# Should we crack down on psychiatric meds? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 8, 2017, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-crack-down-on-psychiatric-meds/798335 "2017-10-08T23:11:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2017, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-crack-down-on-psychiatric-meds/798335/21 "2017-10-11T16:38:38Z")
The correlation between vaccines and mass murderers is absolutely frightening. Even more scary, the correlation between vaccines and murder VICTIMS is something nobody ever talks about!! This is being hushed up by even those websites that talk about the ten most underreported stories each year (chemtrails, rich people are assholes, organic fair-trade honey cures cancer, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![somepumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@somepumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/somepumpkin)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2017, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-crack-down-on-psychiatric-meds/798335/22 "2017-10-11T16:52:50Z")
Please don’t. The _crack-down_ on opioids has been a mess. ---
**Author:** ![SigMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@SigMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SigMan)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2017, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-crack-down-on-psychiatric-meds/798335/23 "2017-10-11T17:21:03Z")
The people that abuse pain pills burns me because I take Vicodin (since 91) to control my chronic pains which is a combo of Arthritis and whiplash injuries. I take injections for the really bad areas (neck and lower back). So far I’m ok with the pills and procedures had changed to get them but the abusers are going to screw it up. Screw you dopeheads and kill yourself already. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2017, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-crack-down-on-psychiatric-meds/798335/24 "2017-10-11T22:17:38Z")
> [@SigMan](#): > > So far I’m ok with the pills and procedures had changed to get them but the abusers are going to screw it up. > > Screw you dopeheads and kill yourself already. I’m pretty confident you’re not referring to anyone on the board, but in general let’s stay away from the appearance of encouraging suicide. [/moderating] ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2017, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-crack-down-on-psychiatric-meds/798335/25 "2017-10-11T22:23:36Z")
> [@somepumpkin](#): > > Please don’t. The _crack-down_ on opioids has been a mess. The real mess was handing them out like candy, and creating a larger group of opioid addicts, then just cutting back without providing the help necessary to learn how to live clean and sober. This handing out of naloxone rescue kits without giving other support is as effective as putting emergency defibrillators on the trains to Auschwitz. [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2017, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-crack-down-on-psychiatric-meds/798335/26 "2017-10-11T23:10:23Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > The real mess was handing them out like candy, and creating a larger group of opioid addicts, then just cutting back without providing the help necessary to learn how to live clean and sober. > > This handing out of naloxone rescue kits without giving other support is as effective as putting emergency defibrillators on the trains to Auschwitz. > > [/hijack] I love you because you spelled defibrillator right. The cabinet where there is a portable one where I work is spelled “defibulator,” and no one (but me) cares. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2017, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-crack-down-on-psychiatric-meds/798335/27 "2017-10-11T23:56:45Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > I love you because you spelled defibrillator right. The cabinet where there is a portable one where I work is spelled “defibulator,” and no one (but me) cares. I feel your pain. Ours is labeled AED. Most people don’t know what the initials mean, but they know that’s the box with the automatic shocky-thing for heart attacks, because we had a class on using it before it was installed on the wall. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2017, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-crack-down-on-psychiatric-meds/798335/28 "2017-10-11T23:58:49Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > I love you because you spelled defibrillator right. The cabinet where there is a portable one where I work is spelled “defibulator,” and no one (but me) cares. Oh, I **care**. It’s uncommon for me to incorrectly spell most medical terms. I was more worried about spelling Auschwitz right. 😉 I had a patient today who kept referring to his cardiac ‘abrasion’ procedure. I did gently tell him it was an ‘ablation’ but he wasn’t having any of _that_. Don’t get me started on ‘fasciitis’. Too many of my patients have plantar fascists. ---
**Author:** ![Crazy\_Canuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazy_canuck/32/5282_2.png) [@Crazy\_Canuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazy_Canuck)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2017, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-crack-down-on-psychiatric-meds/798335/29 "2017-10-12T00:36:26Z")
Psychiatric medicine might be the only thing that’s keeping me from snapping and going on a mass killing spree. So in my experience, psychiatric drugs are reducing the crime rate. I am curious on why the OP feels that psychiatric drugs make people crazy and start shooting people, instead of being taken by people who were already crazy enough to shoot people to start with. It feels a bit putting the cart before the horse. ---
**Author:** ![SigMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@SigMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SigMan)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2017, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-crack-down-on-psychiatric-meds/798335/30 "2017-10-12T00:42:18Z")
> [@Bone](#): > > I’m pretty confident you’re not referring to anyone on the board, but in general let’s stay away from the appearance of encouraging suicide. > > [/moderating] My apologies sir and no, I didn’t refer to the board. I just had to jump through more hoops to get mine. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2017, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-crack-down-on-psychiatric-meds/798335/31 "2017-10-12T00:50:34Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Oh, I **care**. It’s uncommon for me to incorrectly spell most medical terms. I was more worried about spelling Auschwitz right. 😉 > > I had a patient today who kept referring to his cardiac ‘abrasion’ procedure. I did gently tell him it was an ‘ablation’ but he wasn’t having any of _that_. > > Don’t get me started on ‘fasciitis’. Too many of my patients have plantar fascists. Did they also get “Planters’ warts”? I, unfortunately, never misspell Auschwitz. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2017, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-crack-down-on-psychiatric-meds/798335/32 "2017-10-12T16:07:31Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Too many of my patients have plantar fascists. They’re the ones who demand foot massages, right? ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2017, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-crack-down-on-psychiatric-meds/798335/33 "2017-10-12T16:23:02Z")
