Nearly Every Mass Shooting In The Last 20 Years Shares One Thing In Common, And It Isn’t Weapons

I have a unique perspective to this issue.

I have permanent brain damage from taking only 1 - 10mg Lexapro pill. I developed serotonin toxicity and 8 hours after ingesting, it became clear that my brain was dying. I had over 103F temperature, suicidal ideation, homicidal ideation, mania, akathisia and hallucinations.

I was prescribed this drug for insomnia.

I have never been a violent person and I am not, nor was I insane in my opinion.

After taking that pill, my brain was on almost like an autopilot mode with thoughts of murder, blood and violence. I also couldn't distinguish reality from thoughts I was having. I liked my neighbors a lot but after taking the pill I wanted to kill them. Not only did I have this strange (and powerful) ideation.... but the thoughts were very specific; it was almost as if they were suggestions.

The thoughts were to repeatedly stab my neighbors to death with a butcher knife. I did not think these thoughts myself but they just popped into my head. I also had visual correspondence of their dead and dying bloody bodies along with the thoughts. This terrified me but I was also very calm physically. I own several guns so I am unsure why the thoughts always included knives and stabbing. None of it makes any sense which is why I chose to post my experience here.

These thoughts continued for about a week after taking the solitary pill. I am glad I didn't hurt anyone, I was not in my right mind. I didn't know exactly what was real.

These SSRI/psychotropic drugs haven't been scientifically proven to help anyone. In fact it seems to me to destabilize already partially unstable minds once prescribed.

I hope my short account helps people understand what can and does happen to the minds of some of us under the influence of these strange mind altering substances.

I made a video about more details about this experience here if anyone else here has had an adverse reaction and feels alone or misunderstood: www.youtube.com...

What you've got here is a mediating variable of mental health, which must be considered.

i.e. Mentally unwell individuals are prescribed medication, to help with their illness, and you're trying to say it's this medication that causes the killing.
BUT, what you'd actually find is actually happenings is: Negative cognition's (beliefs) form due to the poor mental health (perhaps the person hates the world/ wants to kill themselves/ may even be having full blown delusions regarding a conspiracy etc.)
And when the mentally unwell individual is prescribed medication which reduces their inhibitions/ affect/ fear of repercussions, then they act on the cognitions and commit these actions.

The medication isn't causing them to kill, it is the negative cognitions, which certain individuals develop, that are resulting in the killing. This is why not everyone prescribed SSRI's etc. turns into a murderer. Without the pre-medicated negative cognitions the pills won't do anything detrimental.

Hopefully, I've clearly explained how it's the detrimental cognitions, specific to certain individuals, which lead to these events, when paired with certain drugs, and not the drugs themselves.

a reply to: RedEyes619

And that's not even considering co-morbidity disorders. Left so long without intervention, the mind, like a muscle, adapts/compensates, and not necessarily in the most positive ways.

Can't absolutely blame the medication. What would these individuals be like if they hadn't had any medical intervention, or if it was caught too late before those co-morbidity disorders/ideations came into play? I would put $100 on the table it would have been/would be far far worse.

Anyone who thinks that the medications are to blame should come to a psych ward or hospital and see for themselves, for a full shift. It's no joke. Executive functioning disorders are very much a reality, with evidence based research to back it up, not spurious claims.

You are right, it's a situation of putting the cart before the horse.

Psychology is a hoax and a sham........the situation is rife with disturbed mental health workers like the police force is rife with bullies...in fact the attitudes are identical.....except the mental health workers dnt get to shot their clients......
But they do get to have absolute control of the patients person.....
Someone I know recently got set up by an ex girlfriend by her simply phoning the cops and saying (untruthfukky) that the guy was suicidal, and she feared for his safety.....
The cops ran with it...located the person by phoning their cell and kept him on the line till the cops closest to him...(he was a couple hundred miles from home looking to buy a house.....) burst in and took him to a hospital where he was admitted after a very short interview by a doctor......not even a psychologist.....
His five day staywas highlighted by being shackled 24-7 with his hands tied to his waist....as well as being forcibly shot up with drugs and tied to a bed face down for 12 hours....worse yet they failed to notify any member of the family...and they only found the guy by initiating a couple of missing persons reports......
Psychology is a cash cow for the practitioners and a con job....
Most people who run afoul of the system are traumatised in ways that are worse than their problems to begin with....
The state of psychology today is such that it shouldn't ever be considered a bona fide science.....
The SSRIs are not the only stuff that makes people snap....the complete and utter depersonalisation of the patient is the first step in the program......this alone is so dastardly, and so abusive the patients marginalised and treated with no tolerance for their input or feelings.....
The victims of this primitive and corrupted branch of medicines are more numerous than the cured patients.....
It would be in error to skip the re-examination of the total system as well as the SSRIs.....

That's exactly what it is. Psychotropic drugs. SSRI's
Paxil. Zoloft, etc.

