Sunderland Echo

More care and love

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It's undeniable that we are all facing stresses while navigating through the uncertaint­ies of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The challenges facing organisati­ons, employees, and individual­s are staggering.

But, it would be a tragedy if the natural fears of COVID-19 are redefined as “mental disorders”, opening the door to psychiatri­c “treatment”.

This is where diseasemon­gering comes into view.

It’s a practice defined as the act of convincing essentiall­y well people that they are sick or slightly sick people that they are very ill.

Psychiatri­sts know about this practice. Drug companies know about it. Advertisin­g executives throughout the world know about it too.

By using it, I believe some psychiatri­sts and drug companies have carved out a lucrative market niche.

It’s a strategy that turns life situations into psychiatri­c disease states, getting people of every walk of life to worry and to demand a pill.

Disease-mongering campaigns create the illusion of widespread mental illness, where, I suggest, some psychiatri­sts promote mind-altering psychiatri­c drugs known to have serious damaging effects.

A common side effect is called akathisia, commonly found in people taking antipsycho­tic drugs or antidepres­sants.

Akathisia is a terrible feeling of anxiety, an inability to sit still, a feeling that one wants to crawl out of his or her skin.

It’s behind much of the violence to self and others that’s seen in those taking psychiatri­c drugs.

Don’t however think that psychiatri­c drugs heal anything.

They are intended to cover up or “mask” problems.

Meanwhile, they tend to wear out the body. Mental effects include anxiety, agitation, panic attacks, insomnia, nightmares, trembling, exhaustion, irritabili­ty, hostility and aggression.

The patient and their family must be alert to these frequent drug effects so that they’re not mistakenly blamed on just “more mental illness”.

During these unpreceden­ted times, the care and love that's been shown for each other has been both heart-warming and humbling .

These human qualities don’t have serious or damaging side effects.

They only have positive effects.

It would be a good idea to increase their dosage now and into the future. Brian Daniels, National Spokespers­on. Citizens Commission on Human Rights (United Kingdom).

“These human qualities don’t have serious or damaging side effects.”

 ??  ?? “Love shown for each other has been both heart-warming and humbling.”
“Love shown for each other has been both heart-warming and humbling.”

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