Ability Quote by Peter Breggin
“Advocates of psychiatric drugs often claim that the medications improve learning and the ability to benefit from psychotherapy, but the contrary is true. There are no drugs that improve mental function, self-understanding, or human relations. Any drug that affects mental processes does so by impairing them.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Medication Madness, Peter Breggin, 2009
Claims that psychiatric drugs enhance learning or psychotherapy are false; such drugs impair mental functions rather than improve them.
In simple terms: Psychiatric drugs impair rather than improve mental abilities.
Key Takeaway
Question drug efficacy.
Themes
pharmacology
mental health
critique
Mood
skeptical
analytical
Type
critical
informational
When to use this quote
- clinical practice
- patient counseling
- policy reform
Key Concepts
neurochemistry
psychotherapy
drug policy
Questions to Reflect On
- What evidence supports or refutes drug benefits?
- How should clinicians balance risks and benefits?
A Different Perspective
Drug effects are complex; some patients report benefits, making blanket statements problematic.
![“[Psychiatric] drugs have so many side effects because using them to treat a complex psychiatric disorder is a bit like trying to change your engine oil by opening a can and pouring it all over the engine block. Some of it will dribble into the right place, but a lot of it will do more harm than good” quote by Suman Rai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/689/suman-rai-785_facts_psychiatric-drugs-have-so-many-side-effe_763384.jpg)
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![“In part I'm just mystified. Here's a woman, Hillary [Clinton], who wrote a book about it takes a "village" to raise children. It wasn't about a book about "it takes a pill." There's a "double think" that the modern person often has. Anything that's called "science" is accepted as an absolute and…” quote by Peter Breggin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8ad/peter-breggin-22000_absolutes_in-part-i-m-just-mystified-here-s-a-woma_640718.jpg)
![“The man Hillary [Clinton] introduced at the meeting goes so far as to say that no amount of trauma to children - or poor parenting or anything in their lives - causes them mental disorders. He says it's all biological and genetic and should be treated by drugs.” quote by Peter Breggin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/093/peter-breggin-22000_amount_the-man-hillary-clinton-introduced-at-th_697679.jpg)
![“What a pleasure to hear Michael Savage backtalk to Hillary [Clinton]. You know, there is such hypocrisy with her. I didn't start out as a Clinton basher; I started out hopeful years ago. What she's doing here is merely damage control because her drugs have come under criticism.” quote by Peter Breggin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f31/peter-breggin-22000_bashers_what-a-pleasure-to-hear-michael-savage-b_1591306.jpg)
![“Hillary [Clinton] even said that, whether or not teenagers want treatment, they have to get it. So it's involuntary treatment.” quote by Peter Breggin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bbd/peter-breggin-22000_clinton_hillary-clinton-even-said-that-whether-o_1722939.jpg)
