antipsychotics in people with dementia. It's a question I asked myself
in a previous blog post
<http://imaginendless.blogspot.com/2010/07/there-are-real-mental-illnesses.html>.
It's 1,800 deaths a year
<http://www.nhs.uk/news/2009/10October/Pages/Antipsychotic-use-in-dementia.aspx>
in the UK. That's a lot. I think that's higher than the number of murders.
I should probably ask how the hell antipsychotics became used to treat
dementia patients enmasse. How did the medical profession allow this to
happen? They're not murderers. I know lots of doctors. They're people
doing their job and a very hard job. It just seems there isn't enough
oversight. It's a bit like the bankers. They're human but the unintended
consequences of their mistakes means people die.
It is a strong piece of evidence that should be enough for anyone to
work out that people who have to take antipsychotic medication for life
will have a reduced life expectancy caused by the chemical cosh.
In 2010 though there is no alternative based on the current paradigm of
research published in established peer reviewed journals. I suppose I
should get on and leaf through Schizophrenia Bulletin to see if there's
anything in there but I'm so tired and I haven't eaten and I just want
to cry but I can't.
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