Akathisia Awareness Saves Lives
Marcey Berman (r) and Kristina Kaiser (l) share MISSD's resources at the Learning Disabilities Association of America's annual conference.
Akathisia is a medication-induced disorder that can precipitate self harm, violence, and suicide.
"Many people, including children, are prescribed medications associated with akathisia and related serious risks, yet key stakeholders are unaware of the potential dangers and warning signs," said Wendy Dolin, MISSD Founder. Akathisia is a medication-induced disorder that can cause intense restlessness, self-harm, violence, and suicide.
MISSD's presentation was well-received by professionals attending the conferences. "Wendy Dolin delivered eye-opening education on akathisia—a medication-induced disorder that can trigger suicidality unrelated to underlying conditions. The work of MISSD fills a critical knowledge gap in our field, reminding clinicians to remain vigilant about medication effects that clients might not recognize," said Vanessa Lewis, a licensed professional counselor who noted that the MISSD presentation was one of her symposium highlights.
At both conferences, MISSD emphasized the urgent need for better training on medication-induced suicidality and provided practical strategies to help educators and therapists identify akathisia symptoms before it’s too late. MISSD offers all educational resources for free, including public health videos, an accredited e-learning course, podcast series, and brochures. The foundation encourages consumers to use a “medication buddy” when stopping, starting, or changing the dosage or type of medication—someone who can help monitor and report any unusual changes in thinking or behavior.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has Black Box suicide warnings for several commonly prescribed medications used to treat conditions such as acne, seizures, anxiety, smoking cessation, headaches, and depression. This warning is the most stringent caution the FDA can mandate. All Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), including Paxil, Prozac, and Zoloft, carry Black Box suicide warnings for children, adolescents, and young adults up to age 25.
"The reality is that medication-induced suicidality can happen to anyone, at any age," said Dolin. "This was evident in numerous clinical drug trials involving healthy volunteers, but suicide risks were strategically downplayed to gain FDA approval. It’s tragic when critical drug risks are minimized because being aware of akathisia causes and symptoms can save lives."
Visit MISSD.co to learn more and access free resources.
Wendy Dolin
MISSD
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What is Akathisia?