I can't find the other thread right now, but in it I read about a psychiatrist who said he would never, ever take anti-depressants; not even if he'd have suicidal tendencies. Yet he prescribes them to others...

a reply to: stirling

Sorry, if he was put on a 5150 hold, for 5 days, means he probably was a danger to himself and others. And "shackled", as in restraints? These things have to be documented and are a part of his medical record, and therefore possible to see the reasons he was picked up and admitted. Are you sure he is telling the truth about the matter? That sounds like shenanigans to me.

Most people who run afoul of the system are traumatised in ways that are worse than their problems to begin with....

Most people are already traumatized in ways that are worse, and some of them traumatize others. Should we just not treat/medicate them? I guess those people walking through the park, shopping center, supermarket who talk to themselves and yell and cuss people out, and push them and attack them, must just be playin around... Psychology/psychiatry isn't real? It's a sham?

I agree, guns aren't the problem. But you'll get some rabid types in here saying that guns are the problem.

Disarming the law-abiding public won't cure this and only aid the criminals who won't follow the laws, in addition to infriging upon our rights to own weapons..

a reply to: benrl

So what's your point? That people who do mass shootings are mentally ill? Gee, never would have guessed it.
This is another example of confusing correlation with causality.

a reply to: stirling

Anti-science bozos like you are the reason we have so many mentally ill homeless people. Psychiatry helps millions of people live normal or at least better lives. You sound like one of those Scientology freaks. If you're sick, there is medicine to help you. Sometimes a person's brain doesn't work the way it should, and thanks to decades of research, we now have drugs that help the brain return to normal function. If you object to the cash-cow of American drug companies, demand a return to the 17-year limit on drug patents.

Another interesting perspective:

Stephen J. Smith

originally posted by: RedEyes619
What you've got here is a mediating variable of mental health, which must be considered.

i.e. Mentally unwell individuals are prescribed medication, to help with their illness, and you're trying to say it's this medication that causes the killing.
BUT, what you'd actually find is actually happenings is: Negative cognition's (beliefs) form due to the poor mental health (perhaps the person hates the world/ wants to kill themselves/ may even be having full blown delusions regarding a conspiracy etc.)
And when the mentally unwell individual is prescribed medication which reduces their inhibitions/ affect/ fear of repercussions, then they act on the cognitions and commit these actions.

The medication isn't causing them to kill, it is the negative cognitions, which certain individuals develop, that are resulting in the killing. This is why not everyone prescribed SSRI's etc. turns into a murderer. Without the pre-medicated negative cognitions the pills won't do anything detrimental.

Hopefully, I've clearly explained how it's the detrimental cognitions, specific to certain individuals, which lead to these events, when paired with certain drugs, and not the drugs themselves.

I believe you are mistaken! Since the inception of the SSRI there has been an increase in
violence! www.breggin.com...
I believe that These drugs can be used for the benefit of certain individuals but
there is the problem of misdiagnosis in our society as with the added problem of big pharma.
companies pushing these and other meds through incentive rewards for doctors!

I don't claim that all violence is caused by these drugs but believe there is a big problem
with the amount of people that are influenced into fluoxetine induced violence! I don't
believe that just because most research shows that many of those on Selective serotonin
reuptake inhibitor are helped by these meds does not excuse this problem! I believe
that this is a symptom of a much bigger problem! this is one of the lack of proper treatment,
care and observation given by the medical industry and the carelessness which they throw
to the wind with reckless abandoned prescribing these and other meds!

Prescription drugs is now a bigger problem then the illegal one that still threatens our society! It is
reckless to dismiss this problem to the phenomenon of mental illness when that is just an
underlying symptom of this much bigger predicament! I will always believe that most people
on these drugs are prescribed it to cure a underlying psychological problem instead of the chemical
imbalance this drug was intended to be for!
This is just another symptom of the problem with our society; throwing drugs, money
and BS at the problem but never putting in the hard work that is needed to fix it once and for all!
Someday we may realize we have taken the longer road just to search for the easier one and neither
one is needed to succeed!

a reply to: Parthin

I agree and I am one of those whose mind isn't functioning as needed. I sufer cyclothymia and GAD. I take Zyprexa and Zoloft...not even one single side effect

I also work as a therapist and have seen so many people saved and helped by medication

I am not saying meds are for everyone and even with meds we should do therapy too

originally posted by: nosacrificenofreedom
...
I don't claim that all violence is caused by these drugs but believe there is a big problem
with the amount of people that are influenced into fluoxetine induced violence! I don't
believe that just because most research shows that many of those on Selective serotonin
reuptake inhibitor are helped by these meds does not excuse this problem!

Well, certainly you could provide sources for this research? Could you also provide sources for this fluoxetine induced violence; That fluoxetine was the sole cause of the violence, or any other SSRI, for that matter?

I believe ...

And there in lies the problem

...
that this is a symptom of a much bigger problem! this is one of the lack of proper treatment,
care and observation given by the medical industry and the carelessness which they throw
to the wind with reckless abandoned prescribing these and other meds!

Your premises seem to be based on belief, false cause, and correlation = casuation... not scientific evidence, (you know, those little things like isolating the variables, reproducing effects, double blind experiments, sufficient sample size, etc).

a reply to: nosacrificenofreedom
Umm, btw, what I meant as a source was a reliable source, not Dr. Breggin...

