Paris Trunzo

Professor Germain
Eng 1102
4 May 2014
Antidepressants: Harmful or Harmless?
!er t"e years# psy$"oa$ti!e drugs "a!e a$$umulated a great deal of %ot" attention and
$onsumers& Alt"oug" t"ese su%stan$es "a!e %een used for medi$al# $ultural# religious# and re$reational
purposes for t"ousands of years# it is only during t"e last $entury t"at t"e pre!ious !ie' of psy$"oa$ti!e
drugs as magi$al potions deri!ed from 'it$"$raft# "a!e %een o!erturned %y a route solely %ased on
s$ien$e& (t is e!en more re$ent t"at t"e area of study )no'n as psy$"op"arma$ology# "as emerged as an
esta%lis"ed s$ien$e t"at targets t"e areas of psy$"osis# an*iety# and depression& +e$ause depression is
one of t"e fastest gro'ing mental illnesses around t"e 'orld# t"ere is enoug" e!iden$e to support t"e
!ast e*pansion of medi$ation %eing produ$ed to treat it& T"e $ontro!ersy lies in t"e et"i$al use of a
spe$ifi$ %ran$" of psy$"oa$ti!e drugs $alled antidepressants& (n today,s so$iety# many people feel t"e
need to see) t"ese su%stan$es as a -ui$) met"od to )i$) %a$) t"eir mind.defeating t"oug"ts& +ut# t"ere
is more to t"e pro$ess of %eing "appy t"an simply s'allo'ing a pill&
/"at are antidepressants? /"at are t"ey really doing to your %ody? /"y are t"ey more "armful
t"an not? And '"at $ontri%utions do t"ey ma)e to one,s un"ealt"y lifestyle $"oi$es later on in life?
/it" mu$" spe$ulation# t"is topi$ "as %e$ome a !ery intriguing argument& /"at people need to
understand is t"at "appiness s"ould not depend on a pres$ription t"at alters t"e 'ay t"at t"eir %rain
naturally fun$tions& Antidepressants are detrimental su%stan$es t"at negati!ely effe$t t"e natural
fun$tioning of t"e "uman %ody and t"e so$ial# emotional# and %e"a!ioral s)ills of t"ose '"o fall !i$tim
to t"em&
0in$e t"eir dis$o!ery in 1122# antidepressants "a!e $ome a long 'ay& riginally %eing used for
t"e treatment of tu%er$ulosis# iproniazid 'as t"e first antidepressant in t"e monoamine.o*idase
$ategory& T"e se$ond antidepressant 'as )no'n as imipramine# and it 'as $ategorized as a try$yli$
antidepressant 345pez.Mu6oz7& +ot" of t"ese medi$ations 'ere ma8or $ontri%utors to t"e t"e study of
psy$"op"arma$ology and t"e de!elopment of antidepressants t"emsel!es& (t 'as reported t"at patients
'"o %egan ta)ing t"ese drugs %e$ame $"eerful# optimisti$# and more p"ysi$ally a$ti!e& T"at may "a!e
%een t"e $ase in t"e 1120,s# %ut sin$e t"en# antidepressants "a!e %een modernized into a !ariety of more
$omple* and $"emi$al oriented su%stan$es& Ad8a$ent 'it" t"e ad!an$ement in t"e types of different
antidepressants is t"e in$rease of t"ose '"o use t"em& 9A 2011 report released %y t"e :0 ;enters for
<isease ;ontrol and Pre!ention stated t"at a%out one out of e!ery ten people o!er t"e age of t'el!e in
t"e :nited 0tates is on antidepressant medi$ations& A study also s"o's t"at %et'een t"e years 2002 and
200=# antidepressants 'ere t"e most fre-uently used medi$ation %y people %et'een t"e ages eig"teen to
forty.four> 3Andre's7& ?o' t"at 'e )no' t"e %rief "istory and t"e t"e amount of people t"at a$tually
utilize t"ese types of medi$ations# lets ta)e a loo) at t"e $"emi$al ma)eup of most antidepressants and
'"y t"ey are so "armful in regards to t"e "uman %ody and its fun$tioning&
Most antidepressants are )no'n as sele$ti!e serotonin reupta)e in"i%itors 300@(s7# and are
designed to $ontrol t"e regulation of t"e $"emi$al serotonin& 0erotonin# also )no'n as 2.
