--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: [Psychiatric] drugs have so many side…" description: "\"[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..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/689/suman-rai-785_facts_psychiatric-drugs-have-so-many-side-effe_763384.jpg" --- # \[Psychiatric\] drugs have so many side effects because… ![“[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/i/689/suman-rai-785_facts_psychiatric-drugs-have-so-many-side-effe_763384.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/689/suman-rai-785_facts_psychiatric-drugs-have-so-many-side-effe_763384.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/689/suman-rai-785_facts_psychiatric-drugs-have-so-many-side-effe_763384.jpg) > “\[Psychiatric\] 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” [Suman Rai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suman-rai/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Treating complex mental illness with medication is like pouring oil into an engine; it may reach some parts but can also cause damage. **In simple terms:** Medication can help but may cause side effects. Key Takeaway Balance benefits and risks. Themes health psychopharmacology risk complexity Mood cautious analytical Type critical informative When to use this quote - clinical prescribing - patient education - policy making Key Concepts side effects systemic impact Questions to Reflect On - What non‑pharmacologic alternatives exist? - How can clinicians monitor and mitigate harms? A Different Perspective Overreliance on drugs may ignore underlying causes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Side effects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/side-effects/) [Trying to change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying-to-change/) ## Related quotes > [The brain is not a bag of chemical soup, and it's a mistake to try to treat complex psychiatric disorders just by changing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suman-rai/the-brain-is-not-a-bag-of-chemical-soup-and-it-s-a-mistake-to-try-to/) [Suman Rai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suman-rai/) > [My goal in life is to have a psychiatric disorder named after me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darynda-jones/my-goal-in-life-is-to-have-a-psychiatric-disorder-named-after-me/) [Darynda Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darynda-jones/) > [I don't understand if you get caught in a fight, but take it out on a room, how that implies some psychiatric disorder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-connery/i-don-t-understand-if-you-get-caught-in-a-fight-but-take-it-out-on-a/) [Sean Connery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-connery/) > [There are many drugs that have many serious side effects and that are harmful to people. Marijuana is no different than that. And especially…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-rohrabacher/there-are-many-drugs-that-have-many-serious-side-effects-and-that-are-2/) [Dana Rohrabacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-rohrabacher/) > [There are many drugs that have many serious side effects and that are harmful to people. Marijuana is no different than that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-rohrabacher/there-are-many-drugs-that-have-many-serious-side-effects-and-that-are/) [Dana Rohrabacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-rohrabacher/) > [Advocates of psychiatric drugs often claim that the medications improve learning and the ability to benefit from psychotherapy, but the contrary is true. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-breggin/advocates-of-psychiatric-drugs-often-claim-that-the-medications/) [Peter Breggin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-breggin/) > [People go for help, but their lives don't get better because of those psychiatric drugs. They get worse. They feel numb and they're told…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-cruise/people-go-for-help-but-their-lives-don-t-get-better-because-of-those/) [Tom Cruise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-cruise/) > [The dumping of the mentally ill, full of these new psychiatric drugs, into the streets is a scandal. It's been carried furthest in New…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-rexroth/the-dumping-of-the-mentally-ill-full-of-these-new-psychiatric-drugs/) [Kenneth Rexroth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-rexroth/) > [“That is where we stand as a nation today. 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Why do I swallow bottles of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-jamieson/why-do-i-take-a-blade-and-slash-my-arms-why-do-i-drink-myself-into-a/) [Alice Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-jamieson/) > [Anybody who enjoys being in the House of Commons probably needs psychiatric help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-livingstone/anybody-who-enjoys-being-in-the-house-of-commons-probably-needs/) [Ken Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-livingstone/) > [“The brain-disease model takes control over people’s fate out of their own hands and puts doctors and insurance companies in charge of fixing their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bessel-a-van-der-kolk/the-brain-disease-model-takes-control-over-people-s-fate-out-of-their/) [Bessel A. van der Kolk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bessel-a-van-der-kolk/) > [Let me tell something, seeing your name and psychiatric ward on the same piece of paper isn't the best way to start your day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-thomas-ford/let-me-tell-something-seeing-your-name-and-psychiatric-ward-on-the/) [Michael Thomas Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-thomas-ford/) > [Yes, I'm very normal, everything is okay, I won't become a psychiatric case.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-jodl/yes-i-m-very-normal-everything-is-okay-i-won-t-become-a-psychiatric/) [Alfred Jodl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-jodl/) > [“Amateur psychiatric prognosis can be fascinating when there is absolutely nothing else to do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-condon/amateur-psychiatric-prognosis-can-be-fascinating-when-there-is/) [Richard Condon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-condon/) ## More by Suman Rai > [If you try to control everything, and then worry about the things you can't control, you are setting yourself up for a lifetime of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suman-rai/if-you-try-to-control-everything-and-then-worry-about-the-things-you/) [Suman Rai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suman-rai/) > [When you pat a twentysomething on the head and you say, You have 10 extra years to start your life ¦ you have robbed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suman-rai/when-you-pat-a-twentysomething-on-the-head-and-you-say-you-have-10/) [Suman Rai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suman-rai/) > [Time does not heal anything, it just teaches us how to live with THE PAIN…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suman-rai/time-does-not-heal-anything-it-just-teaches-us-how-to-live-with-the/) [Suman Rai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suman-rai/) > [You could be the greatest, You could be the best, You can beat the world, You can beat the war, You can talk to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suman-rai/you-could-be-the-greatest-you-could-be-the-best-you-can-beat-the/) [Suman Rai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suman-rai/) > [Beauty and seduction, I believe, is natures tool for survival, because we will protect what we fall in love with](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suman-rai/beauty-and-seduction-i-believe-is-natures-tool-for-survival-because/) [Suman Rai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suman-rai/) > [You can lose when you outscore somebody in a game. And you can win when youre outscored](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suman-rai/you-can-lose-when-you-outscore-somebody-in-a-game-and-you-can-win/) [Suman Rai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suman-rai/) > [Beating yourself up about a mistake you made is only going to make you more inclined to do it again. Just accept that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suman-rai/beating-yourself-up-about-a-mistake-you-made-is-only-going-to-make/) [Suman Rai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suman-rai/) > [Anxiety can work in two ways: It can act as your biggest motivator or keep you frozen. Always strive for the former.