Paris Trunzo

Professor Germain
Eng 1102
4 April 2014
Antidepressants: Harmful or Harmless?
Over te !ears" ps!#oa#tive drugs ave a##umulated a great deal of $ot attention and
#onsumers% Altoug tese su$stan#es ave $een used for medi#al" #ultural" religious" and re#reational
purposes for tousands of !ears" it is onl! during te last #entur! tat te previous vie& of ps!#oa#tive
drugs as magi#al potions derived from &it##raft" ave $een overturned $! a route solel! $ased on
s#ien#e% 't is even more re#ent tat te area of stud! (no&n as ps!#oparma#olog!" as emerged as an
esta$lised s#ien#e tat targets te areas of ps!#osis" an)iet!" and depression% *e#ause depression is
one of te fastest gro&ing mental illnesses around te &orld" tere is enoug eviden#e to support te
vast e)pansion of medi#ation $eing produ#ed to treat it% Te #ontrovers! lies in te eti#al use of a
spe#ifi# $ran# of ps!#oa#tive drugs #alled antidepressants% +#omment: ,*ut tose tat &ere used long
ago aren-t so ver! different" aren-t te!? .ou are e/uating t&o ver! different entities0 'n toda!-s so#iet!"
man! people feel te need to see( tese su$stan#es as a /ui#( metod to (i#( $a#( teir mind1defeating
tougts% *ut" tere is more to te pro#ess +2omment: 3i# pro#ess?0 tan simpl! s&allo&ing a pill%
2HA4GE PA5AG5APH 3at are antidepressants? 3at are te! reall! doing to !our $od!? 3! are
te! more armful tan not? And &at #ontri$utions do te! ma(e to one-s unealt! lifest!le #oi#es
later on in life? 3it mu# spe#ulation" tis topi# as $e#ome a ver! intriguing argument% 3at people
need to understand is tat appiness sould not depend on a pres#ription tat alters te &a! tat teir
$rain naturall! fun#tions% Antidepressants are detrimental su$stan#es tat negativel! effe#t te natural
fun#tioning of te uman $od! and te so#ial" emotional" and $eavioral s(ills of tose &o fall vi#tim
to tem% +2omment: Have !ou e)plored te ans&ers to tese /uestions in !our essa!?0
Antidepressants ave #ome a long &a! sin#e teir dis#over! in 1672% Originall! $eing used for
te treatment of tu$er#ulosis" iproniazid &as te first antidepressant in te monoamine1o)idase
#ategor!% Te se#ond antidepressant &as (no&n as imipramine" and it &as #ategorized as a tr!#!li#
antidepressant +89pez1:u;oz0% *ot of tese medi#ations &ere ma<or #ontri$utors to te te stud! of
ps!#oparma#olog! and te development of antidepressants temselves% 't &as reported tat patients
&o $egan ta(ing tese drugs $e#ame #eerful" optimisti#" and more p!si#all! a#tive% Tat ma! ave
$een te #ase in te 1670-s" $ut sin#e ten" antidepressants ave $een modernized into a variet! of more
#omple) and #emi#al oriented su$stan#es% Ad<a#ent &it te advan#ement in te t!pes of different
antidepressants is te in#rease of tose &o use tem% A 2011 report released $! te => 2enters for
?isease 2ontrol and Prevention stated tat a$out one out of ever! ten people over te age of t&elve in
te =nited >tates is on antidepressant medi#ations% A stud! also so&s tat $et&een te !ears 2007 and
200@" antidepressants &ere te most fre/uentl! used medi#ation $! people $et&een te ages eigteen to
fort!1four +Andre&s0% +#omment: Have !ou paraprased tese &ords?0 4o& tat &e (no& te $rief istor! and te te
amount of people tat a#tuall! utilize tese t!pes of medi#ations" lets ta(e a loo( at te #emi#al
ma(eup of most antidepressants and &! te! are so armful in regards to te uman $od! and its
fun#tioning%
:ost antidepressants are (no&n as sele#tive serotonin reupta(e ini$itors +>>5's0" and are
designed to #ontrol te regulation of te #emi#al serotonin% >erotonin" also (no&n as 71
!dro)!tr!ptamine or 71HT" is a $io#emi#al found &itin te $rain and trougout te rest of te
$od!% 't a#ts as a neurotransmitter" &i# is a #emi#al tat #ontrols te firing of neurons and pla!s a
great deal in o& &e tin(" feel" and so#iall! intera#t% *ut" serotonin also regulates oter $odil!
