--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The use of psychoactive drugs - including…" description: "\"The use of psychoactive drugs - including both antidepressants and antipsychotics - has exploded...[yet] 'the tally of those who are disabled...increas..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a78/marcia-angell-19102_antidepressants_the-use-of-psychoactive-drugs-including_1103729.jpg" --- # The use of psychoactive drugs - including both… ![“The use of psychoactive drugs - including both antidepressants and antipsychotics - has exploded...[yet] 'the tally of those who are disabled...increased nearly two and a half times.” quote by Marcia Angell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a78/marcia-angell-19102_antidepressants_the-use-of-psychoactive-drugs-including_1103729.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a78/marcia-angell-19102_antidepressants_the-use-of-psychoactive-drugs-including_1103729.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a78/marcia-angell-19102_antidepressants_the-use-of-psychoactive-drugs-including_1103729.jpg) > “The use of psychoactive drugs - including both antidepressants and antipsychotics - has exploded...\[yet\] 'the tally of those who are disabled...increased nearly two and a half times.” [Marcia Angell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcia-angell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Widespread prescription of psychoactive drugs has increased disability rates, highlighting unintended consequences of medication overuse. **In simple terms:** More drug use, more disability. Key Takeaway Critically evaluate medication benefits versus societal costs. Themes healthcare pharmacology public policy Mood analytical concerned Type editorial policy‑focused When to use this quote - clinical practice - policy making - patient counseling - drug regulation Key Concepts risk‑benefit analysis medical ethics epidemiology Questions to Reflect On - What alternative treatments could reduce reliance on drugs? - How can clinicians balance efficacy with long‑term harm? A Different Perspective Medication may alleviate symptoms but can also exacerbate disability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Drug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug/) [Half time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/half-time/) [Psychoactive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychoactive/) ## Related quotes > [Drugs don't have spiritual potential, human beings have spiritual potential. And it may be that we need techniques to move us in that direction,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-weil/drugs-don-t-have-spiritual-potential-human-beings-have-spiritual/) [Andrew Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-weil/) > [We have friends who don't use psychoactive materials but who are still interested in how the brain works and psychology and spiritual training. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-shulgin/we-have-friends-who-don-t-use-psychoactive-materials-but-who-are/) [Ann Shulgin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-shulgin/) > [Entheogens are not to be lightly trifled with... However, if taken with the right attitude and in the proper setting, psychoactive drugs may produce…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huston-smith/entheogens-are-not-to-be-lightly-trifled-with-however-if-taken-with/) [Huston Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huston-smith/) > [Now it is one thing to say I say it that people shouldn't consume psychoactive drugs. It is entirely something else to condone marijuana…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-f-buckley-jr/now-it-is-one-thing-to-say-i-say-it-that-people-shouldn-t-consume/) [William F. Buckley, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-f-buckley-jr/) > [What about self-awareness, the mysterious ability of the brain to reflect upon itself? Self-awareness can be tampered with by brainwashing, psychoactive drugs, electrical stimulation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chet-raymo/what-about-self-awareness-the-mysterious-ability-of-the-brain-to/) [Chet Raymo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chet-raymo/) > [Techniques such as genetic engineering, psychoactive drugs and electronic control of the brain make possible a transformation of the species into docile, fully-obedient, 'safe'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-sims/techniques-such-as-genetic-engineering-psychoactive-drugs-and/) William Sims > [“the kids who can’t adapt to school’s tedium are diagnosed with ADHD and are put on powerful psychoactive drugs, which have the immediate effect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-o-gray/the-kids-who-can-t-adapt-to-school-s-tedium-are-diagnosed-with-adhd/) [Peter O. Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-o-gray/) > [The drug ketamine, used as a 'dissociative' anesthetic, can produce subjective reports of conscious awareness outside the body, as can various other psychoactive drugs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-hameroff/the-drug-ketamine-used-as-a-dissociative-anesthetic-can-produce/) Stuart Hameroff > [Marijuana is not not harmful, but is the least harmful psychoactive substance that we have, with the possible exception of caffeine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maia-szalavitz/marijuana-is-not-not-harmful-but-is-the-least-harmful-psychoactive/) [Maia Szalavitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maia-szalavitz/) > [Another very common use, in all cultures, of psychoactive substances is to give people transcendent experiences. To allow them to transcend their human and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-weil/another-very-common-use-in-all-cultures-of-psychoactive-substances-is/) [Andrew Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-weil/) > [“The movie Koyaanisqatsi shows non-commented time-lapse footage and focuses our attention on the very rhythm of our civilized modern life and nature. A marijuana…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-marincolo/the-movie-koyaanisqatsi-shows-non-commented-time-lapse-footage-and/) [Sebastian Marincolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-marincolo/) > [I know of no culture in the world at present or any time in the past that has not been heavily involved with one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-weil/i-know-of-no-culture-in-the-world-at-present-or-any-time-in-the-past/) [Andrew Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-weil/) > [“The legalization of marijuana is not a dangerous experiment – the prohibition is the experiment, and it has failed dramatically, with millions of victims…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-marincolo/the-legalization-of-marijuana-is-not-a-dangerous-experiment-the/) [Sebastian Marincolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-marincolo/) > [“If God wanted us to get high, he'd have created plants that became psychoactive when eaten or smoked.