Anatomy of an Epidemic

Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America

By: Robert Whitaker

Narrated by: Ken Kliban

In this astonishing and startling book, award-winning science and history writer Robert Whitaker investigates a medical mystery: Why has the number of disabled mentally ill in the United States tripled over the past two decades? Every day, 1,100 adults and children are added to the government disability rolls because they have become newly disabled by mental illness, with this epidemic spreading most rapidly among our nations children. What is going on?

Anatomy of an Epidemic challenges listeners to think through that question themselves. First, Whitaker investigates what is known today about the biological causes of mental disorders. Do psychiatric medications fix chemical imbalances in the brain, or do they, in fact, create them? Researchers spent decades studying that question, and by the late 1980s, they had their answer. Listeners will be startled - and dismayed - to discover what was reported in the scientific journals.

Then comes the scientific query at the heart of this book: During the past 50 years, when investigators looked at how psychiatric drugs affected long-term outcomes, what did they find? Did they discover that the drugs help people stay well? Function better? Enjoy good physical health? Or did they find that these medications, for some paradoxical reason, increase the likelihood that people will become chronically ill, less able to function well, more prone to physical illness?

This is the first book to look at the merits of psychiatric medications through the prism of long-term results. By the end of this review of the outcomes literature, listeners are certain to have a haunting question of their own: Why have the results from these long-term studies - all of which point to the same startling conclusion - been kept from the public?

©2010 Robert Whitaker (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"The timing of Robert Whitaker’s Anatomy of an Epidemic, a comprehensive and highly readable history of psychiatry in the United States, couldn’t be better." (Salon.com)

"Anatomy of an Epidemic offers some answers, charting controversial ground with mystery-novel pacing." (TIME.com)

"Whitaker tenderly interviews children and adults who bear witness to the ravages of mental illness, and testify to their newly found 'aliveness' when freed from the prison of mind-numbing drugs." (Daniel Dorman, M.D., Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, UCLA School of Medicine)

I had no idea

This audio book is loaded with facts, data and information about the current epidemic of mental illness. 3.5 million children on Ritalin; 250 people a day going on Social Security Disability for various mental health issues. The solution has been to use truckloads of pharmaceuticals to control behavior or provide relief. The author presents a very convincing case that our systematic overdosing on these drugs is exacerbating a problem, indeed turning young children who act out in school into drugged young adults who, in some cases, have a life long dependency problem.

Until 1960 most of the modern psychological diseases that are prevalent in the US did not exist. Once big pharma ( the people who fill the evening news with chemical solutions for what ever ails you) cranked up its marketing machine it became essential for many of us to find the "right" pill.

This is an important book for anyone who has children or friend/relatives who may be taking or considering modern psychotropic drugs. This book makes a compelling case that the cure may be worse than the disease.

Must Read!

This was an eye openning book. If you are a fan of thorough research, you must check this out. The way Gary Taubes has changed the way I look at food, he has changed my view of a powerful class of drugs capable of changing brain chemistry. Thank you for telling this history.

This is a must read.

This book is filled with facts and timelines that tell a very sad but true story. Well organized and powerful-
I will recommend this to friends.

A must read.

Even if you don't take an antidepressant, antianxiety or antipyschotic drug, you probably know someone who does. That is how widespread their use has become. Thus, the information in this book is essential. The truth is beginning to come out - this book is another important additon. It is comprehensive - so that if you haven't already read or heard about the problem, it is all presented here. And if you have heard about it, read it anyway because it contains important history, statistics, research and names. You won't be disappointed and it may change your life or the life of someone you care about.

Utterly fascinating & most important

This is such an important book. I wish all of America could read it. And, it is so well written with many interesting stories. I give it the highest recommendation!

So glad I read this!

I am so glad that I read this during my training to become a psychiatric nurse practitioner. yes, it does lean heavily toward one side but I wouldn't say that it is strongly antipsychiatric. Rather it calls I to question some very reasonable examples of the assumptions to psychiatric care. that seems reasonable given the deceptive, money injected history of psychiatry over the last few decades as detailed in the book.

I strongly recommend this read to anyone who is taking, is considering taking, or prescribes psychiatric medications. If for any reason but to develop a balanced perspective.

PHARMACEUTICAL corruption started long ago.

It amazes me how the majority of individuals, during THESE modern times with unnumbered accounts of pharmaceutical companies corruption, knowingly and partnered w modern medical providers, and how they included government in their trillion dollar business.

Well-supported, Compassionate, and Damning

An eye-opening book. If you have grown suspicious that medicating two-year-olds for supposed bi-polar disorder is wrong, and that the boom in mental illness is not what it's reported to be, then you have felt the skeleton of an ugly, primitive beast. Author Robert Whitaker puts the flesh on those bones, and reveals the whole shaggy shambling monster for what it is. Via the mental health racket, we are a society at war with itself, doing great damage and claiming great victories.

This Helps Explain A Lot Of Our Societal Ills

This is a great look at the inner world of mental illness and how society has dealt with it through the years. There are more mentally ill among us than ever before, but is that because of the medications that they’re on (or meant to be on, or perhaps misdiagnosed?) or does society just “catch and release”… or ignore more than before?

This book raises a lot of questions, and gives a lot of answers.

I really enjoyed the work of author Robert Whitaker, and I agree that there seems to be an epidemic among us as far as mentally ill and how we treat them.

If you want to learn about the history and current status of the treatment of the mentally ill (and some of the medications that most of them are administered), this is a must read book for you!

A life changing book

I could not recommend this book more highly. The chapters on the hard science can feel a bit laborious for the average layperson, but they are necessary and ultimately make the book more powerful. After seeing the world “reacting” to the 2022 study on the lack of connection between serotonin and depression, you cannot help but laugh after reading this book. We’ve known this for almost 50 years by now and the evidence is presented thoroughly and compellingly. I understand that the author got attacked for writing it ten years ago but time has already proven him correct and I suspect will continue to.