Here’s another warning from the Food & Drug Administration about the risk of violent behavior being increased by the use of psychiatric drugs:

http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/antidepressants/default.htm

If antidepressants were a “street drug” with this kind of side effects, the makers and sellers would be in the federal slammer and the key thrown away.

Of course there are some people who will say “Oh these drugs are like magic and they maked my life better”. Well, the people who use street drugs say they use them because they make life better. But, I don’t see the government rushing to legalize them.

Folks, I don’t know when we are going to wake up to the fact that the government and the pharmaceutical industry are the biggest dealers of dangerously mind altering drugs on the planet.

California Dolphin

There are pros and cons about antidepresant medications. Some people obviously need them to survive. Some may be prescribed them unnessecarily. I do accept the fact that some people do not function without antidepressants. So much of depression is biochemical. But the medicines certainly can have their side effects. SHALOM TO THE DEPRESSED.

I don’t understand why people need to use antidepressants to have a life. If depression is really a clinical disease, why isn’t it prevalent throughout the world like it is the U.S., the U.K. and Russia? I used to live in Japan and the use of antidepressants is practically unheard of.

Seems to me that depression is more of a political disease that has its origin in socioeconomic problems rather than some kind of naturally occurring chemical anomally.

Presently, it is not known what kind of stuff the VT shooter had in his body (I’d like to see the results of a spectrographic analysis of what was in his brain and nerve tissue) or what other factors contributed to that incident. However, if antidepressants were a “street drug” with this kind of side effects, the makers (and sellers) would be in the federal slammer and the key thrown away.

Dolphin, I appreciate your views on this but given your comments, I doubt you have had to deal with these issues. If you had, you would have a completely different understanding of antidepressants. Socioeconomic status has very little to do with depression. It knows no boundaries, whether it be age, gender, or income level. It actually has to do with brain chemistry.

Speaking as someone who used to be on all sorts of fun psychiatric medications, you do have some valid points. The medications can do all sorts of damage if used improperly. They are meant to open a window to allow for effective therapy...talk therapy. They are not intended to replace treatment completely. Allow me to give you a quick mini-education on antidepressants. The rest you can do on your own, if you so choose.

There are several classes of anti-depressants, the most common being SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors. Examples of SSRIs are Zoloft, Prozac, Paxil, and Luvox. SSRIs work with the serotonin in your brain, which is a neurotransmitter. People who deal with depression have a low amount of serotonin carrying the signals to different parts of their brain. The SSRIs are incredibly helpful if combined with therapy.

I don't know if this will have any effect on how you look at antidepressants, but believe me, they do more good than you think. That's all I have to say.

P.S. I am no longer on any psychiatric meds, but I've seen what they can do.

as someone who is on psych meds and will be for the rest of my life, I've found that just because a society doesn't have very many people on drugs, doesn't mean that there aren't others who need them

you have people who self-medicate through illegal drugs. legal drugs and alcohol or simply deal with their illness through very unhealthy means; spousal abuse; sexual addiction, etc

depression is a very real illness; just like any other illness out there

Here’s yet another article on the misdiagnosis of mental illness and over-prescription of psychiatric drugs:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?...EDGGTP3DHD1.DTL

Just read the second paragraph from the bottom.

That says it all.

CD

Here’s yet another public figure who’s speaking out about the psycho-pharmaceutical industrial complex.

This time, it’s John Travolta

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070620/ap_en_...e_john_travolta

As more and more information comes out about the noxious effects of these drugs, the public will realize what an insidious fraud this industry really is.

Are you a Scientologist, Dolphin?

It seems that a lot of people are helped by anti-depressants, although they have side effects like any other drug. Keep in mind, Dolphin, that the press churns out scare stories solely to increase readership. For a funny look at this practice, check out the magazine covers at www.theonion.com. Here's a sample: http://www.theonion.com/content/node/49784.

Dolphin? Who are YOU?



I have been successfully treated for the past 8 years with Effexor. If I miss (accidentally) my reg. dose, I go absolutely beserk. Thank God that this particular drug does what it does for me. Otherwise, I long ago would have been 'committed'.



My three cents.



TRL

Hi Golfer 24, SFTom, & TRL:
Just for everyone’s info, I am NOT affiliated with the Church of Scientology or any other religious organization for that matter. It seems that the government‘s “mouth piece” news media (AKA propaganda organ) always tries to come up with some kind of a smear campaign to use against opponents of psychiatry (in its present state) and their drastic over prescription and abuse of antidepressants and SSRIs. If the media couldn’t blame the Church Of Scientology, they’d be claiming we opponents of the psycho-pharmaceutical industry are associated with “Area 51” (the UFO cult in Roswell, New Mexico).

