The downside of meds

Robert Whitaker wants to start a national conversation about psychiatric medications. In his new book “Anatomy of an Epidemic,’’ Whitaker, a Cambridge-based science writer, argues that drugs for depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia are actually causing a surge in disability. He traces the history of medications for these disorders, how they got to the market and how they’ve grown in popularity.

The downside of meds