Planter’s fascist. It all makes sense! I thought Mr. Peanut wears a monocle because he’s a gentleman. But now it’s clear he’s cosplaying as a Nazi. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2017, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-crack-down-on-psychiatric-meds/798335/34 "2017-10-12T18:47:35Z")
I’ve seen this argument before about shooters and psychiatric medicines. One mistake everyone who makes it seems to forget is that just because someone is prescribed psychiatric drugs doesn’t mean they are **actually** taking them. From my experience, a lot of people who are prescribed psych meds are notorious non- compliant about taking them correctly or taking them at all. So, until I see toxicological evidence that the shooters actually had the drugs in their system at levels they were actually taking the drugs as indicated, I just assume they were noncompliant. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2017, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-crack-down-on-psychiatric-meds/798335/35 "2017-10-12T19:09:43Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > They’re the ones who demand foot massages, right? You know it! I designate one of the burly correctional officers to grasp them by the foot and manipulate it. Then the demands stop. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2017, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-crack-down-on-psychiatric-meds/798335/36 "2017-10-12T19:27:31Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > The OP wants to make it hard for people who need meds for their mental health to actually get those meds. > > What a cruel, cruel suggestion. Yup - and if we ban psychiatric meds we might have a Vegas type shooting every week. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2017, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-crack-down-on-psychiatric-meds/798335/37 "2017-10-12T20:09:21Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > . . . Don’t get me started on ‘fasciitis’. Too many of my patients have plantar fascists. I don’t think I could bring myself to correct someone who was saying that. Call me weak. ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2017, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-crack-down-on-psychiatric-meds/798335/38 "2017-10-12T20:32:32Z")
> [@dorvann](#): > > I’ve seen this argument before about shooters and psychiatric medicines. > > One mistake everyone who makes it seems to forget is that just because someone is prescribed psychiatric drugs doesn’t mean they are **actually** taking them. > From my experience, a lot of people who are prescribed psych meds are notorious non- compliant about taking them correctly or taking them at all. Yeah, it’s actually _famously_ hard to get schizophrenics to take their meds regularly. ---
**Author:** ![Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uosdwis_R.Dewoh)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2017, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-crack-down-on-psychiatric-meds/798335/39 "2017-10-13T17:34:27Z")
> [@SigMan](#): > > The people that abuse pain pills burns me because I take Vicodin (since 91) to control my chronic pains which is a combo of Arthritis and whiplash injuries. I take injections for the really bad areas (neck and lower back). > > So far I’m ok with the pills and procedures had changed to get them but the abusers are going to screw it up. > > Screw you dopeheads and kill yourself already. Ever heard the saying “there but for the grace of God go I?” [Unintended consequences: Why painkiller addicts turn to heroin](http://edition.cnn.com/2014/08/29/health/gupta-unintended-consequences/index.html) > [@](#): > > Today’s typical heroin addict starts using at 23, is more likely to live in the affluent suburbs and was likely unwittingly led to heroin through painkillers prescribed by his or her doctor. > [@](#): > > It became apparent that drug abusers weren’t going to stop as a result of government crackdowns or new technologies. They were simply morphing into people who abused other drugs. > Oxycontin used to be called the hillbilly heroin. Society and technology helped fix that problem. But addicts started turning back to real heroin instead. > A spokeswoman with the National Institute on Drug Abuse told us recently that nearly half of young people who inject heroin say they abused prescription opioids before turning to the illegal drug. [The prescription opioid addiction and abuse epidemic: how it happened and what we can do about it](http://www.pharmaceutical-journal.com/opinion/comment/the-prescription-opioid-addiction-and-abuse-epidemic-how-it-happened-and-what-we-can-do-about-it/20068579.article) > [@](#): > > Coinciding with this shift in medical perspective was the introduction and extensive marketing of OxyContin (oxycodone) for the treatment of non-malignant pain. OxyContin sales representatives visited doctors across the United States, leaving them with gifts, free patient samples, and invitations to all-expenses-paid symposia — all actions that are known to impact prescribing[2]. The widespread adoption of opioids for pain relief was further facilitated by marketing strategies that downplayed OxyContin’s addictive potential and targeted primary care doctors[3], who continue to prescribe the majority of opioid pain relievers in many nations > [@](#): > > The United States has been at the forefront in terms of prescription opioid consumption. In 2009, the United States consumed 99% of the world’s hydrocodone, 60% of the world’s hydromorphone, and 81% of the world’s oxycodone[5]. Now I have no doubt that your need for painkillers isn’t genuine, but I’m also betting a lot of those, so called, ‘dopeheads’ had a genuine need for theirs as well. People who put their faith in their doctors, one of the most highly regarded professions in the world, that gave them the pills that led to their downfall are victims, not scum. I wouldn’t be so dismissive of abusers. You, or someone you love, might join them someday. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-crack-down-on-psychiatric-meds/798335.md?page=1)