pro#esses su# as neuronal gro&t" digestion" mus#le movement" development" $lood #lotting" and
reprodu#tive fun#tioning +Andre&s0% Te &a! in &i# antidepressants &or( is tat te! #ause a $uild
up of serotonin outside of te neurons" &i# ultimatel! alters te $rain-s #emi#al $alan#e% 3at
people fail to realize is tat serotonin is present in oter parts of te $od!% Te $uildup of serotonin
along &it long term antidepressant use in tose oter $odil! sites as $een lin(ed to issues later in life%
P!si#al damage su# as a$normal $leeding" se)ual d!sfun#tion" digestion issues" aggression" and
man! more #ases ave $een reported% >evere p!siologi#al side effe#ts ave #ontri$uted to movement
disorders" in#luding Par(inson-s disease and d!stonia% ?ue to te #onstant $uildup of serotonin &itin
re#eptors and te uman $od! figting to restore its $alan#e" te effe#tiveness of te drugs are
e)tremel! limited" and relapse is ver! #ommon +Andre&s0%
't is said tat a$out eigt! per#ent of te effe#tiveness tat ta(es pla#e &it antidepressant use
on individuals also displa!s te same effe#ts &en using a pla#e$o +Andre&s Paul 3%0% Tis leaves
tose &o are against antidepressants to &onder &! people ta(e tem at all% 't is statisti#s +#omment: &i#
stats?0 su# as te one tat ' listed tat antidepressant users are deprived of &en te! re#eive teir
dosage at te do#tor-s offi#e% 't #an $e ver! &ell argued tat antidepressants are a gate&a! drug to
serious pro$lems do&n te road and later in life% 4ot onl! do te! ave negative effe#ts on #ertain
$odil! fun#tions in a p!si#al aspe#t" $ut antidepressants also ave several ps!#ologi#al side effe#ts
tat are dra&n from its use% Te $est (no&n ps!#ologi#al side effe#t is (no&n as ,amotivational
s!ndrome%A ,'t is #ara#terized $! apat!" disini$ited $eavior" demotivation and a personalit! #ange
similar to te effe#ts of lo$otom! +:arangell et al% 2001" p%10760% Oter ps!#ologi#al fa#tors tat are
derived from antidepressant use are agitation" in#reased an)iet!" antidepressant mania" insomnia" poor
#on#entration" loss of appetite" !perse)ualit! and a diminised li$ido% And te most e)treme side
effe#t seems to $e an in#rease in sui#idal tougts% 'f antidepressants are #reated to suppress
depression" ten &! are te! doing te opposite? 3ell" resear# supports te !potesis tat
antidepressants &orsen te #roni#it!" if not severit!" of depressive features in man! su$<e#ts
+Andre&s" Paul 3%0% And in 2004 after !ears of denial" te B?A admitted tat ,t&o to tree #ildren out
of ever! undred #ould $e e)pe#ted to develop sui#idal tougts or a#tions as a result of antidepressant
terap!A +Cresser0% Te information in Bigure 1 $elo& displa!s te most #ommon adverse side effe#ts
in regards to $ot p!siologi#al and ps!#ologi#al antidepressant use% 't spe#ifi#all! targets te
antidepressant Prozac, and other tricyclic drugs.
Bigure 1 +?epression0
3ile antidepressant #ompanies and produ#ers su# as Proza#" Effe)or" Doloft" ?es!rel" and
oter ma<or $rands ma! argue tat tere are more $enefits tan tere is arm" or tat tose &o
e)perien#e side effe#ts simpl! a$use te medi#ation" tat is rarel! ever te #ase% A##ording to te
largest #lini#al trial on depression to date" funded $! te 4ational 'nstitute of :ental Healt +4':H0"
onl! a$out alf of Ereal &orldE patients &it ma<or depressive disorder ad a signifi#ant response after
ta(ing an antidepressant for 12 to 14 &ee(s +5amin0% A real1life e)ample of an individual tat
e)perien#ed te dar( side of antidepressants is named 2atr!n Fa(o$son 5amin% >e is a !oung &oman
&o &as featured on Opra to sare er stor! a$out er e)perien#e &it antidepressants% >e as
gatered te e)perien#es of man! oter users &o ave $een negativel! impa#ted $! antidepressant
treatment and as #ompleted an e)/uisite amount of resear# around te topi#% Her full arti#le titled
,Galle! of te ?ullsA #an $e read at: http://www.oprah.com/health/Are-Antidepressant-Drugs-
Helpful-or-Harmful.
