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Topic : 09/28 Overmedicating America: The Cruise Controversy
When Tom Cruise gave his opinion about the drugging of America, he created a firestorm of controversy. Are we an overmedicated nation? Dave and Jill feel as if their 7-year-old son is holding them hostage in their own home. He's on three medications, but his uncontrollable fits of rage are destroying their marriage. Is this a real medical issue or a parenting problem? Then, two women with powerful personal stories debate the "Cruise controversy." They both think their opinion is right, but what does Dr. Phil think? Plus, an outraged father confronts his ex-wife and demands that she stop medicating their 9-year-old son. Talk about the show here.
Find out what happened on the show.
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October 1, 2005, 4:06 pm PDT
 I just wanted to share my story. I come from a family of educators: mom, dad, step-mom, grandmother, and sister. They all just wrote me off as being an "over-active" kid. I played ball year round and was always grounded for my grades in history. I never learned my multiplication tables, but was on the math team and even in honor society. I hated school but made it through on homework and in-class assignments. I never did well on tests. Same proved on in college. I love science and math but for the life of me could not pass a multiple choice or timed test. . During that process I decided to come home and go to nursing school. I ended up dropping out. I knew the info, but just could NOT pass the exams. I went through extensive testing and at the age of 21 was diagnosed with ADHD. My parents were shocked. Since then I re-enrolled nursing school, graduate with an associates degree and went to work. Through testing and diagnosis, I started taking Ritalin, was given extending time for multiple choice tests with a distraction free environment. I have just finished my post-masters at the age of 29 and am looking into doctoral programs. I now enjoy learning and know that without this diagnosis and treatment I never would have passed my state boards for nursing. Everyone's story is different and every situation unique. I just know that this medication helps me on a daily basis. My husband can even tell if I haven't taken it by my actions alone. It becomes clear on Saturdays when I try to clean the house and haven't taken my medicine. I start off gathering clothes, but never make it to the laundry room because I stop off to answer the phone. They ask me about my schedule so I'm off to the study, while I'm there I'll check email. After I'm off the phone I realize that some bills that have been paid have come through the checking account already so I should get those shredded, but the shredder is full and so is the garbage so let me go get the big can. It's full too, so I take it outside and realize a chair has turned over in the patio area. You know what, that hummingbird feeder needs filling. Before I know it it's dark outside and the laundry hasn't made it passed the kitchen. So I think to myself....as my husband gives me a hug midst my frustration....I gotta put that med bottle where I can see it so I'll take it tomorrow and get something completed!!!! Just for all the skeptics out there, in the eight years I've been taking Ritalin I have tried altering my diet, changing vitamins, and eliminating foods. I encourage you to do whatever works for you. It hurts me when others judge those with issues such as this. You don't know what it is like to live day to day full of frustration and not know how to fix it. It is such a BLESSING to make it through a day knowing you have accomplished what you set out to do. It is everyone's right to be successful. I hope that someone struggling reads this and knows that there is help out there. You can accomplish your dreams and live a successful life. |
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October 1, 2005, 4:23 pm PDT
Quote From: badtrip How on earth would you know what Tom Cruise does or doesn't know? You assume he has no education on the subject. You assume he has gotten all his information from Scientologists. Have you ever had PPD? I had post-partum thyroiditis and I know that everyone assumed it was PPD and threw meds at me, which made me worse. Until you experience what others have, don't assume you know what you are talking about either. Tom Cruise has had the guts to stand up for people like me who have been victims of people like OBGYNs, psychiatrists, and the FDA and pharmaceutical industry. The FDA and drug companies do not give the patients taking these drugs any credit for their reports of adverse effects and it's time someone started listening to us instead of just the drug company slogans. If you want to tout how effective a drug has been for a friend or family member you also need to be willing to consider that these drugs don't work for others and are causing so many people added harm. Too many people are being labelled crazy when the drugs are making them worse. Too many people get subjected to higher doses or additional drugs or even ECT. There is absolutely a coverup going on and it took someone like Tom Cruise to get people talking about it.