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/if-god-wanted-us-to-get-high-he-d-have-created-plants-that-became/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [Production speed is severely slowed down if one works with half-time people who have other obligations as well. This is at least a factor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edsger-dijkstra/production-speed-is-severely-slowed-down-if-one-works-with-half-time/) [Edsger Dijkstra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edsger-dijkstra/) ## More by Marcia Angell > [Alternative medicine plays into this exaggerated notion that you can prevent disease simply by doing the right thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcia-angell/alternative-medicine-plays-into-this-exaggerated-notion-that-you-can/) [Marcia Angell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcia-angell/) > [I do think that we are an overmedicated society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcia-angell/i-do-think-that-we-are-an-overmedicated-society/) [Marcia Angell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcia-angell/) > [There's a certain libertarian right-wing view that there should be no FDA, that people can decide for themselves whether medicines are safe and effective.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcia-angell/there-s-a-certain-libertarian-right-wing-view-that-there-should-be-no/) [Marcia Angell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcia-angell/) > [For all of life's discontents, according to the pharmaceutical industry, there is a drug and you should take it. Then for the side effects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcia-angell/for-all-of-life-s-discontents-according-to-the-pharmaceutical/) [Marcia Angell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcia-angell/) > [When death is imminent and dying patients find their suffering unbearable, then the physician's role should shift from healing to relieving suffering in accord…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcia-angell/when-death-is-imminent-and-dying-patients-find-their-suffering/) [Marcia Angell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcia-angell/) > [In economic terms, health care is a highly successful industry - profitable, growing, and virtually recession-proof - but it's a massive burden on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcia-angell/in-economic-terms-health-care-is-a-highly-successful-industry/) [Marcia Angell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcia-angell/) > [Obamacare is simply incapable of doing what it is supposed to do - provide nearly universal care at an affordable and sustainable cost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcia-angell/obamacare-is-simply-incapable-of-doing-what-it-is-supposed-to-do/) [Marcia Angell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcia-angell/) > [Pharmaceutical companies have too much influence over the education of physicians in this country. They have too much control over the evaluation of their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcia-angell/pharmaceutical-companies-have-too-much-influence-over-the-education/) [Marcia Angell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcia-angell/) > [The pharmaceutical industry isn't the only place where there's waste and inefficiency and profiteering. That happens in much of the rest of the health…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcia-angell/the-pharmaceutical-industry-isn-t-the-only-place-where-there-s-waste/) [Marcia Angell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcia-angell/) > [Drug companies say they need to charge ever-higher prices to cover their research costs, but they spend far less on research and development than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcia-angell/drug-companies-say-they-need-to-charge-ever-higher-prices-to-cover/) [Marcia Angell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcia-angell/) > [It is simply no longer possible to believe much of the clinical research that is published, or to rely on the judgment of trusted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcia-angell/it-is-simply-no-longer-possible-to-believe-much-of-the-clinical/) [Marcia Angell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcia-angell/) > [It is time for the scientific community to stop giving alternative medicine a free ride There cannot be two kinds of medicine — conventional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcia-angell/it-is-time-for-the-scientific-community-to-stop-giving-alternative/) [Marcia Angell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcia-angell/) > [There is something so biologically implausible that your attitude is going to cure a disease. There's a tremendous arrogance to imagine that your mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcia-angell/there-is-something-so-biologically-implausible-that-your-attitude-is/) [Marcia Angell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcia-angell/) > [Why should anyone - the state, the medical profession, or anyone else - presume to tell someone else how much suffering they must endure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcia-angell/why-should-anyone-the-state-the-medical-profession-or-anyone-else/) [Marcia Angell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcia-angell/) > [Just look at herbal remedies. It's essentially a throwback. It's saying you go to a plant and you mush it up and you stick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcia-angell/just-look-at-herbal-remedies-it-s-essentially-a-throwback-it-s-saying/) [Marcia Angell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcia-angell/) [Explore all 33 Marcia Angell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcia-angell/) ## More Antidepressants quotes > [Antidepressants are the biggest fraud in the world. Number one, Prozac gives you a royal soft-on like you wouldn't believe, and number two you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-evans/antidepressants-are-the-biggest-fraud-in-the-world-number-one-prozac/) [Robert Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-evans/) > [Antidepressants sure kill your sexual life...Now, THAT'S depressing!