Five Reasons not to take SSRIs Now that SSRIs don't work for depression, don't take them!


http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/...not-take-ssris

Published on January 7, 2010
For the past five years, and in my recent book OBSESSION: A HISTORY, I have been questioning the effectiveness of Prozac-like drugs known as SSRIs. I've pointed out that when the drugs first came out in the early 1990's there was a wildly enthusiastic uptake in the prescribing of such drugs. Doctors were jubilantly claiming that the drugs were 80-90 per cent effective in treating depression and related conditions like OCD. In the last few years those success rates have been going down, with the NY Times pointing out that the initial numbers had been inflated by drug companies supressing the studies that were less encouraging. But few if any doctors or patients were willing to hear anything disparaging said about these "wonder" drugs.

Now the tune has changed.

rule 5 is interesting:

Reason Five: The whole serotonin hypothesis is challenged by these findings. What this new information shows is that there may be some help using SSRIs if there is a severe shortage of serotonin, but the average person's depression cannot simply be related to a "chemical imbalance." The human brain is too complicated and so are we to have a simple, quick explanation related to seratonin alone. We have no way of measuring serotonin the brain of a living person, short of cutting open the skull. We have not come up with what a normal level of serotonin should be and below which we can say that you would be depressed and above which we can say you will be happy. People with high serotonin levels can be depressed and those with low levels can be happy. Serotonin inducing drugs like ecstasy can make you feel very happy, but so can alcohol and heroin. We have to go back to the drawing boards on this one, so don't ever let anyone say "I've got a chemical imbalance" without asking them what they actually mean and where is the science to prove that statement.

Thanks soooooooooo much for this post and the related link.

When it comes to SSRIs there is not one study NOT FUNDED BY THE DRUG COMPANIES that shows them to be effective. In fact, a large, independent study at Toronto's Sunnybrooke Hospital showed they could actually be harmful for brain injury patients. The BBC programme Panorama did a devastating documentary on these drugs a few years ago that lead to a ban on SSRIs being used on children in the U.K. I think you can still watch it on the BBC webpage.

Given how many people are popping Prozac, if the stuff worked, our's would be one insufferably happy country. Hmmmm...........

I really appreciated the reference to this article. My hubby just started on Prosac; when i asked why that particular medication, he said that was what the doctor suggested. I have never had good luck with SSRI's, but have an older drug (Wellbutrin) for many years with good results.

I totally agree with #4:
We're an over-medicated society, and the goal of drug companies and a compliant and harried medical establishment is ultimately to have some drug coursing through every individuals's bloodstream. It's a lot easier to quickly pop a pill or prescribe than it is to explore the reasons for a person's distress.

Thanks again. I'm going to give this information to members of my support group the next time we meet.

On a personal note, what is your son up to now? I guess he's grown (I think hs name is Ryan.)

Peg