I assume he has no education on the subject because I did some research on it. He doesn't. He went to a performing arts college and only started speaking out about this, since he became a Scientologist. No I have never had PPD but several family members and friends have. I have had OCD for many years as well as panic attacks, including two suicide attempts. I've spent the last four years of my life studying psychology and have many family members in the field. Tom Cruise doesn't know what he's talking about. I know for a fact that he has never experienced any type of debilitating mental illness, nor does he have expertise in the field, therefore he knows nothing of what he speaks. The fact that he makes such blanket generalizations such as, "All psychiatry is a crock" and says that severe mental diseases like schizophrenia can be fixed by simple exercise and vitamins proves how ridiculous this is. The fact that we are even arguing about it is mind-blowing. Sweetie, I never said that drugs work for everyone, because I know they don't. However his ridiculous position is that no drugs work for anyone and psychiatry is EVIL. Then he has the nerve to admonish his ex for taking drugs for PPD. Who is he to admonish anyone? He is an ACTOR. The fact that he's so pompous and arrogant about the whole thing, makes it that much worse. With Matt Lauer for example, he was so disrespectful and insulting. He tries to come across like he's an expert with years of experience and medication trials under his belt, when in reality he has niether. He is giving one side of the story, which is the side that has been told to him by fellow scientologists. To not even acknowlege that these drugs may be beneficial for some people, including his ex wife who obviously suffered right in front of him but improved through the use of the drugs, is so completely ignorant. What scares me is some people are going to take what this joker has to say seriously without doing research of their own, just because he's TOM CRUISE and rule out taking medications that could potentially better their life. This country is so celebrity - obsessed. Honestly, if a random educated, experienced doctor came out and made the same statements and allegations that Tom Cruise made, it wouldn't have gotten half the coverage and controversy that Tom's statements have gotten. That is really sad. Americans put more stock in what a random celebrity has to say than a fully-credentialed educated doctor. So now unfortunately when a severely mentally ill person seeks out help and advice and is told to start taking medication, some doctors are going to get the response of , "Well Tom Cruise says I shouldn't." Again, medication does not work for all people, but to make the statement that psychiatry is an evil crock, and that psychiatric medication works for no one and therapy works for no one, and that all you need if you're severely mentally ill, is a walk through the park and some Flintstones' Vitamins is not only ridiculous, but is completely reckless too. It's his duty as a celebrity, since our culture puts more value on what celebrities say, than what doctors say, to tell both sides of the story, and not just his uneducated religious opinion on the subject. "it took someone like Tom Cruise to get people talking".................that's evidence right there, of how much stock our country puts in what celebrities say or think...................thank god we have Tom. Without medication OCD would still rule my life. |
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October 1, 2005, 4:27 pm PDT
i have a problem with kids taking drugs. i have two children my oldest is dyslexic. she was diaganosis in the second grade. they wanted to put her on riatlin. i refused. now she is 17 doing wonderful in school, and about to graduate in the spring. my son was diaganosis as having ADHD just last school year, and they wanted him on drugs i refuse flat out!! i talked with the psycologist and we discovered that he can't sit still for no more thatn 15-20 minutes. so we came up with a plan that the teacher would allow my son to get up to pass out papers, or get up and throw away paper just so he won't get distracted, and it is going great. my son is 10, and he cuts grass, and changes oil, and do some basic car work, so he is clocking dollars at the age of 10. in most cases it only takes a plan, and its not that hard, just get up off your BUTTS and take the time and get hyper along with your kids and stop letting these "DRS" come up with a plan to destroy your family life, we didn't have that crap back in the day and believe me there were people with the same problem, and they are productive adults. |
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October 1, 2005, 5:20 pm PDT
Quote From: lillmare Thank you SO much for responding to my request for actual proof/references regarding this controvery. It it seems like no one else has any back up to their claims?? I read your other messages and they have been very helpful. I havent gotten to the websites yet, but I am looking forward to reading through them. I will keep in touch, THANKS!!!! You're welcome. I would also like you to know you can contact me at any point with my email address : amyphilo at yahoo dot com I'd be glad to fill you in on more details of stuff I've personally learned from other sources or expanding on info. about my personal medical history, encounters with doctors, etc. should that be relevant for your topic. |
