Before 1995, bi-polar disorders were diagnosed in 0.1% of the population and were typically treated long-term by the trace mineral lithium.  When the FDA granted Abbott Laboratories license to sell the drug Depakote to treat people mania, a new disorder popped up which needed treatment.  Mood stabilization became the new marketing mantra used by drug companies ever since to sell drugs such as olanzapine, risperidone (Risperdal), quetiapine (Seoquel) and others.

Of course, .01% of the population is too small of a market so they had to increase the diagnosis of bi-polar disorders to include people who normally would not be considered in need of treatment.  The new DSM IV diagnoses for the disease upped the market to 5% of the population. The conferences and papers to back this increase were heavily funded by the pharmaceutical industry but in reality, there are no randomized controlled trials that show that these drugs actually do better than placebo or no treatment at all.  How can this be allowed?  Is someone asleep at the regulatory wheel?  Or is it all about the Benjamins ($100 dollar bills and lots of them)?  Sorry Mr. Franklin, I think it’s about you.

The issue is also bigger than just the money being made; it is the issue of increased death rates among those using long-term antipsychotic medications.  When I was a kid, I remember going from what now would be considered a manic phase to a down phase many times during the day.  This is normal for developing children and has been for millennium.  Today, we deem it necessary to treat this normal condition because teachers and parents don’t want to deal with a typically active child.  Better to drug them than to deal with their energy.

What staggers me is that despite all of our supposed improvements in drug therapy, four times as many people are admitted to hospitals for bi-polar issues than 100 years ago. If it’s working, why are people getting worse?  Could it be that if a person stops taking the drug, the withdrawal symptoms are worse than the so-called disease was initially?  Pharmaceutical company’s profits are up and the mental health of our world is down.  Is this what we all really want?