"Self-Portrait: Afraid of the Dark, ©" by J.A. Carter-Winward
How Bad Can Good Be?
This page is dedicated to my goal to bring awareness to drug-induced akathisia. Here you will find news, events, videos, and articles/writings specifically related to this debilitating neurological condition.
I am not anti-drug, nor am I anti-psychiatry. I am not a physician or licensed mental health professional.
I am, however, one of the only people I've found in all my research, who has lived with akathisia, daily, for well over a decade.
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I trusted that people with framed pieces of paper on their walls knew more than me. In some cases, that's true. In the case of mental illness, health, and especially taking medications, we have the power to research for ourselves before we take anything into our bodies, or minds.
Before stopping or starting any medications, speak with a trusted medical professional. Nothing here is to be taken as medical advice. This is a place for understanding, hearts, and expression. Not diagnoses or health advice.
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Although I've lived with it for a very long time, this does not make me an expert. I am only a voice, speaking the truth of my experience, and hoping to help those who may be lost in an unnamed suffering, find their way to help, information, or at the very least, some modicum of peace.
written and produced by J.A. Carter-Winward
A film by Highway 89 Media
Under the video read the "Show More" section to get more information on akathisia.
The Premier
Blogs Worthy of Note on
Akathisia
This blog, while done by a woman who is not an "expert" in the field of psychiatry or medicine, was a sufferer of akathisia. It's one of the most comprehensive things I've read, with a complete list of the many ways it presents. This blog probably saved my life.
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Valuable information on what it is, what causes it, and resources to help you communicate with your doctor.
AKATHISIA: The Name-Less Rest-Less-ness:
A blog on Medium containing articles, information, personal stories, and other writings to help educate people about the drug side effect, akathisia.
Science, Psychiatry and Social Justice.
After Robert Whitaker's groundbreaking book, Mad in America, warned the American consumer of the danger and inefficacy of psychotropic medications, he stared a on-profit organization that has tons of valuable information.
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Making Medicines Safer for All of Us
No one knows a prescription drug’s side effects like the person taking it.
Make your voice heard.
RxISK is a free, independent drug safety website to help you weigh the benefits of any medication against its potential dangers.
Before you fill that RX, read the information. Know what you're putting in your body--and how it might affect you, as well as the signs if you're at risk. Too many people are told to not pay attention to what your body is telling you. LISTEN. It's the only body you have.
Katinka Blackford, documentary film maker, author, in London. She's written an excellent book on her personal struggle with akathisia. Need a reality check? Take a look at her page, chilling, and thought-provoking. Or...anger provoking: HERE.
Dr. Shipko's Informed Consent for SSRI Antidepressants by Dr. Stuart Shipko M.D.
From Amazon.com:
"I am writing this eBook to share the key information that I discuss with patients in consultation before starting or stopping a serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant. ‘Informed Consent’ is not intended to be a comprehensive book about these drugs, rather, it duplicates the information that I typically provide to my patients when I see them in consultation. If you are contemplating starting or stopping an SSRI antidepressant, then you will find this information helpful."
Info blog dedicated to akathisia awareness