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October 1, 2005, 6:02 pm PDT
First, I'd like to say...AMEN...to all that you said, BadTrip! I, too, was incredibly harmed by psychotropic drugs. Second, by reading most of these posts, no offense, but it is apparent to me that most people have absolutely no idea about neurology and how it works. I think they get a diagnosis and read ONLY about that and basically nothing else. They either trust their doctors and the pharmaceutical industry explicitly or am extremely desperate as I was when I accepted meds for my problem. I strongly suggest to anyone wanting to know what is REALLY going on to read a book entitled, “Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers.” It was written by a Professor of Neurology at Stanford University by the name of Robert Sapolsky. The premise of the book is that animals in the wild do NOT get our illnesses and why this is the case. I’ll bet most of you didn’t know that animals in the wild do not get MS, endometriosis, AS, asthma, anxiety, separation anxiety, thyroid disease, heart disease, ulcers, etc. Not only do we get these diseases, but much of it is showing up in our domesticated animals now, too. Why do you suppose that is the case? He explains why that is the case. It is due to chronic stress. Stress on our bodies due to a bad diet, environmental allergens, poor sleep hygiene, family problems, work problems, ANYTHING that stresses the body or throws it out of homeostasis. He also points out that the body has this tremendous ability to heal itself, if it is subjected to ideal conditions. Now, back to the title of this post, “There is a chemical imbalance, but it isn’t what you think.” Everyone thinks that we just get these chemical imbalances for no other reason than we are genetically programmed to go down that road of no return. Well, no, this isn’t the case. We only go down that road if we are stressed to the point of it happening. Also, this is not to say that it isn’t reversible. As I stated above, we have this tremendous ability to heal if given the right tools. We need to find out what the stressors are that are triggering a stress response in us and shut off the stressor. So, that is why it has to be deal with on ALL fronts, i.e. cognitive (positive thinking), diet, environment, etc. That is precisely what I am doing and it is working. What SSRI’s do is simply block the damaging affects of stress hormones. They interfere with the HPA axis. Big pharma know EXACTLY what they are doing and their motives are incredibly self-serving...money, money, money. Ask yourself, what are they doing that illegal drug pushers aren’t doing. Their both making their own drugs. They both are giving free samples to hook you. They are both withholding information from the consumers and presenting the drug in its best light. They are both charging high dollar for it. They are both making a pretty penny from it. They both prey on vulnerable, desperate people. Neither of them prevent illnesses. Listen to what the drug companies say. They say words like “may” prevent heart disease or is “thought” to play a role in depression. Nothing that they say is definitive. They do the same thing that my teenage does to me...they play word games with the public. Why are we attacking the problem from that angle? Why aren’t we eliminating all that which causes our bodies to be stressed and better equipping our bodies to handle stress instead of allowing the stress to continue and merely trying to block the affects of it? This makes no sense whatsoever. That is what they speak of when they say preventative medicine. We, as a society, have very little of that available to us. That is a crying shame. Why try to fix something AFTER it is broken instead of preventing it in the first place. Don’t get me wrong, whatever action that would be put in place as preventative measures can be put in place as treatment after the fact. Plus, for those of us who garden, have you ever noticed that all plants have their own requirements whether it be bright light, indirect sun light, moist soil, well drained soil, lyme, pruning at certain times of the year, hardiness regions, etc. Science has taken the time to figure out what is an ideal for each different kind of plant, but they haven’t determined what is an ideal for each of us. Grant it, we marry and produce children outside of our nationalities, and/or races further complicating our genetics, but still yet, it could be done. We have genetic testing now. Why do you suppose alcoholism is common in the Irish or PCOS or hirstuism is common in the women of mediteranean decent or sicle cell anemia is common in black people? We pass down diseases to our children not as simply believed that it runs in our families as it runs in our race or perhaps is determined by a subset of our race. We can now be traced back by means of genetic testing to these subsets or tribes, so to speak. We should know what is our ideal and live our lives accordingly, but science isn’t bothering to find out what those ideals are in order for us to live the best quality of life possible. Again, I say this is because there is NO money in a cure or preventative medicine. Now, there have been people that have found out what