*ot p!siologi#al and ps!#ologi#al side effe#ts also tie in &it te so#ial aspe#t and $eavior
of antidepressant users. +#omment: ' understand !our point $ut it needs to $e stated more #learl!0 All ps!#oa#tive drugs"
in#luding antidepressants" are (no&n to $lunt our emotional responses to some e)tentA +Cresser0% A
#ommon side effe#t tat seems to $e sared among man! antidepressant users is te la#( of interest in
tings tat te! previousl! loved% Tis s!mptom #orresponds &it te deta#ment and demotivation
side effe#t% :an! people ave noted tat a #ange in personalit! and interests is one of te first tings
tat te! noti#e &en te! $egin ta(ing an antidepressant &itin te first si) to eigt &ee(s% 8ong term
use of antidepressants on so#ial and $eavioral #ara#teristi#s ma! in#lude sever an)iet!" furter
depression" and #ognitive damage tat leads to a#tual $eavioral d!sfun#tion% 't &ould not $e &rong to
sa! tat antidepressants are detrimental to one-s overall ealt and lifest!le #oi#es%
The evidence now indicates that antidepressants are less effective and more toxic than
commonly elieved !Andrews". The negative effects of antidepressants targets the three core
aspects of an individual#s life: the human ody, emotions, and ehavior. $eparately, it could e
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 e scientific evidence that
displays the eneficial use of antidepressants, there are far more harmful effects. &hat was
created to e an innocent drug has een moderni'ed into a slow-wor%ing death sentence. The
phrase may not e literal, ut when it comes to the overall health of a human eing, 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 ody they are certainly effecting the mind of young people
each day. Antidepressants are the third largest prescried drug in the *nited $tates, and they are
infinitely expanding to other parts of the world in toxic forms as well !Andrews". )f you care
aout your happiness, and ) mean your true happiness, then you will not fall victim to the
moderni'ed cra'e of antidepressant treatments.
3or(s 2ited
Andre&s" Paul 3%" F% Anderson Tomas" Fr%" Ananda Amstadter" and :i#ael 2% 4eale% EPrimum 4on
4o#ere: An Evolutionar! Anal!sis of 3eter Antidepressants ?o :ore Harm tan Good%E Frontiers.
+rontiers, ,- Apr. ,./,. &e. - Apr. ,./-.
0http://(ournal.frontiersin.org/1ournal//..2234/fpsyg.,./,...//5/full6h/,7.
Andre&s" Paul" 8!ndse! Gott" and F% Anderson Tomas" Fr% ETings .our ?o#tor >ould Tell .ou
A$out Antidepressants%E Mad In America. 8.p., /, $ept. ,./,. &e. .- Apr. ,./-.
0http://www.madinamerica.com/,./,/.4/things-your-doctor-should-tell-you-aout-
antidepressants/7.
E?epression: *e!ond te 2ate#olamine Teor! of :ood%E Depression: Beyond the Catecholamine
Theory of Mood. *niversity of 9lymouth: Department of 9sychology, ,..:. &e. ., Apr. ,./-.
0http://www.flyfishingdevon.co.u%/salmon/year2/psy225DepressionTheory/9$;225DepressionTh
eory.htm7.
Cresser" 2ris% E2ris Cresser%E Chris Kresser. <hris =resser, 5 $ept. ,..3. &e. .2 Apr. ,./-.
0http://chris%resser.com/the-dar%-side-of-antidepressants7.
89pez1:u;oz" Alamo 2% E5esult Bilters%E National Center for Biotechnoloy Information. *.$.
8ational >irary of ?edicine, ,..4. &e. .- Apr. ,./-.
0http://www.nci.nlm.nih.gov/pumed//4--,/5-7.
5amin" 2atr!n F% EAre Antidepressant ?rugs Helpful or Harmful?E !prah"com. @prah ?aga'ine,
?ar. ,..:. &e. ./ Apr. ,./-. 0http://www.oprah.com/health/Are-Antidepressant-Drugs-
Helpful-or-Harmful7.