Antidepressants Video Goes For The Jugular
21 CommentsBy Ed Silverman // September 25th, 2007 // 5:29 pm
It’s not clear who posted this pastiche of clips, but the message isn’t ambivalent - antidepressants can cause suicide and, in some cases, violence. The timing is interesting, too - this appears on YouTube (see below) just a week after a study is published in The American Journal of Psychiatry suggesting Black Box warnings on product labeling caused scrips to drop and suicides to rise.
The video contains TV clips about the controversy, snippets of an FDA meeting about the drugs, and interviews with now-familiar critics, including Harvard’s Joseph Glenmullen and David Healy of the University of Wales. The video opens and closes with a 911 call in which a New Jersey teen can be heard threatening to kill herself. This is not for the faint-hearted, and it’s likely to upset anyone who believes antidepressants can help people.
“These are stories from real families,” says Lisa Van Syckel, a self-stylist activist, whose family is heard in the 911 tape. “The media only provides a snippet - 30 seconds of a parent making a statement, and then there’s comment from the pharmaceutical industry or someone who’s conducted clinical trials. This clip gives you insight of what those families have endured.”
Jeff Wilson
RIGHT ON. I use to work in the pharmacutical industry and took these drugs for 23 years. My life was a living hell and my doctor blamed it on depression when in fact it was all caused by antidepressants.
Contact me. We need to work together.
Lisa
HOLY COW!! This guy hit on everything I feel while being on the SSRI’s. I’m 45 and am weaning off of them slowly with my doctors help but I felt anger and rage at 10 times the magnitude that I did when I wasn’t on them. I can’t even imagine being a kid who not only is going through trying to grow up but being on this shit too!
KUDOS for this report! My kids will NEVER EVER touch this crap!
Darcy Baston
I’m in this video (1:21 left, orange turtleneck). I was interviewed for having been on Paxil and had a withdrawal experience from hell. It took MANY YEARS to undo the effects of being on Paxil for just a couple years.
I founded an organization. I wrote a book. I got into magazines, on TV, and built the world’s largest community of Paxil Withdrawal sufferers and survivors! Your story matters. The world needs to know what you’ve been through. Please visit paxilprogress and share your truth so that others like you can work beside you towards breathing as much truth into this medical nightmare.
Donna
OH YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!BRAVO!!!!!GET IT OUT THERE……..
Laurie
And this, for those who have denied this for years, is what people are experiencing every single day. This doesn’t effect a “few” people. I talk to thousands of people every day from all over the world who’s stories are to stunningly similar to be denied. The most common first post on my site is “OMG, thank you for this site. I’m not crazy, I’m in withdrawal”.
I don’t know who did this compilation video, but thank you.
http://www.paxilprogress.org
Atlex
Repeat after me–the plural of anecdote is not data. Anecdotes provide wonderful texture and color to a situation; however, there are far too many studies showing the benefits of antidepressants for the right patient. Are some patients not helped–absolutely. But many are helped. My father, who suffered from alchoholism and depression for many years, saw limited benefit from psychotherapy, but improved dramatically when he was prescribed an SSRI.
OK all you naysayers, start your personal attacks. Lisa, will you be the first?
jason
Thanks Atlex, yes maybe thousands of patients have visited Darcy’s site or Laurie’s site. The simple fact is MILLIONS of patients are on psych meds. Sounds like a good percentage of patients helped to me. Some of whom I am guessing had very bad ideas before meds.
I am with Mark Cuban - the internet has become boring and full of those on the fringe.
Melody
Atlex–
How is your father’s “situation” anything other than an anecdotal tale–providing color and texture–but nevertheless overlooking the fact that he was already a consumer of one “suspect” drug (alcohol) and in some manner benefited by adding a second drug to his “treatment.” Color and texture help to make a picture complete, while knowing the resulting picture funded by SSRI drug makers makes the picture a fraud.
I’m sure you are eager to support SSRI makers because their skewed data collection enhances your experience; you are equally eager to dispel anything contra to your own EXPERIENCE. Unfortunately, very few studies are done (because they don’t support pharma’s bottom line) that would provide the information that now comes ONLY via anecdotes.
Was your DAD a happy drunk? a sad drunk? a quiet drunk? a boisterous, compative drunk? a suicidal drunk? an anti-social drunk? or could we say, alcohol as a drug, doesn’t cause any of these phenomena?
Lisa
Atlex,
No Personal attacks here..Actually, I am very happy that your father benefited from his treatment with an SSRI…
But, with that said,it is important to note that children are not small adults.Antidepressants,with the exception of prozac, have never been FDA approved for depression in the child and adolescent population.The Industries own placebo-controlled clinical trials had schown a 1.5 to 3.2 increase in suicidal thoughts and behaviours and demonstrated “NO EFFICACY”.
I have never told a Parent what to do…The decision to medicate or not medicate is their responsibility.