works dietwise for particular diseases and some are as follows: Many diseases respond including diabetes to a strict (and sometimes not so strict) form of the Candida Diet ( http://www.candidapage.com/candiet.txt and http://altmedicine.about.com/od/popularhealthdiets/a/candidadiet.htm ) I personally don’t think candida is so much the problem as just another symptom, but hey, the diet is working for me. MS responds to the Swank diet ( http://www.swankmsdiet.com ) or DIRECT-MS diet AS responds to the Glucose free casein free diet ( http://www.GFCGDiet.com ) Adrenoleukodystrophy which responds to a diet that contains Lorenzo’s Oil (a combination of fats extracted from olive oil and rapseed oil) ( http://www.myelin.org/aboutoil.htm ) Epilepsy responds to the ketogenics diet ( http://www.charliefoundation.org/ ) The strange thing to me is that these diet cures are touted as being alternative medicine. How is it that science in this country has gotten so arrogant that they consider God’s provisions “alternative” to their own chemical stews. Also, did you know that the Chinese think sugar is bad for all people in any quantity. They call it white death. We’d all be better off without ANY of it in our diets. I haven’t had it in my diet for well over a year now and no longer miss or crave it. It is an addictive substance, by the way. Instead, I use a natural plant substance called stevia in its crushed plant form. It is extremely sweet, has no caloris and doesn’t affect my glycemic levels. I believe there is a diet cure out there for every acquired disease or syndrome. I’d love to one day see Dr. Phil do a show about how diets can cure. Marsha P.S. I'd like to leave everyone with a thought. I really don't care if others take meds. What business is it of mine. I agree with others who have posted here, though, and think that all the information should be out there for us. The doctors should be thoroughly knowledgeable about side affects of medications and tell us before hand about it. They should also be very careful who they prescribe it to because the same thing can happen to others that happened to me. I was a recovering alcoholic and was given potentially addictive drugs................BIG MISTAKE!! BTW, I asked the pharmacist after I was off all meds why I was never told about all the side affects. Why is it that I get their scaled down version of side affects in place of the package insert. He actually told me that I didn't need to know. Needless to say, I got pretty irrate with him. Another thing that I would urge others to do that I did for myself once I was able to is to contact the FDA and request a copy of all the adverse events reported for their particular medication. I did so and was absolutely shocked at how many people were injured AND DIED as a result of all the benzodiazepines. There have been thousands of adverse events filed for this class of drug and hundreds and hundreds of deaths. These are ONLY the ones that have been reported, too. I know that had I been successful with my last suicide attempt as a result of the medications, my family would've thought I was just really mentally ill and would've never connected it to the drug. Now, they can admit that it was the drugs because they see that I am quite sane and able bodied. |
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October 1, 2005, 6:14 pm PDT
Thank you for your reply to my post, Recomic. So, there is a chance that the diet could've helped your daughter (and other children) had they been able to really commit to it. What a shame. My son sneaks occassionally and will grab other foods, too. I'm actually surprised he doesn't do it more, though. He was diagnosed with ADD as a younster as was I in essence. I was diagnosed as a problem child before ADD was a term. I know what it is like to be on both sides of that diagnosis. I assure you, though, that I am greatly improved for the first time in my life. My son eats only my foods at home because I have nothing else in the house. I have really put intensive time and a bit of money into finding and making the best healthy foods for him. Surprisingly, he really enjoys it all. Actually, it isn't all that surprising because it IS really good food. He really isn't deprived either. I buy things like Rice Dream frozen dessert (carob flavor). We melt unsweetened carob chips and dip fruit into it. I buy Peelu dental gum. I make an herbal tea that tastes exactly like iced tea and sweeten it with Honey Stevia Leaf. I make whole grain pumpkin bread and cookies with stevia and apple sauce. He doesn't want for any other goodies, really? He has actually commented on how unhealthy a diet a particular kid might have on a television program. So, how have you fared on the diet? Did you stick with it and if so, for how long? Do you think it is something you will stick with? It seems that society is slowly making its way in the direction of healthy eating. I live in Ohio and the grocery stores are getting healthier and healther foods. Plus, I buy at the Whole Foods Market when I am in the vacinity of one or at Trader Joe's or maybe even Wild Oats. I also buy at my neighboring health food store who buys in bulk for me at a reduce cost. There are so many stores popping up and it is because there is a trend in that direction. People are figuring it out and so with the demand there, the food industry is accomodating us. This is also bringing the prices down. Best to you, Marsha |