"ydro*ytryptamine or 2.HT# is a %io$"emi$al found 'it"in t"e %rain and t"roug"out t"e rest of t"e
%ody& (t a$ts as a neurotransmitter# '"i$" is a $"emi$al t"at $ontrols t"e firing of neurons and plays a
great deal in "o' 'e t"in)# feel# and so$ially intera$t& +ut# serotonin also regulates ot"er %odily
pro$esses su$" as neuronal gro't"# digestion# mus$le mo!ement# de!elopment# %lood $lotting# and
reprodu$ti!e fun$tioning 3Andre's7& T"e 'ay in '"i$" antidepressants 'or) is t"at t"ey $ause a %uild
up of serotonin outside of t"e neurons# '"i$" ultimately alters t"e %rain,s $"emi$al %alan$e& /"at
people fail to realize is t"at serotonin is present in ot"er parts of t"e %ody& T"e %uildup of serotonin
along 'it" long term antidepressant use in t"ose ot"er %odily sites "as %een lin)ed to issues later in life&
P"ysi$al damage su$" as a%normal %leeding# se*ual dysfun$tion# digestion issues# aggression# and
many more $ases "a!e %een reported& 0e!ere p"ysiologi$al side effe$ts "a!e $ontri%uted to mo!ement
disorders# in$luding Par)inson,s disease and dystonia& 9<ue to t"e $onstant %uildup of serotonin 'it"in
re$eptors and t"e "uman %ody fig"ting to restore its %alan$e# t"e effe$ti!eness of t"e drugs are
e*tremely limited# and relapse is !ery $ommon> 3Andre's7&
(t is said t"at a%out eig"ty per$ent of t"e effe$ti!eness t"at ta)es pla$e 'it" antidepressant use
on indi!iduals also displays t"e same effe$ts '"en using a pla$e%o 3Andre's7& T"is lea!es t"ose '"o
are against antidepressants to 'onder '"y people ta)e t"em at all& Antidepressant users are depri!ed of
t"ese statisti$s '"en t"ey re$ei!e t"eir dosage at t"e do$tor,s offi$e& (t $an %e !ery 'ell argued t"at
antidepressants are a gate'ay drug to serious pro%lems do'n t"e road and later in life& ?ot only do
t"ey "a!e negati!e effe$ts on $ertain %odily fun$tions in a p"ysi$al aspe$t# %ut antidepressants also
"a!e se!eral psy$"ologi$al side effe$ts t"at are dra'n from its use& T"e %est )no'n psy$"ologi$al side
effe$t is )no'n as 9amoti!ational syndrome&> 9(t is $"ara$terized %y apat"y# disin"i%ited %e"a!ior#
demoti!ation and a personality $"ange similar to t"e effe$ts of lo%otomy 3Marangell et al& 2001#
p&10217& t"er psy$"ologi$al fa$tors t"at are deri!ed from antidepressant use are agitation# in$reased
an*iety# antidepressant mania# insomnia# poor $on$entration# loss of appetite# "yperse*uality and a
diminis"ed li%ido& And t"e most e*treme side effe$t seems to %e an in$rease in sui$idal t"oug"ts& (f
antidepressants are $reated to suppress depression# t"en '"y are t"ey doing t"e opposite? 9/ell#
resear$" supports t"e "ypot"esis t"at antidepressants 'orsen t"e $"roni$ity# if not se!erity# of
depressi!e features in many su%8e$ts> 3Andrews7& And in 2004 after years of denial# t"e A<A admitted
t"at 9t'o to t"ree $"ildren out of e!ery "undred $ould %e e*pe$ted to de!elop sui$idal t"oug"ts or
a$tions as a result of antidepressant therapy (Kresser). The information in Figure 1 below
displays the most common adverse side effects in regards to both physiological and psychological
antidepressant use. t specifically targets the antidepressant Prozac! and other tricyclic drugs.
Aigure 1 3<epression7
/"ile antidepressant $ompanies and produ$ers su$" as Proza$# Effe*or# Boloft# <esyrel# and
ot"er ma8or %rands may argue t"at t"ere are more %enefits t"an t"ere is "arm# or t"at t"ose '"o
e*perien$e side effe$ts simply a%use t"e medi$ation# t"at is rarely e!er t"e $ase& A$$ording to t"e
largest $lini$al trial on depression to date# funded %y t"e ?ational (nstitute of Mental Healt" 3?(MH7#
only a%out "alf of Creal 'orldC patients 'it" ma8or depressi!e disorder "ad a signifi$ant response after
ta)ing an antidepressant for 12 to 14 'ee)s 3@amin7& A real.life e*ample of an indi!idual t"at
e*perien$ed t"e dar) side of antidepressants is named ;at"ryn Da)o%son @amin& 0"e is a young 'oman
'"o 'as featured on pra" to s"are "er story a%out "er e*perien$e 'it" antidepressants& 0"e "as
gat"ered t"e e*perien$es of many ot"er users '"o "a!e %een negati!ely impa$ted %y antidepressant
treatment and "as $ompleted an e*-uisite amount of resear$" around t"e topi$& Her full arti$le titled
9Ealley of t"e <ulls> $an %e read at: http"##www.oprah.com#health#Are$Antidepressant$%rugs$
&elpful$or$&armful.
