Friday, June 20, 2008

Let's get controversial

I think psychiatric drugs are dangerous. There, I said it. There is plenty of evidence that they are (see the references below) and there is plenty of evidence that they are not effective. For example, antidepressants are no more effective than a placebo (see Study casts doubt on anti-depressants). So if these drugs are no more effective than a placebo and they have horrendous side-effects ... why is anyone prescribing them?

My own personal theories:
  • Theory #1: Money
  • Theory #2: Money
  • Theory #3: (there is no theory #3)
These drugs are creating massive profit for pharmaceutical companies and, sadly, these companies are not there for the benefit of human beings in distress, but for the benefit of company shareholders.

I'm hoping some of you will want to comment on this. It's a subject that can arouse the passions, so please keep you comments on topic and practice good manners.

References:

3 comments:

mwildcard said...

I heard an analogy that I think just nailed the level of science used:
When I have a toothache, I drink a lot of whiskey and then the pain goes away (or at least I stop feeling it). Therefore, my toothache was caused by a whiskey deficiency--a chemical imbalance in my body.

Monty said...

This is a very good subject and I am glad that this is being stated.

I want to say that I agree with you and based on the fact that I work at a medical detox and see the results of these drugs firsthand I think that this should be known.

Did you know that a recent study into Prozac in the UK showed that it was no more effective then the Placebo.

Or the fact that two of the main researchers at Harvard that did testing on Anti-Psychotics and their use on children were getting payed over 2 MILLION dollars of unreported funds in their study by the drug companies - this was disclosed recently in a investigation done into them.

You have to relize that the main purpose of these drugs is to mask the "problem" of the person so that the visit is 15 minutes and cost 100 dollars. "There in and there out" should be the motto of the present Psychiatrist or Med doctor that prescribes these pills.

I speak to way too many people that think that the "Benzos" like Xanax and pain killers like Oxycontin or SSRI's like Prozac or the legal meth drugs like ridalin are not addictive. But then they try to come off and have seizures or there blood pressure shoots through the roof and they feel suicidal or they have insomnia.

I had someone recently that came off Ambien and I thought that the way he put it was quite good. He said I feel that I am sleeping now and waking up feeling refreshed and not being "knocked out" and "coming to".

This is what the drugs do - If that is how you want to live your life that's your choice. All I can do is tell you what is going to happen once you start - If you do.

If you need help go to www.novusdetox.com or
www.prescriptionaddictionradio.com

Study up on the drugs.

Knowledge - its the antidrug.

Monty

Grahame said...

ROFL!

Nice analogy, you nailed it.