#Prozac and teen use

[coochiequeens]

Trigger warning: discussion of a teen’s suicide.                                                          This is one of the differences between the Trans cult and gender critical feminism, feminists want kids to get access to the right mental health services before starting medical procedures which would also catch cases depression while the trans cult just uses every suicide to convince themselves and others that they should just bypass that into medical transitioning

Disturbing commentary made at the American Academy of Pediatrics Conference has emerged after a Professor of Pediatrics appeared to “glorify” a minor’s tragic suicide while discussing “gender affirming care.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) held its annual conference in Anaheim this week, featuring four days of panels intended to be focused on the state of child-focused healthcare in the United States. But what should have been a gathering of professionals intent on improving the state of pediatrics has prompted outrage after one Doctor was seen giving a speech which appeared to lionize a teenager’s death.

On October 11, Dr. Julia Mason uploaded a phone camera recording to Twitter of Dr. Morissa Ladinsky giving a panel talk at the conference. Ladinsky’s presentation, titled “Standing Up for Gender-Affirming Care,” was focused on discussing “current public policy landscape on gender-affirming care as well as the impact on children and families.”

But Ladinsky’s presentation drew particular concern from Mason, who is a US-based pediatrician and a clinical advisor at the Society for Evidence Based Gender Medicine. 

On Twitter, Mason, who was in attendance at the conference, took footage of Ladinsky discussing the 2014 suicide of Ohio teen Leelah Alcorn. Alcorn, who was born male but identified as transgender, ended his life by stepping in front of an oncoming semitrailer on a highway near his home. The suicide came after a prolonged depression and drastically increased Prozac regimen, both of which were related to his self-perception.

The FDA states that antidepressants, including Prozac, may increase the risk of suicide in children and adolescents. In a Reddit post made before his death, Alcorn wrote he was taking 60mg per day — which is far higher than the standard recommended pediatric dose.

Mason recorded Ladinsky seeming to lionize Alcorn’s suicide, repeatedly calling it “bold.”

Referring to Alcorn using feminine pronouns, Ladinsky can be heard saying: “And in the final days of 2014… a local 16-year-old lady, Leelah Alcorn, of trans experience, stepped boldly in front of a tractor-trailer, ending her life. Her suicide note, written to post on social media about an hour after her death, went viral around the world. Now, Leelah was not my patient. But I took care of hundreds of her classmates at Kings Mills High School. But each day, on the way to work, I passed that spot — where this teen boldly ended her life…”

Taken in the context of the subject of Ladinsky’s panel, Alcorn’s death appears to have been used to push the narrative that teenagers will commit suicide unless sufficiently “affirmed” by practitioners and parents.

Ladinsky’s comments prompted outrage from Twitter users who watched Mason’s footage, many of whom pointed out the dangerous nature of glorifying suicide in minors.

Medical experts uniformly agree that suicide contagion is a risk amongst adolescents, and the U.S. Department of Health and Homeland Services has set forward guidelines to limit the risk of suicide contagion. Among those recommendations include that “reports should not glorify the victim and should not imply that suicide was effective in achieving a personal goal,” such as gaining attention.

“This is so grossly exploitative,” Physician Mike Ziffra wrote in response to Mason’s post, to which Mason replied that the positive reaction from the audience towards Ladinsky’s comments left her “feeling crazy.”

Other users who watched the video noted that Ladinsky’s tone, which some described as “gleeful,” disturbed them, and that her use of the teenager’s tragic death to push a political mandate was disturbing.

The comments at the conference were not the first time Ladinsky has used the threat of suicides in teenagers to promote “gender affirming care” for minors.

In May, Ladinsky wrote an op-ed in Alabama’s largest news outlet in protest of a state law that would make it illegal to facilitate the medical transitioning of minors. 

“I am a pediatrician. But Alabama may soon take my white coat and stethoscope, charging me with a felony for doing my job,” Ladinsky wrote.

In the article, she details a young patient in her care who attempted suicide three times, and continues that only “affirming” care will prevent the potential deaths of gender-distressed children.

“… internalized guilt, confusion, shame and sense of defeat lead almost half of transgender youth to embark on suicide during their journeys. Our clinic patients have made large right turns away from that darkness, serving as daily reminders of the healing power released by affirmation and hope.”

Earlier this year, Ladinsky was featured on a podcast during which she claimed that children as young as four years old can understand the concept of their “gender identity.”

“Between four, five, even six years old, a sense of gender identity fills in. Remember the dress-up box? Did you put on the princess outfit? If you were assigned male at birth, what did your teacher say? Or how did they look? Those are the beginnings of aligning someone’s internal sense of gender with what is available to them to express it.”

