Prozac Backlash: Overcoming the Dangers of Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, and Other Antidepressants with Safe, Effective Alternatives

by Joseph Glenmullen

Roughly 28 million Americans -- one in every ten -- have taken Prozac, Zoloft, or Paxil or a similar antidepressant, yet very few patients are aware of the dangers of these drugs, nor are they aware that better, safer alternatives exist. Now Harvard Medical School's Dr. Joseph Glenmullen documents the ominous long-term side effects associated with these and other serotonin-boosting medications. These side effects include neurological disorders, such as disfiguring facial and whole-body tics that can indicate brain damage; sexual dysfunction in up to 60 percent of users; debilitating withdrawal symptoms, including visual hallucinations, electric shock-like sensations in the brain, dizziness, nausea, and anxiety; and a decrease of antidepressant effectiveness in about 35 percent of long-term users. In addition, Dr. Glenmullen's research and riveting case studies shed shocking new light on the direct link between these drugs and suicide and violence.
Written by a doctor with impeccable credentials, Prozac Backlash is filled with compelling, sometimes heartrending stories and is thoroughly documented with extensive scientific sources. It is both provocative and hopeful, a sound, reliable guide to the safe treatment of depression and other psychiatric problems.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Psychiatry, Mental Health, Health

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Aaliyah · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was exceptionally informational and I have gained so much perspective from reading this book. The psychiatrist writing this books very clearly cares deeply about his patients and the care he is giving, allowing him to remain unbiased when presenting his argument and information. The middle section of the book that details the Eli Lilly case is VERY hard to get through, but maybe I just get bored without the patient anecdotes. The epilogue really sums up the book very well and I think it is safe to say that I do agree with his stance. SSRIs are insanely over prescribed and should be reserved for moderate to severe depression because of their serious side effects. So so informative!

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

"the medication may have lifted the depression, but instead of allowing me to connect with the world it has surrounded me in another kind of fog. Most of the time, I am simply numb. Everything feels flat, as if I'm living in some uninflected world without substance, depth, or meaning...It's as though a valve inside of me has been turned almost shut, reducing my emotions to a slow trickle, where they once burst forth in a powerful flood." (85).
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"The Prozac had simply stopped working..."As fast as Prozac had once, like a sexy firefighter, doused the flames of pain, the flames now flared up, angrier than ever, and my potent pill could do nothng to quell the conflagration." (92).
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"The symptoms used to assess depression include decreased energy, poor performance, and changes in sleep, appetite, and activity level. The emphasis is on physical, behavioural symptos rather than emotional states. These checklists take what are essentially psychological conditions and define them as though they were merely physical symptoms rather than viewing the physical symptoms as merely manifestations of a psychological state. In the process, the forest is lost for the trees. Any attempt to help patients understand themselves and to effect real change is lost in the rush to diagnose and medicate them"(194).
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Finally, these drugs can have a mood-brightening effect. They make some people feel less irritable, better able to tolerate the bumps and scrapes of life, more tolerant, even "complacent." In light of the hype surrounding the drugs, many patients are surprised to find that they are not really "happy pills" -- few people feel that their mood is constantly buoyed by them. When patients on these drugs do feel sad, however, they are less vulnerable to suden or dramatically plummeting moods. It is as though the drug puts a floor under them, holding them up, limiting how far their mood can slide. (pg. 213)

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"when you can't express feelings, you eventually lose touch with them. You don't even know you have them. But human emotions don't just go away. Forced underground, they follow twisted, circuitous paths and pop bac up again as psychological symptoms" (267).
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"Reflecting on his life, Dan thought the constant upheavals and threats as a child had left him with a profound sense of instability and unreliability."

[Ed David · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good starting point when a friend/loved one is about to go on some kind of anti-depressant. A stark warning against casual acceptance of these medicines.

[Meggityb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I would have read this before I had taken Prozac for 15 years (about 13 years longer than absolutely necessary).

[Sara · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to hear the author's take on the topic, and I learned a lot, however, I still- on most accounts- entirely disagree with his opinions. A very interesting read.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book while in college as an aspiring psychology major. I was learning about the pros and cons of medication but this book really opened my eyes. This book is very informative and one I've recommended to many of my friends and coworkers.

[Sarah Vendetti · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of those books you read, but you don't ever really talk about. I mean who isn't on anti-depressants. Exactly the point.