Started as an allergy drug and then became-
A way to pacify your elders.
Originally developed as an antihistamine for allergies, antipsychotic medications were later repurposed as tranquilizers for psychiatric patients, a transition that remains highly controversial.
The history of these drugs is fraught with ethical concerns, as they have been widely used not for targeted treatment but as a means of sedation—pacifying the elderly, subduing institutionalized patients, and managing behavioral disturbances rather than addressing underlying pathology.
While proponents claim these medications provide therapeutic benefits, empirical evidence does not consistently support their efficacy in preventing or treating psychosis.
Instead, research indicates that they function primarily as central nervous system depressants, dampening cognitive and emotional responsiveness rather than correcting neurochemical imbalances.
Furthermore, long-term use has been associated with significant adverse effects, including metabolic dysfunction, neurological impairment, and exacerbation of psychiatric symptoms.
This pattern is not unique to antipsychotics. Many pharmaceuticals have followed a trajectory in which an initial indication gives way to widespread, often indiscriminate, use under the guise of efficacy.
Given these systemic issues, it is critical that the pharmaceutical industry and regulatory agencies adopt rigorous, evidence-based scrutiny to ensure that medications are prescribed based on verifiable therapeutic benefits rather than convenience or commercial interests.
This is one topic I am diving into on my new podcast, The True Health report which launches tomorrow. Comment THR to make sure you get a link for the launch and let me know what topic you’d like covered in the comments below.
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