Estimates by peers and clinicians find that three-quarters of medical students and young residents are taking psychiatric drugs, mostly antidepressants or stimulants.

Do you want your doctor bathing his or her brain in neurotoxins while going to school or treating you?

It is disheartening to realize that the great majority of medical students and medical residents, and their treating physicians, actually believe that most people, including themselves, need psychiatric drugs to succeed in their lives.

I am not the only one to think that the implications are potentially devastating.

A serious question is, “Are medical students and young doctors using stimulating antidepressants and amphetamines for performance enhancement?”

Many professions, from athletes to truck drivers and police officers are required be tested to make sure they are not taking amphetamines. But we’re exempting medical students, young physicians, and healthcare providers in general. And if the amphetamine is for ADHD, they will be praised for complying with treatment.

When I was a psychiatric consultant to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on the adverse effects of psychiatric drugs, I helped the FAA to support its policy that pilots are not allowed to use amphetamines or antidepressants. For a while, it seemed like the FAA might loosen its restrictions on psychiatric drug use, but its latest information states that medical certificates to fly cannot be issued to anyone taking psychiatric drugs, including antidepressants or amphetamines. But any doctor from a psychiatrist to an ER doc or cardiac surgeon can imbibe these drugs to his heart’s content.

It boggles the mind that 75% medical students and young doctors are taking amphetamines and antidepressants. It is not only a threat to the adequate delivery of health care; it also means that these doctors will be urging others to comply with taking these same drugs. It is a testimonial to the power of industry to convince even intelligent people that they will better off by becoming consumers of neurotoxins that harm the brain. It is a testimonial to the willingness of the authorities in medicine and psychiatry to dance to the tune of the money fiddler.

If you want evidence for how bad these psychiatric rugs are for people, take a look at my website, www.breggin.com or my latest book, Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal which explains why and how to come off psychiatric drugs as safely as possible.

Always remember, it is as dangerous to stop drugs too abruptly as it is to start them. Withdrawal reactions can be emotionally and physically agonizing and even lethal, and withdrawal should be done with a support system and experienced clinical supervision.

Peter R. Breggin, MD