Welcome to the Mad in America podcast, your source for science, psychiatry and social justice.

Hello, this is James and welcome to the podcast.

And this week we turn our attention to prescription drug-induced acathesia.

And joining me to discuss this is Jill Nickens.

Jill is the president and founder of the Acathia Alliance for Education and Research,

a non-profit organization formed by people who have personal experience of acetheasia.

The group includes biochemists, psychologists, nurses, attorneys, business owners, and others who have survived acathia,

suicidality and devastating personal losses due in part to a lack of awareness by medical professionals.

They have come together to inform and raise awareness to help minimize the risk of developing

acathesia.

Jill, welcome.

Thank you so much for taking the time to chat today for the podcast.

So to begin with, could you tell us a little bit about the experience of acethesia?

Hi, James.

Thanks so much for inviting me to do the Mad America podcast with you.

I'm excited to have this chance to talk about acethesia and the work we're doing at the Acethesia Alliance.

Acethesia is an extremely distressing neurological disorder that causes severe agitation and inability to remain still and an overwhelming sense of terror.

These symptoms are so horrific that it can make people instantly suicidal and is primarily caused by prescribed medications. The most common offenders are

antipsychotics, antidepressants, anti-nause medications, and antibiotics. And acetheia is much more

common than it's being reported. This is primarily because the majority of doctors today know little

to nothing about it, and some have never even heard of it. And it's important to stress that

acathesia is not a mental illness and it's not anxiety. It's like chemical torture. In fact, in the book Prozac Backlash, Dr. Joseph Glenn

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