There's an extremely important type of discontinuation syndrome that needs to be exposed -- that the public, decision-makers, patients and their families desperately need to know about.  I'm referring to discontinuing "neuroleptics."  These are the Thorazine-type drugs, such as Mellaril, Prolixin, Haldol, Navane and now newer drugs such as Clozapine, Zyprexa, Risperdal, etc. Quitting after long-term use can result in severe emotional and physical problems, even a "tardive psychosis" -- discontinuation syndrome induced psychosis.  Some reasons this is especially important: 

	Neuroleptics are the psychiatric drugs most frequently given *forcibly* or coercively. Psychiatry has succeeded in convincing many people that the answer to severe emotional problems is primarily biochemical.
	There is an enormous push to increase the use of forced neuroleptics, even using court orders of people living at home, backed up by at-home drug deliveries. In fact, the drug industry has funded a campaign to make this the national model in the next few years.
	One of the arguments to justify more forced neuroleptics is that "when people quit their meds, they become aggressive." But even monkey studies show two months of aggression upon quitting neuroleptics!
	Psychiatry is currently promoting an experimental model of giving neuroleptics to teens BEFORE they have been diagnosed "schizophrenic," in order to supposedly "prevent schizophrenia." Time magazine/Pacific did an article on this. And we thought Joe Camel was bad?
	Mainstream medical studies now know that the effect of the neuroleptics is so great that long term use can result in brain changes visible via MRI and CT scans.
	Remember the tobacco industry -- Some day -- I hope soon -- the public and decision-makers will want to know, "why wasn't anyone told, when did we know about this?"

I've been a human rights activist in this field for 25 years. Everything I say above is documented in the mainstream medical literature, and in books and articles by critics. But I watch in horror and frustration as the mainstream media ignore a story that has such enormous implications for a very disempowered sector of society. I am sketching above one of the biggest stories I've seen in my quarter-century doing this work.... but it is only being covered in a few publications primarily seen by scientists or critics.

It helps to know that someone in the media even *knows* about this story, and its incredible implications. 

David Oaks, 
Director Support Coalition International 
454 Willamette, Suite 216 PO Box 11284 
Eugene, OR 97440-3484 USA 
e-mail: oaks@mindfreedom.org  
general info: office@MindFreedom.org  
web: http://www.MindFreedom.org  
phone: (541) 345-9106 toll free in USA: 1-877-MAD-PRIDE 
fax: (541) 345-3737 

Support Coalition International is a non-profit federation of 100 grassroots groups united to win human rights and humane alternatives for people labeled with mental disabilities. 

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