As for the question of “Who am I”, I am an industrial electronics consultant and my most of my work is related to elevator control systems and also controls for rapid transit vehicles. I could provide a link to my company’s site, however that would breach my privacy (and that of other workers) so I will not elaborate on this subject any further.

As for my knowledge of antidepressants and SSRIs, I was on the stuff in my 20s. I come from an extremely dysfunctional family (that is if you call a “family” a group of people consisting of an aunt who engages in “soft core” incest with her father, a grandmother who made two suicide attempts that left her with brain damage, and a cousin who got stoned on and knocked up his “new” girl friend while he was still married to -and already had a child from- the previous girl friend he knocked up).

To add more misery, I am partially disabled with what appears to be a mild case of cerebral palsy –CP- (damage to the part of the brain that controls movement). Of course, practically everyone thinks that CP is a form of mental retardation/mental illness (instead of a true neurological problem) and accordingly I have been discriminated against for this reason.

In 1978, I successfully sued the manufacturers of several types of tricyclic antidepressants for $200,000 in damages, a private psychiatric clinic for $4000, and the State of California Dept. of Mental Health for $50,000 for false imprisonment. About 5 years ago, I got another judgment against one of the major HMOs (I can’t mention the name, but it’s a well known one with the same name as a type of German hamburger bun) for malpractice in diagnosing my CP as a mental illness. The correct misdiagnosis of CP was verified by a pathokinesiological laboratory, which used electromyography (electronic muscle testing) to verify that in fact I actually had CP and not a psychosomatic illness.

Accordingly, I have studied the subject of neurology and psychiatry on my own and I am quite appalled at the amount of negligence and abuse there is on the part of medical practitioners who are literally “pushing” antidepressants and SSRIs like they were the best thing since sliced bread. However, I am quite aware of the hazards associated with all types of these drugs and in fact as a new career, I am seriously thinking of starting a technical writing service for law firms who’s clients are suing the psychiatric profession and the manufacturers of these drugs for neurological damage.
I am not surprised at all that the FDA has issued a "Black Box" warning that states that the use of these drugs can actually exacerbate depression and possibly cause suicidal (or possibly homicidal) behavior. They can also cause a neurological disorder known Tardive Dyskinesia (TD) which causes a person to exhibit physically (and socially) disfiguring symptoms such as “Tics” or sudden flinches of the face or limbs.

By the way, anyone who is using antidepressants and SSRIs should carefully read the disclosures (which if printed in # 10 Font would cover at least two newspaper pages). I can write lots, lots more on this subject which is now becoming a major problem in today’s society, but I have to go back to work right now.

California Dolphin

Here's a warning about Prozac.

One of the reasons people go crazy when they go off their medication is because they're addicted. Their body demands it and bam, insanity. Sure, there are people who need medication but a large percentage of people actually become so addicted to it - they may just be worse off. But this is speaking generally, and each individual has to find what works for them. At this point in time though, it's awfully hard to feel any trust for the FDA and the pharmaceutical companies.

I have to put my 2 c in here. I went through a bad breakup (who hasn't?) in 1991. I just couldn't seem to shake it, and was going downhill fast. Prozac saved my life. I believe that. But then several moves cross country, doctor changes, and continuation with it, with no questioning by any of the doctors. Years went by. Finally I developed a bad case of RLS (before it was called RLS). Went to a doctor for it, and he said that prozac sometimes causes that. I asked if he thought I should get off the prozac. So we finally discussed why I had originally been taking it, and how long etc. He said "Yeah, you probably no longer have a need for it." So I tapered off over about 3 months, and never felt anything different. Now I am off of it almost a year. NO MORE RLS. And I never felt anything different--emotionally, psychologically, etc.
They say antidepressants mess with your sexual response. Oh yeah. That was a definite bad side effect. I don't know if it is the same for men.

Sexual dysfunction is a known problem with Prozac, but not a problem with later developed anti-depressants (e.g., Wellbutrin).

As you point out, anti-depressants are often lifesavers. They don't work for everyone, but that's generally the case with all medication.

The Tom Cruises of the world are a pox on the planet (as well as the silver screen, but that's a different issue). People who condemn out of ignorance do a huge disservice to those who could benefit from the drugs. It reminds me of religious zealots who are obsessed with condemning non-believers. Hell, if you don't think anti-depressants are a good idea, then don't take them and get the heck out of the way of those who want to try.

the problem is that prozac and other SSRIs are being routinely prescribed. it should be reserved for severe types of clinical depression.

