The Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) has issued a statement asserting that the mental health industry's approach to treatment is exacerbating America's ongoing drug crisis, which has claimed over one million lives since the 1990s. The watchdog organization contends that widespread psychiatric drug use may be contributing to community violence and requires urgent reevaluation of current practices. The United States has been grappling with an evolving drug crisis that has progressed from prescription opioids to heroin and now synthetic opioids like fentanyl, with approximately 100,000 people dying from drug overdoses annually despite massive financial investments in combating substance abuse.
The CCHR specifically challenges Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), a standard approach since the 1940s that involves substituting one addictive substance for another, such as methadone or Suboxone. The organization argues this method, combined with classifying addiction as a mental health disorder, creates a system that maintains patient dependence on prescription drugs indefinitely. Of particular concern is polypharmacy, where individuals undergoing MAT frequently receive additional psychiatric medications for co-occurring mental health conditions. The CCHR warns this combination of mind-altering drugs poses dangers not only to users but potentially to those around them.
Diane Stein, president of CCHR Florida, states that people taking or withdrawing from psychiatric drugs have committed at least 65 high-profile acts of senseless violence, resulting in 357 dead and 336 wounded. The organization cites over 30 studies, drug regulatory agency warnings, and expert opinions linking psychotropic drugs to violent and suicidal behavior. With one in six Americans reportedly taking psychiatric drugs and increasing antidepressant overdose deaths, the CCHR is calling for policymakers to reassess current mental health practices' effectiveness.
The organization demands legislative hearings to investigate potential correlations between psychiatric treatment and violence, along with mandatory toxicology testing for psychiatric and illicit drugs in cases of mass shootings or serious violent crimes. Additionally, the CCHR recommends training for law enforcement officers, school security personnel, and teachers on psychotropic drugs' adverse effects, helping them recognize that irrational, violent, or suicidal behavior could be medication-influenced. As the Biden-Harris administration continues allocating significant funding to mental health and substance use programs, the CCHR's call for critical examination raises important questions about psychiatric interventions' long-term effectiveness and safety in addressing the nation's drug crisis and related violence.
