Video: What Does Akathisia Look Like?
Producer: MISSD Foundation (Medication-Induced Suicide Prevention and Education)
Length: Approx. 2:20 minutes Release: October 2018
This short educational video uses a combination of live-action footage and animation to illustrate the visible and internal symptoms of akathisia — a drug-induced state of severe motor restlessness and profound inner torment. It highlights how akathisia can arise when medications (including SSRIs and other classes) are started, stopped, or dosage-changed.
Key Content
- Visible signs shown: rocking back and forth, pacing, marching in place, shifting weight, inability to sit still.
- Internal symptoms described: increased anxiety, agitation, irritability, impulsivity, aggressiveness, hostility, panic attacks, insomnia.
- Context: Notes that symptoms can become so severe they drive some individuals toward self-harm, violence, or suicide.
- Call to action: Encourages early recognition by family, friends, and medical professionals to seek appropriate help before the distress escalates.
The production is straightforward and factual, focusing on symptom identification rather than promotion of any treatment model. It draws on real patient experiences and aims to raise public awareness of this under-recognised medication side effect.
Relevance to Per Lanterna
This video provides a clear, visual demonstration of akathisia that complements documented industry acknowledgments such as the Roger M. Lane’s (Pfizer Inc.) 1998 paper referenced below. It aligns with our examination of how pharmaceutical side effects — often downplayed or misattributed — contribute to ongoing harm in the absence of genuine cures for mental distress.
“It may be less of a question of patients experiencing fluoxetine-induced suicidal ideation than patients feeling that ‘death is a welcome result’ when the acutely discomforting symptoms of akathisia are experienced on top of already distressing disorders.”
Roger M. Lane (Pfizer Inc.), SSRI-Induced extrapyramidal side-effects and akathisia: implications for treatment, Journal of Psychopharmacology, 1998, Vol. 12(2), pp. 192–214
Viewers are encouraged to watch with the understanding that akathisia has been a recognised risk of SSRIs and other psychiatric drugs for decades, yet recognition and proper management remain inconsistent in clinical practice.