He is beyond controversial, doesn't quote scientific research in it's proper contexts, cherry picks, states contrived statistics, places his opinions above scientifically validated facts, and the list goes on. Just because one has the magical "Dr." title in front of their name and floods the market with books dressing up their opinions as facts, in the face of 30+ years of medical evolution and validated research, does not mean we should take what they say at face value.

This article sums up his position and approach to modern psychology/psychiatry by another peer (Russel Barkely, Ph.D.), discussing/reviewing Dr. Breggin's book on ADHD, Ritalin, and Conspiracies, Talking Back to Ritalin: What Doctors Aren't Telling You about Stimulants for Children (Monroe, ME: Courage Press, 1998) ...
www.quackwatch.org...

...
Science has shown that ADHD and the other disorders Breggin discusses, including autism, are not the consequence of the causes he cites in his book. And so addressing them is not likely to remedy the child's problems. Neither is avoiding the established scientific and clinical pediatric and mental health professions as Breggin recommends. Breggin's view must be seen for what it actually is -- a not-so-subtle form of parent-bashing that lays the blame for ADHD and other complex developmental and mental disorders at the feet of the child's parents, family, and school. This is outdated psychoanalytic thinking, discarded decades ago by the scientific community for its explanatory uselessness not to mention its cruelty toward parents seeking help for their children.

...
The propaganda Breggin offers here will be easily dismissed by the scientific and clinical professional communities as having nothing to add to the important issues related to understanding and managing ADHD. But to the lay reader, such misguidance as Breggin provides in Talking Back to Ritalin can do real harm. Breggin literally encourages parents of ADHD and developmentally disordered children to turn away from the established fields of pediatrics, psychiatry, and psychology and the professionals who practice within them. Instead, Breggin instructs parents to seek outdated, unscientific, and ineffective pop-psychological views of disorders and their treatment. What was so dismaying to me as a professional by the end of the book was the knowledge that Dr. Breggin took an oath as a physician to "first, do no harm." In my opinion, his book has violated that sacred oath.

I know the thread is about SSRIs (of which Dr. Breggin is probably the most outspoken against them and Ritalin) but you used him as a source. His professional character and "authoritative" viewpoints are certainly questionable.

And yet another informative critique of Dr. Breggin.
www.quackwatch.com... Some Notes on ADHD and
Peter R. Breggin's Unfair Attack on Ritalin by Stephen Barrett, M.D.

Breggin's resumé and other biographical reports describe him as a Diplomate of the National Board of Medical Examiners; a "Specialist in Psychiatry" recognized by the State of Maryland, Department of Mental Health and Hygiene, Board of Physician Quality Assurance; a Diplomate of the American Board of Forensic Medicine; and a Fellow of the American College of Forensic Examiners. He also states that he is (or has been) on the editorial board of six peer-reviewed journals and has published more than 25 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Although these accomplishments might sound impressive, they actually are much less than they might seem.

* Breggin is not certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, which is the recognized agency for certifying psychiatrists.

* Having completed three years of psychiatric training, Breggin is entitled to call himself a psychiatrist or a "specialist in psychiatry." Until 1996, the Maryland Board of Quality Assurance maintained a list of "identified" specialists. Anyone who completed an approved training program was eligible for listing. No special examination or additional qualifications were required.

* To become licensed in the United States, every physician must pass an examination given by the National Board of Medical Examiners or an equivalent examination by a state licensing board. Thus being a "diplomate" of the National Board of Medical Examiners means nothing more than the fact that the doctor has passed a standard licensing exam. Most resumés I have seen do not list this credential.

* The American Board of Forensic Examiners is not recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), which is the recognized standard-setting organization. ABMS offers subspecialty certification in forensic psychiatry and forensic pathology, neither of which Breggin has achieved.

* Only one of the six journals with which Breggin has been affiliated is significant enough to be listed in MEDLINE, the National Library of Medicine's principal online database.

* On September 5, 2002, I found that Breggin had 33 citations listed in MEDLINE. None of these publications appears to be a research report. Eight were letters to the editor, two were books, and most of the rest were expressions of his opinion on various psychiatric topics.

a reply to: WhiteAlice

Thanks, I've studied the physiological and psychological effects associated with biochemistry as an autodidact the past few years. Using lateral thinking it really helps you understand a lot and make abstract connections most people don't think of. I'm always finding out ways the body works from my own brain before ever looking it up xD

originally posted by: VeritasAequitas
a reply to: WhiteAlice

Thanks, I've studied the physiological and psychological effects associated with biochemistry as an autodidact the past few years. Using lateral thinking it really helps you understand a lot and make abstract connections most people don't think of. I'm always finding out ways the body works from my own brain before ever looking it up xD

The body is an amazing machine and the brain is its pinnacle of achievement. Have the same interest myself though I hold a degree in biology that I use as a base. I find what I consider to be outlier (extreme) behavior to be the most interesting but I also have a penchant for problem solving.

a reply to: Flux8

Did you see that link where it points out that Adderall is pharmacologically similar to coc aine, and another where 1/5 children take ADHD medicine?