Antidepressants are thought to treat depression. That is why it is prescribed. That’s also why they’ve become a multi-billion dollar industry over the past 50 years. But while generations of Americans have become obsessed with the idea that one magic pill will solve all our problems, we’ve found that these “cures” create the problems they are trying to solve. It turns out that there is a possibility.
One look at suicide rates shows that treatment is not the whole story. Antidepressant use in the United States has skyrocketed in recent years, but suicide rates have not declined. In fact, it is increasing!
The Daily Caller’s new documentary “SICK” delves into the sordid history of antidepressants developed and promoted by America’s big medical industry. From doctors and therapists to scientists and business executives, these drug sellers all claim to be experts. They argue that if they promise to solve all our problems, we should trust them. But the patients, advocates, and doctors we spoke to all agreed that Big Medicine is not the solution to America’s mental health crisis.
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Watch the special first footage below.
Advances in modern medicine have changed the way humans live. The discovery of penicillin in the 1920s wasmagic bulletUsed to treat bacterial infections. In the 1950s, polio vaccine Diseases once considered a death sentence have been nearly eradicated. While it has cured many of our physical ailments, it wasn’t long before Big Medicine set out to overcome mental ailments in a similar way.
First generation chemical mental health treatments Tricyclic antidepressants (TCA) in the 1960s. Although effective, these required close monitoring due to their high toxicity and high risk of accidental overdose. Naturally, they were not accepted by the public. Big medicine finally made a breakthrough in the 1970s with the discovery of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). SSRIs are a class of drugs like Prozac and Zoloft that are now ubiquitous.
The Mayo Clinic explains: SSRI It is thought to work “by increasing serotonin levels in the brain.” Serotonin is a natural chemical that acts as a messenger between brain nerve cells.Believed to have high levels of serotonin normalize It improves the brain’s response to external stimuli, such as fear, and reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety. Because they are far less toxic than TCAs, they have become widely recommended and prescribed with little oversight, creating a huge new market. Old Zoloft commercials with cute little bouncy balls masked the drug’s dark side. You can also visit your doctor and leave a few minutes later with an SSRI prescription. You will not be told anything about the risks.
That’s exactly what happened to Blake Guiché, a former patient turned advocate interviewed by the Daily Caller. She lost her formative years to the SSRI Zoloft. She explained her stress over the “normal college transition” to a campus doctor during her freshman year, and she walked out 10 minutes later with her prescription. Only after she started becoming dependent on the drug did she find out about all the harmful side effects.
The Mayo Clinic explains:
“Possible side effects are SSRI Among other things, it may include:
- nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
- headache
- sleepiness
- dry mouth
- insomnia
- nervousness, excitement, or restlessness
- dizzy
- Sexual problems such as decreased sexual desire, difficulty reaching orgasm, or inability to maintain an erection (erectile dysfunction)
- Impact on appetite, leading to weight loss or weight gain.”
But even the worst potential side effects went unnoticed until decades after SSRIs were already on the market. In 2004, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) black box warning Antidepressants may increase the risk of suicide in teens. In 2006, the FDA expanded its warning to include young people. We spoke to global drug safety advocate Kim Wychak, whose husband sadly committed suicide after being prescribed Zoloft by her family doctor. Since then, Wichak has advocated for stricter safety measures for the past two decades.
Stories like Vichak and Guishet may be considered outliers because they are anecdotes. But that’s not the case.
One National Institutes of Health Research shows that between 1991 and 2018, SSRI and SNRI usage in the United States increased by a whopping 3001%. In his one estimate for 2020, 37 million Americans are prescribed certain types of antidepressants.That number is just increased Since COVID-19, this has been especially true among young women and girls.
Considering their prevalence, you would think suicide rates in America are going down, right? Wrong!of suicide rate In fact, it increased by 35% between 1999 and 2018. In 2022, almost 50,000 Americans took their own lives. In addition to suicide, the following diseases are prevalent: loneliness and the best ever depression rate As of 2023.
Decades of promoting SSRIs have made a handful of people extremely wealthy, but even the most wealthy Americans are not wealthy. In 2021, medicaid spending For antidepressants, it exceeded $1 billion; brand name Antidepressants can cost up to $1,900 for a 30-day supply. And now new research suggests it may all have been in vain.
A 2022 study went a long way in debunking the serotonin theory of depression, which is the entire basis of the SSRI market. “”Afterumbrella reviews” The results of the serotonin hypothesis study, which evaluated decades of research, were published in the Journal of Molecular Psychiatry.Lead researcher Joanna Moncrief said the study found “there is no evidence that depression is caused by abnormalities in serotonin.” Said In a press release.
“Thousands of people suffer from antidepressant side effects, including severe withdrawal symptoms when trying to stop antidepressants, yet prescription rates continue to rise,” Moncrief said. continued. “We believe this situation is partially caused by the mistaken belief that depression is caused by chemical imbalances. Let the public know that this belief is not based in science. The time has come.”
After 50 years, the public is only just beginning to wake up to one of the biggest medical hoaxes in history. To know the rest of the story, subscribe and watch “SICK” now.
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