The podcast Ladinsky spoke on was through Pride365 Plus — an LGBT resource site which appears to exist solely to promote products distributed by pharmacy benefit manager and health care provider Optum.

#American Academy of Pediatrics Conference #Dr Morissa Ladinsky #Doctors glorifying teen suicide #Prozac and teen use #Suicide contagion

[typhoidmeri]

me: *watching Star Trek tos*

Star Trek: Scotty!

my brain:

#that is the only think I remember from that movie #I am mostly enjoying watching #star trek tos #for the first time since I was a teen #I must say I keep thinking that they really need #to use that Prozac flower planet #for some sort of medical/mental health resort #having your body reset to default #along with your brain chemistry? #obviously it’s not for everyone #but for those that really need help it would be great #sure they need an emotional slap at the end #but totally worth it

[polyamorouspunk]

🌻

So I don’t talk much about it but I do have a disabled cat. Over the course of like November her fur got REALLY matted, and my mom was finally able to get her hands on a cat brush (it was a process) and so over the course of December into this year I’ve been working on it almost every day just to get those clumps out and I’ve finally gotten them all out and she seems SO much happier. I have to assume it’s from not having matted fur anymore, but she’s so much more active and playful and happy. Her fur is so much more vibrant and soft and fluffy and silky. Overall, though, I think she might be declining still. It really sucks to have adopted her and her sister both as healthy kittens and then watch her just slowly lose her health and still now become worse and worse slowly. She gets monthly shots that don’t make her “better” as much as keep her from getting worse, but sometimes it feels like even that isn’t enough. I’ll be going to Florida in about a week and my mom wants to talk to my grandpa about trying to make like a sling or something (my suggestion) for her to eat in. It’s hard to explain to people what her disability is too. She has trouble supporting her weight on her legs/sitting up but she can still move and use her legs, just not to walk or stand, and she can’t meow either, and the vets are stumped. She’s my mom’s baby, and her sister is my baby, and now we have an outdoor baby who my mom said is gone from the storm outside which kind of irks me because I keep asking if I can take her into my room when it storms really bad like this and my mom’s like no she’s an outdoor cat from the streets she can handle it and it’s like yeah but she shouldn’t have to! I would LIKE to have her in my room for the night to hang out, since my cat doesn’t and her cat certainly doesn’t. I would love to have our other cat sleep with me for a night. But it is what it is. Maybe next time I’ll just do it, which was what I said last time but I didn’t do this time. Other than that I still have Polyam Dog who is doing good, my gecko who is doing good, and my mom’s Guinea pig who is losing some fur it seems but other than that doing good. Over the past few years I’ve been telling myself that when I get to a better place mentally and physically I can “reward” myself for all my hard work (like not killing myself) by getting another bird, and I’m really lucky that right now for the first time in years I’m back on Prozac and it really seems to be working better for me than any of the last medications I’ve been on, but my health still isn’t great, and this year I’ll e starting university and I think that’s going to set me back mentally. This is still much sooner than I expected to be “ready” for that milestone (I was thinking another year at least) but my mom and I also have a “no more pets” rule that I’ve been honoring so it’s hard to kind of know how to balance what I promised myself with what I agreed with my mom since I have no plans of living on my own any time soon which sucks honestly because I really feel “young” (I look a LOT younger than I am, don’t really go out, don’t do “teen” things like drink and smoke and club, etc.) which uh. You know sucks sometimes. Gonna try and work on that too this year.

#punk gets mail #suicide mention

[thinkatoryprocess]

do you have any fem!Kendall ideas? how would it change things, if Kendall was the eldest daughter instead? how would it change how Logan sees her? would she remind him more of Rose? would he be gentler or more strict? how would he respond to Ken's manic or depressive episodes? would she marry Stewy then, do you think?

I set this one aside for a day because I wanted to give it the attention it deserved.

I think Logan would view all of Kendall's flaws as the weakness of a woman, because he's very sexist that way and requires women to be a certain way in a way reminiscent of Roman's preferences. He would resent his first attempt at a child after Connor being a girl instantly, because I believe it took him time to believe that women could hack it (and we're talking late 1970s for Kendall's birth). I think the standards would be ABSURD for Kendall in this situation and she'd live in constant anxiety of living up to them - eventually she'd manage to hide her drug use and be totally functional in the midst of it, because it would be the only way to cope with never knowing if her dad would ever respect her. It'd be the most important thing to her in a way it wouldn't be to Shiv, because Shiv was a spare kid to both Caroline and Logan and I think we know it. Shiv and Connor were just extra weight.

