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(uncontrollable shaking of the extremities caused by irreversible damage to the nervous system), akathisia (inability to sit still, which can also cause drug-induced psychosis). that reviews drugs is composed of psychiatrists who, according to consumer groups, either support the prescription of Prozac or, worse, who actually benefit financially from grants from compa- nies such as Eli Lilly.** Very clearly, there is a conflict of inter- ests here! One of the drug's most stringent critics, Dr Peter Breggin, author of Talking Back to Prozac, says that Prozac works by cre- ating a sense of detachment which may initially seem to be an improvement over depression; however, the sense of numbness becomes so great that those taking Prozac cease to care about oth- ers in their life. Another critic, Anne Tracey, PhD, Director of the International Coalition of Drug Awareness, says that alarm bells continue to ring about that family of anti-depressants, which includes Prozac and its closely related drugs such as Zoloft, Paxil, Lovan and Luvox.” - Side Effects of Minor Tranquillisers Drowsiness, apathy, irritability, failure of muscle coordination, fatigue, depression, indigestion, increased hostility, rage, decreased sexual drive, addiction. - Side Effects of Antidepressants Palpitations, fatigue, drowsiness, sexual dysfunction, insomnia, suicidal behaviour, hallucinations, bizarre and aggressive behav- iour. Overdose is toxic to heart and treatment is difficult. A par- ticular group of antidepressants, monamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOD), can be fatal if taken with yeast products and can cause liver damage, confusion, tremors, hallucinations, convulsions, skin rashes, agitation and insomnia. ee ee ARE PSYCHIATRY AND PSYCHOLOGY EFFECTIVE? A seldom-mentioned fact of psychiatric drugs is that the side It is often claimed by psychiatrists that they are the only ones effects are themselves a "mental illness". The names for these ill- who are able to manage or treat schizophrenia. Evidence from nesses are "neuroleptic-induced parkinsonism" and "neuroleptic World War II calls this notion into question. When a French malignant syndrome", and the cure for both is more drugs. mental hospital lay in the path of the oncoming German advance, In 1985, a Canadian study which researched the effects of psy- all of the patients were sent home to relatives, with the exception chotropic drugs on prisoners discovered that "violent, aggressive of 153 who were judged to be too ill to leave. The Germans incidents occurred more frequently arrived faster than anticipated, so the in inmates on psychotropic medica- patients were left to fend for them- tion than when these inmates were selves. A commission was formed not on psychotropic drugs".** after the war to determine the fate of those abandoned. Of those traced, = Prozac, the Wonder Drug A seldom-mentioned fact of 37% of the abandoned, untreated Prozac is the world's most popular iatri i and hopeless patients were found to anti-depressant. The sales of Prozac psychiatric drugs Is that the have adjusted into the community.*' alone net its manufacturer, the side effects are themselves A similar study was done with 118 schizophrenics who had been discharged from Vermont State Hospital 20 to 25 years previously. The study showed that through apparently spontaneous recovery, Indianapolis drug company Eli Lilly, " i " US$3 billion, which is approximate- a mental illness . ly one-third of its annual revenue. In 1990, public interest advocacy groups forced Eli Lilly to admit that in a small number of cases some coming in most instances well after depressed people will attempt suicide treatment, 68% had lost all symp- under its influence. Others suggest that the link between Prozac toms of schizophrenia.” Psychologist Stanley Peele noted: "The and suicide is more serious. For example, Bonnie Leitsch, of the results corroborated similar results from three European studies Prozac Survivors Support Group, testified before a US FDA panel and another American study over the past decade, indicating that that she had spoken to thousands of people who had what half or more of the schizophrenics eventually recovered or signifi- appeared to be Prozac-induced suicidal thoughts and behaviour— _ cantly improved."** i.e., the phenomena manifested themselves only after the patients The implications of these findings are shocking when you con- started taking Prozac, whereas they had not been present before.** sider what psychiatry has to say about schizophrenia.* According Prozac was discovered in 1972 and was first made available in to DSM-III-R (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Belgium in 1986. By 1995, the Food and Drug Administration Disorders, Third Edition, Revised): "A return to full premorbid had received notification of 35,230 adverse reactions in the US functioning is not common."** DSM-III was more adamant: "A alone—more than for any other drug in its history.“° How then, complete return to premorbid functioning is unusual—so rare, in you may ask, is the drug still marketed, especially since the fact, that some clinicians would question the original diagnosis."*° adverse reactions include hallucinations, aggression, hostility, Wiseman comments: "What makes matters sadly worse is that it assault, manslaughter and suicide, resulting in 2,394 deaths? is standard practice for psychiatrists laboring under this belief to Based on the FDA estimate that only 1% of adverse reactions are ut all schizophrenics on mind-altering drugs and maintain them reported, that means there have been more than three million on it thereafter.” adverse reactions in the US, of which 25,000 have been deaths.*’ Another study into the effectiveness of psychiatric treatment Recently, when Royal Jelly caused one death from anaphylactic was conducted by the psychologist Hans J. Eysenck on several shock, there was an outcry, with calls for the sale of the substance thousand mentally disturbed servicemen and women in British to be banned, yet Prozac has caused 2,394 deaths in America ospitals. Those given psychoanalysis showed an overall alone and we are told that the substance is safe and, indeed, a improvement rate of 44%. Those given other forms of wonder drug. How can such a selective form of intellectual psychotherapy showed a betterment rate of 64%. Those patients myopia come to pass? Certainly, in the USA, the regulatory body who received no therapy at all except for treatment for physical psychiatric drugs is that the side effects are themselves 30 + NEXUS A seldom-mentioned fact of a "menial illness". DECEMBER 1999 — JANUARY 2000