Antidepressed: A Breakthrough Examination of Epidemic Antidepressant Harm and Dependence

by Beverley Thomson

Overview

A COMPREHENSIVE WAKE-UP CALL FOR PATIENTS AND PROFESSIONALS

Antidepressed breaks down the growing issue of antidepressant use, harm and dependence—how we got to this point, what’s happening worldwide every single day, and most importantly, where we go from here.

Providing information that both patients and mental health professionals desperately need, Antidepressed exposes the holes in mental health systems and highlights the desperate need for reform.

Featuring compelling accounts from real people whose lives have been irrevocably harmed by prescription antidepressants, Antidepressed provides proof that there is no such thing as a magic pill—and that pretending otherwise risks the lives and well-being of those who need help the most.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781578269235
Publisher:	Hatherleigh Press
Publication date:	01/04/2022
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	1,046,320
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Beverley Thomson is a writer, researcher and speaker with a focus on psychiatric medication including antidepressants, benzodiazepines and ADHD drugs; their history, how the drugs work, adverse effects, dependence, withdrawal and development of patient support services. Her aim is to help inform and empower the patient to make informed choices about medication. She has a particular interest in withdrawal management and prescription drug-induced suicide. In the past 10 years, she has worked with organizations such as the British Medical Association, the Scottish Government (as part of a working group addressing the issue of prescribed drug harm and dependence in Scotland), the UK Council for Evidence-Based Psychiatry (writing evidence-based summaries to be used by professionals and the general public), and the UK All Party Parliamentary Group for Prescribed Drug Dependence. She has contributed to articles in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) and mainstream media.

Table of Contents

Preface xi

Introduction: Our "Wicked" Problem with Antidepressants xiii

Part 1 The Medicalization of Our Mental Health and Antidepressant Prescribing 1

1 How Our Mental Health Became Medical 3

2 The Myth of the Chemical Imbalance 8

3 The Unrecognized Power of the Pill 11

4 Mental Health: The Business 14

Part 2 The Power of the Informed Patient 19

5 Alternatives Worth Considering 21

6 Being Informed About Our Treatment Options 24

7 The Importance of Informed Consent 26

8 Knowing Antidepressant Benefits and Risks 32

9 The Many Adverse Effects Including Akathisia 41

10 Antidepressant-Induced Suicide 63

11 Antidepressants and Our "Medically Unexplained Symptoms" 71

12 Becoming Our Own Antidepressant Expert 78

13 Antidepressant Long-Term Effects 80

14 Dependence and Our New Balanced State 88

15 Withdrawal: The Relapse Trap and Research 93

Part 3 Safe Antidepressant Management and Withdrawal 107

16 Adopting a Harm Reduction Approach 109

17 Learning About Our Antidepressants and Listening to Our Body 112

18 Withdrawal and the Existing Professional Advice 119

Part 4 Special Concerns 125

19 Same But Not The Same: Understanding Generics 127

20 Prescribing Antidepressants to Children and Young People 131

21 The Elderly, Vulnerability and Antidepressants 138

22 Antidepressants, the Armed Forces, PTSD and Suicide 142

Part 5 Patient Experiences 149

Conclusion 239

The Resource Guide 246

Useful Resources 248

Additional Reading 265

Key Articles, Information and Research 270

Acknowledgments 284

References 286

Editorial Reviews

"...a valuable input to the process of change in global mental health and an essential book for both users and providers of mental health services."
—Dainius Pūras, MD, Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health

"...vital to understanding SSRI's and other antidepressants."
—Will Hall, MA, author of The Harm Reduction Guide to Coming Off Psychiatric Drugs

"...essential reading for anyone prescribing or taking antidepressants."
—Marion Brown, BSc, MBA, HG.Dip.P
 
"...a book every medical professional should read."
—Jill Nickens, founder of Akathisia Alliance

"...provides a summary of what you need to know which has been difficult to access before now."
—Dr. Sian F. Gordon, MBChB, MRCGP

"...a powerful examination of the potential consequences of an overtly medical response to emotional distress."
—James Moore, host of the Let’s Talk Withdrawal and Mad in America podcasts

From the Publisher