Again, with that said..Parents must be provided with an FDA Mandated Medication Guide.This vital, life saving information will help parents to monitor their children,and prevent tragedy.Children who become psychotic on these meds are not just a danger to themselves,They can and will be a “Danger to Others”
Jason,
Good Morning..You’re up bright and early!
Donna
Laurie,
You Tube video posted by Grenaldo83, a week ago..http://www.youtube.com/grenaldo83…also has other video’s posted…..
Melody
Atlex-
How is your father’s tale anything but anecdotal? Because it aligns with published studies, it is somehow data instead of anecdote? The color and texture provided by anecdotal stories paints a more authentic picture than the black and white (and oftentimes manipulated) data presented to support Big Pharma’s contributions.
Also, you failed to mentioned the fact that your Dad was already using one drug (alcohol). Was he a happy drunk? a sad drunk? a belligerent, combative drunk? a quiet drunk? a suicidal drunk? And how did his “drug of choice” INTERACT with the SSRI for which you so ardently advocate? When YOUR experience supports pharma’s bottom line, it provides “scientific data;’ when others’ experience DOESN’T support pharma–the tales are “merely anecdotal?????”
Laurie
“Anecdotes provide wonderful texture and color to a situation;”
All “data” collected in the use of ssri’s is anecdotal. This is a drug who’s efficacy, or lack of, is totally dependent on the patients reporting of symptoms, good or bad. This isn’t a drug for hypertension that efficacy can be determined by a blood pressure reading. This is a group of drugs that effect mood. I don’t bellieve that we have a machine or blood test that can document efficacy for mood elevation. So all data is anecdotal. The difference with ssri’s is that good results are “data”, bad results are “anecdotal”. The fact that ssri’s, with the exception of Prozac, never recieved FDA approval speaks volumes to their efficacy.
Kelly
I took an SSRI for a few years for situational anxiety. while on the drug, I was pro-SSRI’s and thought the entire world should be on one. However, I was never told of the consequences when coming off the drug,and oh how naive I was, thinking that the SSRI was actually helping me all those years. In actuality, it was slowly changing my brain chemistry and wreaking havoc with my body….just slow enough that I wouldn’t know it was the drug doing all this harm.
Coming off an SSRI after long term use is the epitomy of hell on earth. Never in my life did I ever wish for death. My original problem paled in comparison to the torture I am in now. And I get so angry when the ones who are now suffering from SSRI drug damage are thrown under the bus, because it supposedly “helps” so many people. I feel like I am screaming at a brick wall when people refuse to listen to the ones who have been harmed by these drugs, simply because they are still in the honeymoon phase with the drug and haven’t been bitten yet.
Trust me….you may love your drug now and think it is helping you and you are one of the lucky ones who is not affected by the harmful side effects. I was like you once.
But in time, the drug will turn on you are slowly start to cause you great health issues, and if you decide to come off after long term use, God have mercy on your soul.
We’ll see if your praises about the drug stay the same. I doubt it, though.
truthman3o
Great Video
The Evil B’stards who pushed, pimped, manufactured and sold these poisons should all be locked up ….
Grenaldo83
Glad this has gotten out there and spoke the truth. My background on the subject starts over 14 years ago. Seems like alot for a 24 year old. My mother was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I never knew what that was. She was who she was. All I had ever known. Looking back I can see it now. Kindest, most loving mom one minute and the next; rude, snappy and just miserable to be around. Mostly kind though from what I can remember of her. When I was 10 she took her own life, leaving 10 children and a husband behind. I being the 3rd youngest. This all happened just weeks after seeking Medical help and being prescribed medications. Which ones I don’t know. I could go on for a long while but my story really can be summed up in a nutshell by viewing “Impossible Cures” on my youtube account. Its my families story and how my family was on the path to destruction with more children being mentally ill also. Hope this video helps others see the light.
You MUST watch this video « seroxat secrets…
[...] it here. Posted in Anti-depressant, Depression, FDA, Paxil, Seroxat, [...]
Terry Polevoy, MD
Grenaldo83 is one of Tony Stephan’s children. Does he know that by posting a dozen or so videos that he is breaking copyright laws in Canada and the U.S.?
The posts coincided with the publication of his sister’s new book about the family. Her tour is being supported by her publisher Harper Collins across Canada.
A look at the other side of the story can be found here:
http://www.healthwatcher.net/Quackerywatch/Synergy/index.html#stringam
Lisa Van S
Dr. Terry,
Who is Tony Stephan?
This issue has been hotly debated,and Im sure Media execs dont want to open this can of worms!…
AA
Jason,
Many patients were given insulin coma therapy and we all know how barbaric that story turned out.
You should know better than anyone as a doctor that just because alot of people are on a treatment doens’t mean it is effective. Kind of sound anecdotal to me.
AA
AA
Hi Kelli,
My experience is just like yours. It was only when I started tapering off of the psych meds that I realized the devastation they had greatly caused.
AA
jason
AA,
Thanks for the timely response. Give me a couple of weeks and I will get back to you on that one.