Posted by ItsHowdyDudyTime on December 13, 2002, at 20:23:02
In reply to Re: Extreme Anger...anyone with sim feelings?..Ple, posted by Aadika on December 13, 2002, at 19:50:51
> Yes, Risperdal is an atypical anti-psychotic.
>
> ~ AadikaTreatment of aggression is an "off label" use of Risperdal. In fact, all anti-psychotics are used "off label" to treat aggression without psychosis or mania. It has even been proposed by some extremist factions in society that prisons put prisoners on anti-psychotic drugs to make it easier to control prison populations, however this is illegal and is considered to be "cruel and unusual punishment" and thus is against the U.S. Constitution.
Using anti-psychotics, even in low dosages for treatment of aggression, hostility, irritability, etc. in the absence of frank psychosis or mania is an inappropriate use of neuroleptics. Its known as "behavioral control" in psychiatry, something psychiatry is famous for that goes back to the olden days when most mentally ill were institutionalized in large, abusive, state hospitals that resembled minimum security prisons. ECT (shock treatment) was also used for behavioral control at one time in a manner very similar to the way neuroleptics are currently used "off label." However ECT for behavioral control has been made illegal for a good thirty years now.
Its high time to make the practice of using neuroleptics for behavioral control illegal as well. Patients prescribed neuroleptic drugs should be required to read and sign informed consent forms, warning them of the potential movement disorder dangers of these drugs.
IMO, the only use for any neuroleptic medication should be to correct, control and manage thought disorders such as schizophrenia or schizo-affective disorder and in some cases psychotic mania. Thats what these drugs were developed for, not for "off label" uses of treating aggression.
Using drugs like Risperdal to treat schizophrenia is a perfectly acceptable and desireable course of action. Using Risperdal to control "aggression" however, is not OK and should be legislated against and psychiatrists who practice in this manner should be sued out of existence.
Howdy Doody
poster:ItsHowdyDudyTime
thread:131567
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021210/msgs/131722.html