+ot" p"ysiologi$al and psy$"ologi$al side effe$ts also tie in 'it" t"e so$ial aspe$t and %e"a!ior
of antidepressant users& All psy$"oa$ti!e drugs# in$luding antidepressants# are )no'n to %lunt our
emotional responses to some e*tent> 3Fresser7& A $ommon side effe$t t"at seems to %e s"ared among
many antidepressant users is t"e la$) of interest in t"ings t"at t"ey pre!iously lo!ed& T"is symptom
$orresponds 'it" t"e deta$"ment and demoti!ation side effe$t& Many people "a!e noted t"at a $"ange
in personality and interests is one of t"e first t"ings t"at t"ey noti$e '"en t"ey %egin ta)ing an
antidepressant 'it"in t"e first si* to eig"t 'ee)s& 4ong term use of antidepressants on so$ial and
%e"a!ioral $"ara$teristi$s may in$lude se!er an*iety# furt"er depression# and $ogniti!e damage t"at
leads to a$tual %e"a!ioral dysfun$tion& (t 'ould not %e 'rong to say t"at antidepressants are detrimental
to one,s o!erall "ealt" and lifestyle $"oi$es&
'The evidence now indicates that antidepressants are less effective and more to(ic than
commonly believed (Andrews). The negative effects of antidepressants targets the three core
aspects of an individual)s life" the human body! emotions! and behavior. *eparately! it could be
argued that each of these areas are distinct from one another! and that they are not vital to
proper functioning as a whole. The truth is that antidepressants attac+ each of these categories!
and as a result they fight against one another. Although there may be scientific evidence that
displays the beneficial use of antidepressants! there are far more harmful effects. ,hat was
created to be an innocent drug has been moderni-ed into a slow$wor+ing death sentence. The
phrase may not be literal! but when it comes to the overall health of a human being! the death of
any part of them is a serious matter. The people of this generation need to reali-e that .ust li+e
any other pain +iller! medication! treatment! or pill! antidepressants withhold the potential to +ill
us as people. f they do not effect the body they are certainly effecting the mind of young people
each day. 'Antidepressants are the third largest prescribed drug in the /nited *tates! and they
are infinitely e(panding to other parts of the world in to(ic forms as well (Andrews). f you care
about your happiness! and mean your true happiness! then you will not fall victim to the
moderni-ed cra-e of antidepressant treatments.
/or)s ;ited
Andre's# Paul /&# D& Anderson T"omas# Dr&# Ananda Amstadter# and Mi$"ael ;& ?eale& CPrimum ?on
?o$ere: An E!olutionary Analysis of /"et"er Antidepressants <o More Harm t"an Good&C Frontiers.
Frontiers! 01 Apr. 0210. ,eb. 1 Apr. 0211.
3http"##.ournal.frontiersin.org#4ournal#12.5567#fpsyg.0210.22118#full9h10:.
Andre's# Paul# 4yndsey Gott# and D& Anderson T"omas# Dr& CT"ings Gour <o$tor 0"ould Tell Gou
A%out Antidepressants&C Mad In America. ;.p.! 10 *ept. 0210. ,eb. 21 Apr. 0211.
3http"##www.madinamerica.com#0210#27#things$your$doctor$should$tell$you$about$
antidepressants#:.
C<epression: +eyond t"e ;ate$"olamine T"eory of Mood&C Depression: Beyond the Catecholamine
Theory of Mood. /niversity of <lymouth" %epartment of <sychology! 022=. ,eb. 20 Apr. 0211.
3http"##www.flyfishingdevon.co.u+#salmon#year5#psy558%epressionTheory#<*>558%epressionTh
eory.htm:.
Fresser# ;"ris& C;"ris Fresser&C Chris Kresser. ?hris Kresser! 8 *ept. 0226. ,eb. 25 Apr. 0211.
3http"##chris+resser.com#the$dar+$side$of$antidepressants:.
45pez.Mu6oz# Alamo ;& C@esult Ailters&C National Center for Biotechnoloy Information. /.*.
;ational @ibrary of Aedicine! 0227. ,eb. 21 Apr. 0211.
3http"##www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov#pubmed#17110181:.
@amin# ;at"ryn D& CAre Antidepressant <rugs Helpful or Harmful?C !prah"com. Bprah Aaga-ine!
Aar. 022=. ,eb. 21 Apr. 0211. 3http"##www.oprah.com#health#Are$Antidepressant$%rugs$
&elpful$or$&armful:.