Lolie
Bluelighter
The thing that gets me is that so many doctors will be much quicker to prescribe something that can induce dysphoria, somnolence, weight gain and parkinson's-like symptoms, but will be very hesitant to prescribe anything that makes the patient "feel good" because they are worried about abuse. Not that all doctors are this way, and granted I do understand where they are coming from to a cetain extent.
And yeah, I had some idea about the lawsuits... didn't know the specifics though.
I honestly think that liability issues play some part in this too. At this point it's the manufacturers who are potentially liable regarding the atypical antipsychotics whereas with the benzos and opiates the doctors themselves are assuming liability if they prescribe recklessly. Seroquel seems like a politically correct alternative because it has little potential for abuse or dependence - the fact that it can literally be lethal when taken exactly as directed gets overlooked.
I have no intention of going off Seroquel at this point despite its risk profile because it is an effective antipsychotic for me and the alternatives either have similar or worse risk profiles or are out of my price range. But I sure as shit wouldn't be taking it if I didn't have a condition which in and of itself carries such a high risk of death.