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October 1, 2005, 6:19 pm PDT
I'm an educational assistant and I agree that there needs to extensive testing done with these children to determine what difficulties they might have. I think that too many children are on medication but I do think that in some cases medication is really necessary. I've seen the difference meds can make for a child. Sometimes the improvement is substantial and the child is able to excel. |
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October 1, 2005, 6:56 pm PDT
Quote From: rainbowwen I have 3 sons, ages 18 months, 7 years old, and 9 years old. My 7-year-old acts a lot like the child of the divorced mother on the show. My son has a nasty temper and needs to learn to control himself. I don't think he has anything like ADHD, I think he needs to learn to control his behavior. He behaves himself in school, therefore I know he can do it. However, if it were a problem 24/7, that would be different. If he had a problem behaving in school as well, I would begin to think there may be a possible underlying physical/neurological cause. I think we need to also accept that boys are going to be more active, and schools are not built to suit their needs. It is difficult for a normal active boy to sit all day in a chair, and our school now has this ridiculous policy that if you aren't done with your work, you lose your recess, which is a break any child needs, even those less physically active. I also want to add that I am on Paxil for postpartum depression and anxiety from each of my births, so I know that medication is sometimes necessary. I am not going to expect my family to live with my moodiness and obsessive-compulsive behaviors, it isn't fair to them or to myself. It took over a year after the birth of my second child to find the right medication for me. have gone off Paxil twice, and it is very difficult to go off of, but it can be done with the support of a doctor and using other medications such as Prozac temporarily while withdrawing from the Paxil. I completely support Brooke Shields in her actions, she has done what is best for herself and her family. I would love to see a debate between Dr. Phil and this apparently manic person known as Tom Cruise. "He behaves himself in school, therefore I know he can do it. However, if it were a problem 24/7, that would be different. If he had a problem behaving in school as well, I would begin to think there may be a possible underlying physical/neurological cause.
I think we need to also accept that boys are going to be "
I just wanted to give you input from a mother of a bipolar child., She had rages and meltdowns and "a nasty temper" at home with me but was/is a complete angel at school. She has bipolar. She can hold it together during school, out with friends, even at her dads house. This is VERY common with bipolar children.
I am not saying there is something wrong with your son, I am just saying that just because he can behave at school DOESN"T mean there is NOTHING wrong with him. I hoep for your sake there is nothing wrong, but I wouldn't want you to assume just because of school he is ok. Please keep an eye on his behaviors and if you really feel there may be something more have him seen by a child pshychiatrist. Also my daughers symptoms worsen when she went from elementary school inot junior high. She was/ is ok in a self contained classroom, but once she had to switch gears every hour and move to another classroom she became unstable at school.
just some input from an experienced mom., I mean no harm. Just wanted to tell you what I have experienced, Tammy |
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October 1, 2005, 7:47 pm PDT
Quote From: crkd420 I assume he has no education on the subject because I did some research on it. He doesn't. He went to a performing arts college and only started speaking out about this, since he became a Scientologist. No I have never had PPD but several family members and friends have. I have had OCD for many years as well as panic attacks, including two suicide attempts. I've spent the last four years of my life studying psychology and have many family members in the field. Tom Cruise doesn't know what he's talking about. I know for a fact that he has never experienced any type of debilitating mental illness, nor does he have expertise in the field, therefore he knows nothing of what he speaks. The fact that he makes such blanket generalizations such as, "All psychiatry is a crock" and says that severe mental diseases like schizophrenia can be fixed by simple exercise and vitamins proves how ridiculous this is. The fact that we are even arguing about it is mind-blowing. Sweetie, I never said that drugs work for everyone, because I know they don't. However his ridiculous position is that no drugs work for anyone and psychiatry is EVIL. Then he has the nerve to admonish his ex for taking drugs for PPD. Who is he to admonish anyone? He is an ACTOR. The fact that he's so pompous and arrogant about the whole thing, makes it that much worse. With Matt Lauer for example, he was so disrespectful and insulting. He tries to come across like he's an expert with years of experience and medication trials under his belt, when in reality he has niether. He