Perhaps there is something about U.K., Russian, and (especially) American society that genuninely makes people more vulnerable to clinical depression. Depression has increasingly been linked to stress - and there are a lot of aspects to American society that are immensely stressful. Since WWII, Japan has been greatly influenced by America's culture and values - but perhaps there is something about traditional Japanese culture that gives them a "better foundation" and makes them less vulnerable to depression. (Or maybe there is something in the Japanese diet - supposedly the Japanese get more Omega-3 fatty acids in their traditional diet - and Omega-3 has been linked to better, more stable mood.) But from some of the things I've heard - the Westernized culture/way-of-life might be catching up to the Japanese - I've heard that there has been a sharp increase in suicide and depression over there in recent years.



Like others have said, you seem to speak from the perspective of someone who has never had a real problem with depression. Trust me - if you have experienced real, clinical, severe depression, you would not be calling it a "political" disease.

And I am someone who has a lot of disillusionment and skepticism myself about psychiatric drugs, the pharmaceutical industry, and the medical profession. I do agree with your general point, to some extent. But I've had the awful luck of suffering from a very severe, debilitating depression for all of my adult life - so I have intimate knowledge that this is a real illness that does require some type of significant treatment, even pharmaceutical treatment (as much as I hate the meds).



I'd like to do a spectrographic-analysis on myself. Having been on at least four psychiatric drugs over the last 14 years, I do wonder what kind of "junk" has accumulated in my brain...maybe there is some "residue" there that has built up. I think all people who have taken psychiatric drugs (or any drugs) for a significant period of time (say, a year) should have spectrographic analysis done. But we are talking about the conventional medical industry here - they don't consider such things "necessary".




I've had many years of experience on psychiatric drugs, and my horrible experiences when I've tried to live without these drugs make me seriously suspect that, in the long run, these drugs have done "collateral damage" to my brain. I have suspected that these drugs "change your brain" such that, in the long run, your depression/anxiety is made worse. I've noticed that, each time I've tried to come off of these drugs, my depression and anxiety seem to be worse each time - and I reached a point some time in my drug experience when I felt as though my "rebound depression" was worse than the original depression that caused me to go on the drug(s) in the first place.

I really do think there is something these companies are concealing from us - these drugs are more damaging and sinister than "The Powers That Be" are (publicly) acknowledging.

dolphi said>>>I don’t understand why people need to use antidepressants to have a life. If depression is really a clinical disease, why isn’t it prevalent throughout the world like it is the U.S., the U.K. and Russia? I used to live in Japan and the use of antidepressants is practically unheard of.

As trite , outmoded, and whatever else may try to invalidate my opinion, I really think there is something powerful in having a positive family structure to fall back on. Without it, kids, adults, all of us, are a little weaker.
My partner was my family, and when that exploded, I had my friends, which a lot of us gay folks feel is our chosen family, but I really didn't have a good family unit to fall back on. In may case, I really think with some gool ole mother lovin and and some unconditional love when I was down, I probably could have survived the crash without the drugs. I just don't think we have strong family units in this country. I am not saying this is the main cause of depression. Maybe just a social factor in causing a very real physical based illness. Now, saying that, I think it behooves the political people to help us strengthen our families by supporting our gay relationships, letting us marry and have children, and forming what we see as families.

I'm glad you have a strong support system. I really don't recently. You know ... my best friend moved away, a gym bud passed away, another is using drugs to dull his pain (and I'm distancing myself from that) and many of my Mpls friends stopped talking to me. I miss them, but they have issues they need to work on right now and I'm not a part of the equation.

I have to be my own support system offline and dealing w/ depression for over 10 years .. I finally had to do something about it, so I'm on Wellbutrin. I'm very happy to be on it. There aren't any sexual side effects, but initially ... it's hard to sleep, but once your body adjusts - you're fine.

I just got tired of feeling sad and blue all the time. I lost friendships over this - some I cared deeply about. Part of me wishes I started earlier, but I'm glad I'm on it now and will continue to use it.

There have been way too many times I wanted to end my life. It's not worth it, you know? I've let too many people tell me over and over that I am worthless piece of white trash for so long.

And I'm not.

Allen, I'm very glad to hear that the Wellbutrin is working for you. However (voice of experience here!), you just MIGHT want to make sure that you're taking "real Wellbutrin" as opposed to a generic. My HMO switched me to a generic version, which did NOT work. Next time I see my primary-care MD, I've got to see about getting back on the name brand.

Generic Drug Equality Questioned: A Report by the People's Pharmacy and ConsumerLab.com