The myth of the chemical cure : a critique of psychiatric drug treatment / Joanna Moncrieff.

This book exposes the traditional view that psychiatric drugs target underlying diseases, or correct chemical imbalances, as a fraud. It traces the emergence of this view and suggests that it was adopted, not because there was any evidence to support it, but because it served the vested interests of the psychiatric profession, the pharmaceutical industry and the modern state. Instead it is proposed that psychiatric drugs 'work' by creating altered mental states, which may suppress the symptoms of psychiatric disorders, along with other intellectual and emotional functions. Research on antipsychotics, antidepressants, mood stabilisers and stimulants is examined to demonstrate this thesis and the pros and cons of using the different sorts of drugs are discussed. It is suggested that acknowledging the real nature of psychiatric drugs would lead to a more democratic practice of psychiatry.