is giving one side of the story, which is the side that has been told to him by fellow scientologists. To not even acknowlege that these drugs may be beneficial for some people, including his ex wife who obviously suffered right in front of him but improved through the use of the drugs, is so completely ignorant. What scares me is some people are going to take what this joker has to say seriously without doing research of their own, just because he's TOM CRUISE and rule out taking medications that could potentially better their life. This country is so celebrity - obsessed. Honestly, if a random educated, experienced doctor came out and made the same statements and allegations that Tom Cruise made, it wouldn't have gotten half the coverage and controversy that Tom's statements have gotten. That is really sad. Americans put more stock in what a random celebrity has to say than a fully-credentialed educated doctor. So now unfortunately when a severely mentally ill person seeks out help and advice and is told to start taking medication, some doctors are going to get the response of , "Well Tom Cruise says I shouldn't." Again, medication does not work for all people, but to make the statement that psychiatry is an evil crock, and that psychiatric medication works for no one and therapy works for no one, and that all you need if you're severely mentally ill, is a walk through the park and some Flintstones' Vitamins is not only ridiculous, but is completely reckless too. It's his duty as a celebrity, since our culture puts more value on what celebrities say, than what doctors say, to tell both sides of the story, and not just his uneducated religious opinion on the subject. "it took someone like Tom Cruise to get people talking".................that's evidence right there, of how much stock our country puts in what celebrities say or think...................thank god we have Tom. Without medication OCD would still rule my life. Part of the reason people are talking about this is because Tom Cruise accused Brooke Shields of promoting the drugs, which may or may not be true, but three women recently appeared on Oprah during the follow up Brooke Shields interview, telling of how Brooke Shields gave them the courage to go get treated. Two specifically mentioned medication, and one didn't even have moderate or severe depression, she just felt a little sad and blue. I don't believe that Tom Cruise is incapable of learning about any subject besides acting. And it doesn't sound like you have read the transcript of the Matt Lauer interview. If you search for my previous post I have pasted in an article from Peter Breggins, a psychiatrist, who Thanked Tom Cruise for bringing attention to this very serious matter. He also said that it sounded like Tom had read his book, and it sounds the same way to me.
Recently I was at lunch with an acquaintance who was telling me that his professor said that the whole "anti-drug" movement had been invented by Scientologists because they had lost too many members of their "cult" when they took psychiatric drugs, recovered from their illnesses and no longer needed the Scientologists. But to me that sounds like the biggest crock of all time, especially considering the data on adverse effects. I am a Methodist, not a scientologist. I don't know anyone personally who is a scientologist but I know a lot of people who are against medication because of what it has done to them.
While some people hold your view that one has to be a doctor or a psychologist to know anything, others believe that through a little reading you can learn a lot. I have read The Antidepressant Fact Book by Peter Breggins. In this book it is explained that for Prozac, the science behind the FDA approval is completely messed up. I am currently reading Talking Back to Prozac by Peter Breggins and Prozac: Panacea or Pandora by Ann Blake Tracy. I can tell you from personal experience with several doctors that there is a major attitude problem interfering with care of patients.
I can also tell you that doctors do not usually listen. When I went to my doctor at 6 days postpartum because a home health nurse told me I neede meds, I tried to tell him what was going on and he cut me off and said, what did the nurse tell you? I said she told me to get meds for anxiety (not depression). I asked for a thyroid test because of what my mother-in-law went through. He told me there are no valid postpartum levels of thyroid. He told me to take the meds for at least 6 months or more.
When I became psychotic within 3 days of starting Zoloft, I went to the hospital to get help. Eventually I was able to talk to a psychiatrist (after over 24 hours in limbo). I asked him if he thought I could have PTSD from witnessing my son nearly die in the ER at 3 days of age from a life-threatening choking incident. He said, 'Your son didn't almost die." I said, what about PTSD and he said, "I have no idea." Then he proceeded to ask me a bunch of irrelevant questions like, did you date in high school, and have you ever been arrested, and do you ever check the locks. Then he "diagnosed' me with PPD with Psychotic features and OCD and told me to take parenting classes. I asked if the Zoloft could have caused an immediate placebo effect and he said probably, and I asked if it could have caused the bad thoughts and he said, no, stay on your meds.
