Many People Are Wrongly Diagnosed With Schizophrenia, Peter Gotzsche, MD

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Tuesday, November 10, 2015 6:00 am Email this article

“Very many people are wongly diagnosed with schizophrenia,” writes Prof. Peter C. Gotzsche, MD in Chapter 2 What does it mean to be mentally ill? of his excellent book Deadly Psychiatry and Organised Denial.

“A 1982 study found that two-thirds of 1,023 African-Americans with schizophrenia didn’t have symptoms necessary for this diagnosis according to current guidelines.

[In other words, 67% were misdiagnosed with schizophrenia.]

“In 1985, the chief psychiatrist at Manhattan State Hospital reviewed the records of 89 patients with schizophrenia and concluded that only 16 should have gotten the diagnosis.”

[In other words, 82% were misdiagnosed with schizophrenia.]

Erroneous Diagnoses Can Be Fatal

Erroneous Diagnoses Can Be Fatal; example given in Chapter 15

“Erroneous diagnoses can be fatal.

“In one such case, a child with Asperger was treated with antipsychotic drugs, which triggered schizophrenia-like symptoms, including psychosis, whereby the erroneous diagnosis became a self-fulfilling prophecy, which ultimately killed her because of the drugs that were enforced on her against her will (see Chapter 15, Dear Luise).”

“It is not as odd as it might seem that many people are wrongly diagnosed with schizophrenia.

“Psychiatry is radically different from other areas of medicine, as normal people have similar symptoms and feelings as patients have; it is mostly a matter of degree.

“Even for schizophrenia, this is the case.

“Psychosis is not a biological illness like arthritis, and many normal people have psychotic experiences – including delusions and hallucinations – from time to time.”

Other Quotes from This Book

Other quotes from Prof. Gotzsche’s book

Other quotes from Prof. Gotzsche’s book can be found here.

Other Comments from Prof. Gotzsche

Other Comments from Prof. Gotzsche found here

Other comments by Prof. Gotzsche (which includes other quotes from this book) can be found here.

A Must-Read Book

This is a must-read book for anyone interested in psychiatric drugs

For anyone interested in psychiatric drugs, this is a must-read book.

Anyone who thinks that psychiatric drugs are safe and effective must read this book.

Anyone who thinks that you can believe the published research about these drugs must read this book.

Anyone who thinks that you can believe what the American Psychiatric Association says about these drugs must read this book.

Anyone who thinks that you can believe what the US National Institutes of Mental Health says about these drugs must read this book.

Anyone who thinks that you can believe what the FDA says about the safety of these drugs must read this book.

My Mother Suffered Tragically From These Drugs

Larry’s mother suffered tragically from psychiatric drugs

My mother (Larry Hobbs’s mother) suffered tragically from psychiatric drugs, so this topic is of great interest to me.

About the Peter C. Gøtzsche, MD

Professor Peter C. Gøtzsche graduated as a Master of Science in biology and chemistry in 1974 and as a physician in 1984. He is a specialist in internal medicine; worked in the drug industry 1975-83, and at hospitals in Copenhagen 1984-95. With about 80 others, he helped start The Cochrane Collaboration in 1993 with the founder, Sir Iain Chalmers, and established The Nordic Cochrane Centre the same year. He became professor of Clinical Research Design and Analysis in 2010 at the University of Copenhagen.

Gøtzsche has published more than 70 papers in “the big five” (BMJ, Lancet, JAMA, Annals of Internal Medicine and New England Journal of Medicine) and his scientific works have been cited over 15,000 times.

Articles on the same subject can be found here:

• Antidepressants

• Antipsychotic drugs

• Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder -- ADHD

• Benzodiazepines

• Book - Deadly Psychiatry and Organised Denial (by Prof. Peter Gøtzsche, MD)

• Doctor - Peter Gøtzsche, MD

• Psychiatric Drugs

• Schizophrenia

• Sleeping pills