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suman-rai/anxiety-can-work-in-two-ways-it-can-act-as-your-biggest-motivator-or/) [Suman Rai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suman-rai/) > [Your important relationships should be at the forefront of your priority list. When we take things for granted, these things eventually get taken away.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suman-rai/your-important-relationships-should-be-at-the-forefront-of-your/) [Suman Rai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suman-rai/) > [There is not a clear path that everyone should follow. Your greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding in life at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suman-rai/there-is-not-a-clear-path-that-everyone-should-follow-your-greatest/) [Suman Rai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suman-rai/) > [This is the courageous thing to do: to try to reach the other side before it's too late.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suman-rai/this-is-the-courageous-thing-to-do-to-try-to-reach-the-other-side/) [Suman Rai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suman-rai/) > [The days go by fast, so live life to the fullest. Stop regretting and learn from your past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suman-rai/the-days-go-by-fast-so-live-life-to-the-fullest-stop-regretting-and/) [Suman Rai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suman-rai/) > [Lets never forget that whatever brilliant ideas you have or hear, that the opposite may also be true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suman-rai/lets-never-forget-that-whatever-brilliant-ideas-you-have-or-hear-that/) [Suman Rai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suman-rai/) > [Those who give good advice are usually the most insane messes of them all. Just sayin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suman-rai/those-who-give-good-advice-are-usually-the-most-insane-messes-of-them/) [Suman Rai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suman-rai/) > [I need a heart so pure that if it's stripped bare by dementia, it will survive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suman-rai/i-need-a-heart-so-pure-that-if-it-s-stripped-bare-by-dementia-it-will/) [Suman Rai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suman-rai/) [Explore all 369 Suman Rai quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suman-rai/) ## More Facts quotes > [It is indeed a surprising and fortunate fact that nature can be expressed by relatively low-order mathematical functions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-carnap/it-is-indeed-a-surprising-and-fortunate-fact-that-nature-can-be/) [Rudolf Carnap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-carnap/) > [So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; in fact, he can easily become dangerous, as it does not take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/so-the-fool-as-distinct-from-the-scoundrel-is-completely-self/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [He bombarded me with words, of all things, apparently clueless to the fact that the predawn hours rendered me incapable of coherent thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darynda-jones/he-bombarded-me-with-words-of-all-things-apparently-clueless-to-the/) [Darynda Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darynda-jones/) > [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm Fine!, the most common LIE in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/punkinhead-abhishek/i-m-fine-the-most-common-lie-in-the-world/) [Punkinhead Abhishek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/punkinhead-abhishek/) > [The time that one gains cannot be accumulated in a storehouse; it is contradictory to want to save up existence, which, the fact is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/the-time-that-one-gains-cannot-be-accumulated-in-a-storehouse-it-is/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) > [What is history after all? History is facts which become lies in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-cocteau/what-is-history-after-all-history-is-facts-which-become-lies-in-the/) [Jean Cocteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-cocteau/) > [Don't take too much comfort in the fact that you're successful today because tomorrow could bring failure. There's no surety in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-savage/don-t-take-too-much-comfort-in-the-fact-that-you-re-successful-today/) [Michael Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-savage/) > [I am told many children block out the memory of trauma. In fact, the healing process can only truly begin when we are willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-stone/i-am-told-many-children-block-out-the-memory-of-trauma-in-fact-the/) [Phoebe Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-stone/) > [Because the truth is that gossip is as good as gospel in this town. You can save face but you won't ever save your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conor-oberst/because-the-truth-is-that-gossip-is-as-good-as-gospel-in-this-town/) [Conor Oberst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conor-oberst/) > [Truth be told from compulsive liars with a history/Everything must change 2nd chances are a mystery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-dash/truth-be-told-from-compulsive-liars-with-a-history-everything-must/) C-DASH > [We did an episode where she goes out to get a job and she gets fired because she's not good. They hire a babysitter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-heaton/we-did-an-episode-where-she-goes-out-to-get-a-job-and-she-gets-fired/) [Patricia Heaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-heaton/) > [Le biologiste passe, la grenouille reste. The biologist passes, the frog remains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rostand/le-biologiste-passe-la-grenouille-reste-the-biologist-passes-the-frog/) [Jean Rostand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rostand/) > [I guess he'll have to figure out someday that he is supposed to have this dark side, that it is part of what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-guess-he-ll-have-to-figure-out-someday-that-he-is-supposed-to-have/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [The fact -- not theory -- that evolution has occurred and the Darwinian theory as to how it occurred have become so confused in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gaylord-simpson/the-fact-not-theory-that-evolution-has-occurred-and-the-darwinian/) [George Gaylord Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gaylord-simpson/) [Browse all 19,906 Facts quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "[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. 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