RESULTS OF SIMULTANEOUS ABRUPT WITHDRAWAL OF ATARAXICS IN 500 CHRONIC PSYCHOTIC PATIENTS

It is our opinion that the sudden withdrawal of tranquilizers from chronic psychotics living in a protective and reasonably permissive ward atmosphere will do no apparent harm to their condition in the majority of patients for a period ranging up to 5 months. Withdrawal symptoms were few, mild, and easily controlled, and asocial conduct usually subsided readily when the drugs were readministered. Drug intake as measured by duration, or dosage, or type of drug does not seem to be a factor as to how long a case can remain off medication socially. Neither do diagnosis, or apparent duration of illness, or age, except that those within the geriatric period seemed to remain off medication for the 90-day period in somewhat larger percentage. The results of this experiment seem to confirm a 1954 study(2) by a group at this hospital which found that clinical response and the pattern of resistive isolation in the Lorr Scale were the main improvements to be expected following the use of chlorpromazine and reserpine–and the present authors feel that this may well be true of all tranquilizers on this type of patient.