Psychiatric Drugs and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in Americ

[Bryan]

I was put on many medications, starting at age 11, because I was anxious and depressed from severe bullying at school. No one wanted to do anything about the bullying so I ended up on Imiprimine since the depression was all in my head. When that didn't work for anxiety I was put on Buspar as well. One of the side effects of Imiprimine is arrythmia, so I had to have EKGs a lot. When one came back abnormal (I had developed an arrythmia) I was switched to Paxil. I became manic in an irate way so I ended up going off on the bullies and fighting them when they bothered me, so I ended up on Depakene and Risperidal. I was being given 1500mg of Depakene everyday, but the incompetent doctor thought the fatigue from being overdosed was just depression and put me on Zoloft and Trazodone as well. After nearly being killed from all of that I ended up seeing a psychiatrist who took me off of all the meds because he said I didn't really need them and was too young to be prescribed all those drugs anyway (I had just turned 15).
Unfortunately I was a ward of the state and ended up in a group home a year later were they force all the kids on to antipsychotics to make them easier to control, and was put on Serzone and Neurontin, then Seraquel and Zyprexa. Again being overdosed, and punished because I slept almost all the time and couldn't get up easily (they said I was just lazy) I remembered what the other doctor told me who took me of the meds and started refusing the meds in a calm way so they wouldn't forcibly inject me with anything, though I was locked in my room for a couple days because I might go psycho off of the meds or something is what they said.

I don't think I need to say what I think of the drugs and those who promote/prescribe them like they're the best cure for all of life's ills. I do understand there are cases where they've helped but far more harm than good comes from them the way they're basically forced on most people.

 

[GRiM]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19511691/

WASHINGTON - Hospital and doctor visits in the United States have surged by 20 percent in the past five years, and the most commonly prescribed medications are antidepressants, according to statistics published on Friday. (...) The report estimates that 1.2 billion visits were made to hospitals, emergency rooms and physicians’ offices in 2005.

The CDC report is available on the Internet.

 

[anart]

Makes one wonder if all the anti-depressants were instantly removed from the American populace, if Americans might take their country back. Yes, it's a fantasy, but considering the populace is drugged with junk food, television, strobe lights, fluoride, medication and goodness knows what else - I do just wonder.

 

[Nienna]

WASHINGTON - Hospital and doctor visits in the United States have surged by 20 percent in the past five years, and the most commonly prescribed medications are antidepressants, according to statistics published on Friday. (...) The report estimates that 1.2 billion visits were made to hospitals, emergency rooms and physicians’ offices in 2005.

Yep, I'd have to agree with that.

I recently went to a new doctor, having been told over and over again by my specialists that I have to have a primary care physician, and as we were discussing my fibromyalgia, he told me that I should be on antidepressants for it and they would fix me all up.

Ah, well. So much for that doctor. I am NOT taking antidepressants. I realize that they are good for specific cases, but they seem to be the be all and end all anymore. OSIT.

 

[Meg]

Makes one wonder if all the anti-depressants were instantly removed from the American populace, if Americans might take their country back. Yes, it's a fantasy, but considering the populace is drugged with junk food, television, strobe lights, fluoride, medication and goodness knows what else - I do just wonder.

A valid point. It seems that removing the drugs and other things would have an effect, but who knows what would happen. The medical community throws pills at problems and people seem to just switch one drug/addiction for another. It would be interesting to see what would happen though.

 

[Sherwin2009]

I have something to ask as of now we have the psychiatric drugs what will be the rate of mental illness in America now.

[Advertising link removed by moderator]

 

[Z...]

Sherwin why are you advertising Amfedrine weight loss pills on this forum?!
It is a known fact these are seriously damaging and can have long term effect on metabolism.

 

[mcb]

I have been reading this book now for the last week or so, and I continue whenever I can. I never knew until now how close i came in the early 70's, when I was trying to figure out what was wrong with me and doctors kept prescribing these same drugs, some of which easily could have ruined my life if I had stayed on them.

What saved me is that up until 1971 I had been involved with a religious cult that was deeply suspicious of doctors and prescription drugs, and that part of their teachings stayed with me. It turns out that they were very much on target, as they were with diet and health in general (given what was known at the time).

One of the people in the book also found her way off of psychiatric meds through a connection with a fundamentalist group. Interesting.

 

[mcb]

...I recently went to a new doctor, having been told over and over again by my specialists that I have to have a primary care physician, and as we were discussing my fibromyalgia, he told me that I should be on antidepressants for it and they would fix me all up.

Ah, well. So much for that doctor. I am NOT taking antidepressants. I realize that they are good for specific cases, but they seem to be the be all and end all anymore. OSIT.

Dr. Murphree also mentions at least one antidepressant in the Treating and Beating... book, Trazodone. I learned about that use of it through the Internet in 1996 and took it at a low dose for 14 years for fibromyalgia, and it did indeed help my deep sleep, leading to less FM pain. I was always assured by doctors that it was safe to take long-term, and I never noticed any side effects.

I went off it one year ago, after learning more about nutritional side effects and deciding to eliminate all prescription meds. My main reason, though, was that really I had no way of telling what it might be doing to my brain, and no reason any longer to trust the medical profession in such matters. I have had much more trouble with sleep since then, and I am apparently sensitive to 5-HTP and Melatonin, and can only take small doses.

I am wondering if taking the Trazadone for so long may have created a dependency of some kind (it was becoming less effective), and might also have something to do with my sensitivity now to 5-HTP and Melatonin. There is still a lot of the book that I haven't read -- maybe it will provide more information?

 

[Laurelayn]

I dont watch a lot of TV but DH does, I'll sometimes sit with him and read.
Anyone that watches tv is almost constantly bombarded with drug commercials, many are antidepressants and push guilt buttons hard (you arent giving your best to your spouse/children/friends if you dont take this pill)
The list of side effects they all quote is mindblowing! they are all symptoms of poisoning! cancer, tuberculosis, hairloss, infections, etc. and some even say outloud that death could be a "rare" side effect.
And, the most bizzarre thing is the commercials in between the drug ads are law firms pushing their latest class action suits against the same drugs!!!
That is one reason I recently lost all hope of any kind of a mass awakening in the U.S.
The collective amnesia causing one to not see the complete disparity from one 1.5 min. spot to the next is frightening.
I wish I could get my DH to wake up more.
I can only work on me and hope he is aware enough to see me as an example of getting better and want to join me.
:(

 

[mcb]

...The list of side effects they all quote is mindblowing! they are all symptoms of poisoning! cancer, tuberculosis, hairloss, infections, etc. and some even say outloud that death could be a "rare" side effect...

In short, "TOXIC!" It is mind blowing. I can't imagine this taking place in my earlier years. It's as though people have lost much of their ability to think, and it is not too hard to come up with a list of reasons why that might be.

 

[mcb]

...I have had much more trouble with sleep since then, and I am apparently sensitive to 5-HTP and Melatonin, and can only take small doses...

Replying to my own post, my sleep problems have resolved within the last 5 months. I think it was a combination of time (to recover from the years of Trazodone), dietary improvements, and darkening the bedroom. Also, POTS has proven to be a very effective and safe sleep aid. :)

 

[Rena]

...I have had much more trouble with sleep since then, and I am apparently sensitive to 5-HTP and Melatonin, and can only take small doses...

Replying to my own post, my sleep problems have resolved within the last 5 months. I think it was a combination of time (to recover from the years of Trazodone), dietary improvements, and darkening the bedroom. Also, POTS has proven to be a very effective and safe sleep aid. :)

What a great journal, I just love happy endings. ;D