Lost amidst the anti-gun clamor following the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School is the possibility that it may have occurred not because of easy access to guns but to the alleged perpetrator's use of psychiatric drugs. There are unconfirmed reports (from an uncle and a neighbor) that Adam Lanza was medicated at the time of the attack, perhaps taking the anti-psychotic drug Fanapt. If that turns out to be the case, he will join a dismaying list of school shooters and other cold-blooded murderers who were taking or withdrawing from various psychotropic drugs. (See also here.) Of course, there is a legitimate question of causation here. If someone is prescribed psychotropic drugs, there are pre-existing psychological issues that may make a person more disposed to violence. Still, the list of side effects of Fanapt lends support to the theory that it can lead to violent actions: "restlessness, aggression, and delusion have been reported frequently. Hostility......(Read Full Post)