PSYCHOANALYTIC procedure conducted with patients who are simultaneously treated with antipsychotic drugs partially reveals how these medications influence psychic life. This report demonstrates one of the limitations of the effectiveness of energizing drugs, and the psychic events which accompany this particular aspect of drug failure.
Report of Cases
Case 1.—
M. H., a 48-year-old married woman, came for treatment in July of 1962 in a moderately to severely depressed condition, immediately after an attempted suicide with a relatively small dose of barbiturates. A course of antidepressant medication, basically nialamide (Niamid) was begun. At first she responded so well that she could be maintained on a dosage of 150 mg per day. Over a period of months, however, her response seemed to fail, so that it gradually became necessary to build up the dosage to 500 mg of nialamide per day, plus small amounts of other drugs. Each increment was necessitated