About 4.2% of adults in the United States suffer from serious mental illness. About 1-2% of Americans are pathological gamblers. In theory, these small numbers should never overlap. But one of the most-prescribed drugs in the world is quietly facilitating the collision of these two disorders in America, with devastating consequences.
Aripiprazole, sold under the brand name Abilify, has locked itself in place as one of the top selling drugs in the United States. An atypical antipsychotic, doctors prescribe Abilify to almost a million Americans each year. The drug treats one of the most sensitive populations in the U.S.—people suffering from schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression.
Abilify is widely regarded as an effective treatment for these serious mental disorders. But the drug comes at a dangerously high – and unknown – price. Study after study links aripiprazole to the onset of pathological gambling—even in people with no prior or familial history of the disorder. Tellingly, in many of the studies, the symptoms abate almost immediately after stopping the medication.
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