"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has finally recognized the hazardous effects of antidepressants and recommended that manufacturers add warning labels on their products. The new warning label states: 'Antidepressants increased the risk of suicidal thinking and behavior (suicidality) in short-term studies in children and adolescents with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and other psychiatric disorders. Anyone considering the use of [drug name] or any other antidepressant in a child or adolescent must balance this risk with the clinical need. Patients who are started on therapy should be observed closely for clinical worsening, suicidality, or unusual changes in behavior.'
The FDA should be congratulated for finally taking this step. However, one might ask why they didn't act ten years ago when the evidence was just as compelling. How many have needlessly died because the FDA, and the governmental agencies of most countries, failed to buck the pressure applied by the pharmaceutical companies to downplay the risks associated with antidepressants. The topic of antidepressants is particularly important in terms of overall public safety because the violent side effects caused by some of these drugs impacts more than just those on the drugs. We've already cited examples of children on antidepressants killing teachers and classmates at school and their own family members. Although this obviously does not occur in all cases, and it does not suggest that anyone on an antidepressant will kill their loved ones, there are nevertheless enough cases to cause concern, especially with children.
The new warnings were implemented because of several placebo-controlled studies that involved nine antidepressant drugs (SSRIs and others) in children and adolescents with major depressive disorder (MDD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), or other psychiatric disorders (a total of 24 trials involving over 4,400 patients). The conclusive evidence showed that patients on antidepressants were at double the risk of suicidal thinking or behavior (suicidality) during the first few months of treatment than those on the placebo. But what the FDA pointedly avoided studying was the well-documented relationship between the use of antidepressants and violence toward others. We've looked at a sampling of some of the more 'notorious' stories in the news, but these are only a fraction of the incidents reported. And keep in mind, those drugs are supposed to 'enhance' mood! (I guess it all depends on what your definition of enhance is.) With many children under the age of 3 already on Prozac, we may have only seen the barest hint of where this problem is truly headed.
To be objective, antidepressants are important for some people with severe symptoms who don't respond to alternatives. When symptoms are debilitating, the risks associated with the drugs may be worth it. But for the majority of people who suffer from the typical daily disappointments in life or certain nutritional deficiencies, short periods of depression are common and can usually be eliminated through various natural remedies with minimal side effects. At least, we should think twice before we simply pop a pill. Being a 'Prozac nation' is not only sad, it's dangerous."
Like & Share (G.Shyam)
The FDA should be congratulated for finally taking this step. However, one might ask why they didn't act ten years ago when the evidence was just as compelling. How many have needlessly died because the FDA, and the governmental agencies of most countries, failed to buck the pressure applied by the pharmaceutical companies to downplay the risks associated with antidepressants. The topic of antidepressants is particularly important in terms of overall public safety because the violent side effects caused by some of these drugs impacts more than just those on the drugs. We've already cited examples of children on antidepressants killing teachers and classmates at school and their own family members. Although this obviously does not occur in all cases, and it does not suggest that anyone on an antidepressant will kill their loved ones, there are nevertheless enough cases to cause concern, especially with children.
The new warnings were implemented because of several placebo-controlled studies that involved nine antidepressant drugs (SSRIs and others) in children and adolescents with major depressive disorder (MDD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), or other psychiatric disorders (a total of 24 trials involving over 4,400 patients). The conclusive evidence showed that patients on antidepressants were at double the risk of suicidal thinking or behavior (suicidality) during the first few months of treatment than those on the placebo. But what the FDA pointedly avoided studying was the well-documented relationship between the use of antidepressants and violence toward others. We've looked at a sampling of some of the more 'notorious' stories in the news, but these are only a fraction of the incidents reported. And keep in mind, those drugs are supposed to 'enhance' mood! (I guess it all depends on what your definition of enhance is.) With many children under the age of 3 already on Prozac, we may have only seen the barest hint of where this problem is truly headed.
To be objective, antidepressants are important for some people with severe symptoms who don't respond to alternatives. When symptoms are debilitating, the risks associated with the drugs may be worth it. But for the majority of people who suffer from the typical daily disappointments in life or certain nutritional deficiencies, short periods of depression are common and can usually be eliminated through various natural remedies with minimal side effects. At least, we should think twice before we simply pop a pill. Being a 'Prozac nation' is not only sad, it's dangerous."
Like & Share (G.Shyam)
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thanks for feedback, hope from U to share this!