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ozzy-osbourne/antidepressants-sure-kill-your-sexual-life-now-that-s-depressing/) [Ozzy Osbourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ozzy-osbourne/) > [I actually have a great deal of respect for antidepressants; I think they can be enormously mighty tools toward recovery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-actually-have-a-great-deal-of-respect-for-antidepressants-i-think/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“Sylvie wishes the anti-depressants had been around when she was in her early twenties, not only to rescue her from the dark tunnels that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-lia-block/sylvie-wishes-the-anti-depressants-had-been-around-when-she-was-in/) [Francesca Lia Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-lia-block/) > [One the one hand, the simple fact that there are children and that I do have an effect on them has been one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-solomon/one-the-one-hand-the-simple-fact-that-there-are-children-and-that-i/) [Andrew Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-solomon/) > [“Lord. How many antidepressants can one person take? However much it is, I'm going to need the maximum dose if I make it out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baylee-crush/lord-how-many-antidepressants-can-one-person-take-however-much-it-is/) Baylee Crush > [Like most people, I woke up one day to find that everyone I knew was taking antidepressants, and since I wasn't, I figured that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-moore/like-most-people-i-woke-up-one-day-to-find-that-everyone-i-knew-was/) [Christopher Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-moore/) > [I notice a lot of people think they can solve their problems with antidepressants. That, I noticed, being like a bigger issue, like, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-way/i-notice-a-lot-of-people-think-they-can-solve-their-problems-with/) [Gerard Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-way/) > [All the commercials on TV today are for antidepressants, for Prozac or Paxil. And they get you right away. "Are you sad? Do you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-degeneres/all-the-commercials-on-tv-today-are-for-antidepressants-for-prozac-or/) [Ellen DeGeneres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-degeneres/) > [Imagine a society that subjects people to conditions that make them terribly unhappy then gives them the drugs to take away their unhappiness. Science…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-kaczynski/imagine-a-society-that-subjects-people-to-conditions-that-make-them/) [Theodore Kaczynski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-kaczynski/) > [Nature is often overlooked as a healing balm for the emotional hardships in a child's life. You'll likely never see a slick commercial for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-louv/nature-is-often-overlooked-as-a-healing-balm-for-the-emotional/) [Richard Louv](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-louv/) > [I was terrified when my doctor told me that I had a unique and interesting personality trait, but then he told me about new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-stanhope/i-was-terrified-when-my-doctor-told-me-that-i-had-a-unique-and/) [Doug Stanhope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-stanhope/) > [The recent discovery of highly specific antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications would not have been possible without the use of animal models](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-pardes/the-recent-discovery-of-highly-specific-antidepressants-and-anti/) Herb Pardes > [“Those antidepressants Dr. Huang gave her were some kind of miracle drug. I considered giving them a try, but I didn't think they'd work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-standiford/those-antidepressants-dr-huang-gave-her-were-some-kind-of-miracle/) [Natalie Standiford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-standiford/) > [“We have pills for headaches. We have antidepressants for sadness. We had God for believers. We have nothing for autism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-genova/we-have-pills-for-headaches-we-have-antidepressants-for-sadness-we/) [Lisa Genova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-genova/) Browse all 71 Antidepressants quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The use of psychoactive drugs - including both antidepressants and antipsychotics - has exploded...[yet] 'the tally of those who are disabled...increased nearly two and a half times.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Marcia Angell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcia-angell/the-use-of-psychoactive-drugs-including-both-antidepressants-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Antidepressants" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcia-angell/the-use-of-psychoactive-drugs-including-both-antidepressants-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a78/marcia-angell-19102_antidepressants_the-use-of-psychoactive-drugs-including_1103729.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a78/marcia-angell-19102_antidepressants_the-use-of-psychoactive-drugs-including_1103729.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a78/marcia-angell-19102_antidepressants_the-use-of-psychoactive-drugs-including_1103729.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The use of psychoactive drugs - including both antidepressants and antipsychotics - has exploded...[yet]…” — Marcia Angell", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Marcia Angell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcia-angell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The use of psychoactive drugs -...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcia-angell/the-use-of-psychoactive-drugs-including-both-antidepressants-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcia-angell/the-use-of-psychoactive-drugs-including-both-antidepressants-and/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```