Depressed or anxious? Switching pills for your ills a dangerous practice - an article by by Alan Cassels
"Alan Cassels is the co-author of Selling Sickness: How the World's Biggest Pharmaceutical Companies Are Turning Us All into Patients, and a drug policy researcher at the University of Victoria. He has spent most of the last 10 years studying how clinical research about prescription drugs is communicated to policy makers, prescribers and consumers."
Shocking Facts about Prescription Drugs Tranquillizers, Sleeping Pills & Antidepressants - an article by Joan E. Gadsby
There Are No "Chemical Imbalances" by Eaton T. Fores
"Today’s patients, discontented, unhappy, fragmented and confused by an increasingly frantic, alienating and violent society, come to psychiatrists for help, only to have their illusions shored up by an increased dose of a technologic fix. They are told they have illnesses that are biologic and can be fixed, instead of being allowed to speak about their unhappiness, to speak about how difficult it is to be a human being, to speak about their suffering, because human beings have always suffered and always will. To believe that we can conquer depression, despair, anxiety with modern technology is the height of hubris and bad faith, a mere childish fantasy, unworthy of any thoughtful person who has their eyes open to human history and modern culture."
- David Kaiser, M.D. Northwestern University Hospital, Chicago, IL, Psychiatric Medications as Symptoms, February, 1997
Gardasil's Dangers, Limitations Are Reported - Gardasil, the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine that several state legislatures are considering mandating girls must receive to attend school, may be more dangerous than consumers have been led to believe, a public-interest group reported in late May.
"The Media and the Chemical Imbalance Theory of Depression" Florida researchers have investigated the pharmaceutical / psychiatric claims of "chemical imbalance" as the cause of depression. The researchers examined media reports referring to this chemical imbalance theory and asked reporters for evidence supporting their claims. Responses were received from multiple sources, including practicing psychiatrists, clients, and a major pharmaceutical company. The evidence offered was not compelling, and some sources flatly stated the proposed theory of imbalance was known to be incorrect.
VIDEO: These Florida researchers discuss their earlier findings of "chemical imbalance" on the Tampa Bay's Fox 13, Kathy Fountain show: Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3.
Diphenhydramine / Benadryl In the 1960s it was found that diphenhydramine inhibits reuptake of the Neurotransmitter serotonin. This discovery led to a search for viable antidepressants with similar structures and fewer side effects, culminating in the invention of fluoxetine (Prozac), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). A similar search had previously led to the synthesis of the first SSRI zimelidine from chlorpheniramine, also an antihistamine.
Proper Disposal of Prescription Drugs
Office of National Drug Control Policy
Federal Guidelines
 | Take unused, unneeded, or expired prescription drugs out of their original containers and throw them in the trash. |
| Mixing prescription drugs with an undesirable substance, such as used coffee grounds or kitty litter, and putting them in impermeable, non-descript containers, such as empty cans or sealable bags, will further ensure the drugs are not diverted. |
| Flush prescription drugs down the toilet only if the label or accompanying patient information specifically instructs doing so. |
| Take advantage of community pharmaceutical take-back programs that allow the public to bring unused drugs to a central location for proper disposal. Some communities have pharmaceutical take-back programs or community solid-waste programs that allow the public to bring unused drugs to a central location for proper disposal. Where these exist, they are a good way to dispose of unused pharmaceuticals. |
Note: Patients should always refer to printed material accompanying their medication for specific instructions