Amazon.com Are you one of the thousands of Americans "listening to Prozac"? Chances are you at least know someone who is. It's time to take a closer look at this supposedly "safe" drug. Peter Breggin picks through the studies used to justify Prozac's safety, often uncovering flaws and shoddy science. He details the FDA approval process, including who on the panel was paid by whom. The key players and the details will surprise you. Synopsis
Synopsis
Prozac. Millions of Americans are on it. And just about everyone else is wondering if they should be on it, too. The claims of the pro-Prozac chorus are enticing: that it can cure everything from depression (the only disorder for which Prozac was originally approved) to fear of public speaking, PMS, obesity, shyness, migraine, and back pain - with few or no side effects. But is the reality quite different? At what price do we buy Prozac-induced euphoria and a shiny new personality? Psychiatrist Peter Breggin, M.D., and coauthor Ginger Ross Breggin answer these and other crucial questions in Talking Back to Prozac. They explain what Prozac is and how it works. And they take a hard look at the real story behind today's most controversial drug: the fact that Prozac was tested in trials of four to six weeks in length before receiving FDA approval; the difficulty Prozac's manufacturer had in proving its effectiveness during these tests; the information on side effects that the FDA failed to include in its final labeling requirements; how Prozac acts as a stimulant not unlike the addictive drugs cocaine and amphetamine; the dangers of possible Prozac addiction and abuse; the seriousness and frequency of Prozac's side effects, including agitation, insomnia, nausea, diarrhea, loss of libido, and difficulty reaching orgasm; the growing evidence that Prozac can cause violence and suicide; and the social and workplace implications of using the drug not to cure depression but to change personality and enhance performance. Using dramatic case histories as well as scientific research and carefully documented evidence, the Breggins' exposé the potentially damaging effects of Prozac. They also describe the resounding success that has been achieved with more humane alternatives for the treatment of depression. Talking Back to Prozac provides essential information for anyone who takes Prozac or is considering taking it, and for those who prescribe it. See online
biography and comments by Peter Breggin. People DO have various problems with life. Instead of naming and redefining these problems as various "mental diseases", and labeling people with them, as is currently done within the psychiatric community, these problems with life and living are best understood and addressed outside of the traditional psychiatric paradigm. Why? Because psychiatric "treatments" such as ECT, lobotomy, and powerful psychotropic drugs are barbaric, based upon severe faulty scientific methodology, and quite simply, harm people.
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