Later I saw another psychologist and psychiatrist. For 3 months no one told me of the possibility that I should try getting off the meds because the symptoms I was having appeared AFTER I started the meds. Even after I found out I had postpartum thyroidits at 6 weeks, my son's pediatrician, my endocrinologist, psychiatrist, and psychologist all recommended I stay on the meds.
If that isn't an example of why "psychiatry" can be a crock, I don't know what is.
I am really glad you aren't flushing toilets 42 times any more. Perhaps your SSRI is working for you. But to say that anything Tom Cruise says is automatically wrong, because he is a scientologist and has no degree in medicine or psychology, is faulty logic. I hope that before you get out of med school you are able to develop a type of personality that will allow you to consider the true scientific method as a continual process of proving things WRONG. You must know by now that you can never prove something is right, only whether a previously held belief is wrong or inaccurate. WIthout that basic understanding, and with such a closed mind as you seem to have, I don't think it is ethical for you to practice medicine.
If you would read Peter Breggins' research which he obtained from the drug companies through citing the Freedom of Information act, then perhaps you would understand why Tom Cruise and others are so upset with the recklessness with which psychiatric medicines are prescribed.
Here are some facts: Ely Lilly used placebo washout in their initial clinical trials for Prozac, premarketing. This means that at the start of the study, they gave all participants a placebo. All participants who responded very well to placebo were eliminated, and the trial began over again with a control group (inert placebo) and a Prozac group. Efficacy on Prozac during the "washed out" trial (in terms of improvement, though not recovery) was 41% Prozac, 31% placebo. While this makes it seem like Prozac is better, in actuality the methodology is flawed. When Prozac was compared to an active placebo, there was no difference in recovery between Prozac and the active placebo (one that causes side effects such as sweating or dry mouth). Here is another fact: only 286 patients were participants in the published studies that led to Prozac becoming approved.
And another fact: it takes two "positive" studies for the FDA to approve a drug. It doesn't matter how many negative studies were conducted, the FDA doesn't care about those. As long as researchers can wrangle up some positive results the drug gets approved. A positive study means a study that satisfied the study's own arbitrarily determined hypotheses, such as checking off fewer negative statements on a self-report questionnaire. The positivity of the study is determined by the researcher.
Ely Lilly hired out doctors to conduct their studies but collected data and analyzed it in secret with company employees.
They also tried to release a mirror image of Prozac (the right-handed form) when the patent was about to run out, but the FDA actually wouldn't approve that drug because it was way too dangerous.
Suicidality is twice as high on Prozac (or another SSRI) as placebo.
The SSRIs have also been linked to cancer, heart problems (much like Fen-Phen, which was very similar), high cholesterol, hypothyroidism, anorexia, and they take a similar action on the brain as does cocaine or LSD, meth, and PCP. Schizophrenia seems to be caused in part by an elevated level of serotonin in the brain, and SSRIs increase serotonin in the brain.
A couple of weeks ago I went to a lecture with a Professor from UT Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. The topic was Prozac and the developing brain. This was a very pro-drug lecture designed to comfort the attendees in the safety of the drug. The professor's name was Graham Emslie. He stated that there currently is no data to prove sufficient efficacy of Prozac or any other SSRI. He said that "we think it works, but there are many methodological problems with the research. The problem is that these news stories are scaring people off and we won't be able to get enough participants for future studies."
When I asked him why he thought the suicidal thinking was increasing on SSRIs he said that they cause disinhibition and agitation.
When I asked him what the effect was on a nursing infant whose mother takes an SSRI, he said that there were studies on infant rats fed Prozac causing lifelong anxiety and depression, but no studies on any infants who nurse. He said that it is advised not to nurse if you are taking an SSRI because they don't know the effect on the infant. Brooke Shields nursed her daughter, if I am not mistaken. I also nursed my son while I took these meds.
When I asked my obgyn what the effect would be on my son when I started Zoloft, he said, "It will make him happy too."
So it seems to me that there is a wide range of "information" available from different doctors.
I know this post is disjointed somewhat. I really encourage you to consider some evidence that you haven't seen yet. You should be able to handle the truth even if it is hard to take- after all you are a med student! |
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