorial that overlooked this huge patient-safety gap, we spoke up.

Akathisia is a suicide risk factor everyone should know. Medical training and clinician guidance must include routine questions about stopping, starting, or changing drug dosage or type.

Doing so may make the difference between life or death.

Read our latest Rapid Response in today’s BMJ here: https://www.bmj.com/content/393/bmj-2025-086834/rr.

A newly published BMJ clinical update encourages clinicians to ask direct questions about suicide, identify risk factors, and provide timely intervention for individuals experiencing suicidal ideation.

While MISSD supports these evidence-based recommendations, healthcare professionals must also consider medication-induced causes of suicidal thoughts and actions, including akathisia and other psychiatric adverse drug effects.

Comprehensive suicide prevention requires awareness of all potential contributors. When suicidal thoughts emerge, recent medication changes, dose adjustments, and withdrawal effects should be part of the clinical conversation.

Read the BMJ update at https://www.bmj.com/content/393/bmj-2026-959881.

Commercials for drugs associated with akathisia routinely fail to mention the word.

Patient information leaflets may list symptoms, like restlessness and agitation, but, still fail to clearly communicate that these symptoms may be signs of akathisia.

Our latest public health video spotlights this glaring gap in risk communication. Read our press release about “Let’s Call It What It Is: Akathisia” at https://www.einpresswire.com/article/918176838/missd-releases-new-public-health-video-on-medication-induced-suicide-risk.

Together, let’s make akathisia a household word.

When Brandon Lawes was prescribed a benzodiazepine by an emergency room physician, he was left uninformed about the risks. What followed was a downward spiral into akathisia and related iatrogenic harm. Tune in and learn more on our Akathisia Stories podcast at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygYTRdW_dmEhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygYTRdW_dmE

🚨 “This Is a National Emergency” – Featuring Brandon Lawes

What happens when a prescribed medication causes a life-threatening reaction, but no one recognizes it?

In this powerful episode of Akathisia Stories, independent natural health researcher and YouTube creator Brandon Lawes shares his harrowing experience with medication-induced akathisia and neurological injury following a prescription for Ativan (lorazepam).

Brandon describes:
🔹 Severe akathisia and extreme inner restlessness
🔹 Repeated misdiagnosis as “bipolar” and “schizophrenic”
🔹 Years of being told his symptoms were “all in his head”
🔹 The devastating consequences of unrecognized drug-induced harm
🔹 How CYP450 metabolism issues and drug-drug interactions contributed to his suffering
🔹 The role of patient advocacy and forensic pharmacology in uncovering the truth

As Brandon explains, akathisia is not a rare curiosity—it is a public health issue that can lead to suicide, self-harm, violence, and profound suffering when left unrecognized.

🎧 Join host Ivan Kaiser as he and Brandon discuss akathisia, benzodiazepines, pharmacogenomics, complex chronic illness, and why independent, non-pharma-funded education is essential to protecting patients.

📢 If you or a loved one has experienced akathisia or medication-induced harm, please consider sharing your story. Reach out at share@MISSD.co.

The Medication-Induced Suicide Prevention and Education Foundation (MISSD) welcomes recent discussion in Independent Australia examining antidepressant use and the limitations of the “chemical imbalance” narrative.

With approximately 14% of Australians taking antidepressants, concerns about overprescribing, long-term use, and withdrawal effects continue to grow. Current evidence does not strongly the serotonin deficiency theory often used to explain these medications.

MISSD’s focus remains on patient safety:

• Raising awareness of akathisia, a serious medication-induced disorder associated with self-harm, violence, and suicide.
• Promoting accurate information so that clinicians, patients and caregivers better understand potential risks prior to starting a new medication.
• Encouraging careful monitoring during medication changes.
• Supporting safe, medically-supervised deprescribing when appropriate.

We recognize that medications can help some individuals, but they are not a one-size-fits-all solution. Greater access to non-drug supports and transparent conversations in healthcare are essential.

Read the full article here: https://independentaustralia.net/life/life-display/the-serotonin-myth-and-the-medicating-of-australia,21102.