Logan realizes that Kendall has some kind of mental illness pretty early in, when she causes a lot of problems around the age of 12 and can't explain her erratic behavior despite normally being able to verbalize this kind of thing. He seriously considers tossing her in an asylum, but Prozac is handy around these times, so they basically force it down her throat. What they aren't taking into consideration is that Kendall is bipolar, and with bipolar Prozac just heightens the manic episodes and makes them last longer. She has an incredibly rough time in her teen years and starts to use heavily just to survive. Eventually they switch the meds when they realize Kendall hasn't slept in a week and institutionalize her to get her back into shape. Logan never forgives her for this show of weakness, and almost hits her before he has flashbacks to Rose; he starts to cut himself off emotionally from Kendall at that exact moment, in his head "for her own good".

BTW, this changes Roman's relationship with Logan. Even if we factor in any of Roman's quirks and damages, I think Logan still buckles down and seriously tries to make Roman his heir despite Kendall excelling (because of course he would, the alternative is losing Dad's attention). I think Roman is also closer in age to Kendall in this situation, because they are very quickly trying for a boy. It's a year, year and a half age difference max.

Kendall both adores Roman and hates him vividly and this fucks them both up really badly, but in their own way they're totally inseparable. Roman has his dad's attention, but what he wants more than anything is Kendall's love without all of the resentment attached. This is even worse in contrast with how Kendall effectively raises Shiv with as much genuine emotion as she can muster, because maybe she can get this one thing right and make one of them feel okay. Logan sees this, and doesn't really bother much with Shiv. As long as Kendall doesn't break her, that's under control.

#asks #alternate universe #kendall roy #roy family

[wilczachannn]

♡ – finished .

♡ – planning on watching .

♡ – started watching .

♡ – hiatus .

♡ – prob. won't finish .

♡ – currently watching .

a list of all dramas i watched ;

all of us are dead ♡

sweet home ♡

meteor garden ♡

love revolution ♡

color rush ♡

money heist ♡

w - two worlds ♡

my name ♡

extraordinary attorney woo ♡

girl from nowhere ♡

cherry blossoms after winter ♡

takarakun to amagi kun ♡

the untamed ♡

mimicus ♡

my mister ♡

revange of others ♡

under the queens umbrella ♡

so not worth it ♡

extra-ordinary you ♡

juvenile justice ♡

tomorrow ♡

the glory ♡

alice in borderland (+anime) ♡

island ♡

weak hero class 1 ♡

to.two ♡

extracurricular ♡

connect ♡

my liberation notes ♡

revenant ♡

moving ♡

from me to you ♡

the silent sea ♡

a list of all movies i watched ;

love and monsters ♡

through my window ♡

your name engraved herein ♡

alive ♡

v.i.p. (2017) ♡

midnight ♡

young adults matter ♡

2037 ♡

train to busan (all) ♡

the gun (2018) ♡

school-live! ♡

hanalei bay ♡

liverleaf ♡

mudblood (hp fanfilm) ♡

thirteen ♡

ravenous ♡

jurassic world (1&3) ♡

kill boksoon ♡

resident evil (all) ♡

the breakfast club ♡

the chronicles of narnia (1&2) ♡

the mist ♡

x-men 2 ♡

the nun (1&2) ♡

avatar (1&2) ♡

devil all the time ♡

jennifers body ♡

ladybug & cat noir (the movie) ♡

kill bill (all) ♡

prozac nation ♡

black swan ♡

evil dead (1&2) ♡

split (2017) ♡

the unholy ♡

red white and royal blue ♡

double jeopardy ♡

sala samobójców ♡

ballerina ♡

barbie (the movie) ♡

the gangster the cop the devil ♡

five nights at freddys ♡

the hunger games (all) ♡

cam ♡

anna karenina ♡

brave citizen ♡

hell house llc origins: the carmichael manor ♡

napoleon ♡

herd ♡

badland hunters ♡

dogman ♡

night swim ♡

dune (1&2) ♡

crooked house ♡

oppenheimer ♡

it ♡

monster high: escape from skull shores ♡

a haunting in venice ♡

lord of misrule ♡

annihilation ♡

the gift ♡

hellboy (1) ♡

blood: the last vampire (2000 & 2009) ♡

cujo ♡

a list of animes i watched ;

death parade ♡

highschool of the dead ♡

moriarty the patriot ♡

wonder egg priority ♡

vanitas no carte ♡

castlevania ♡

tomie ♡

junji ito maniac: japanese tales of the macabre ♡

magical girl site ♡

sankarea: undying love ♡

another ♡

the apothecary diaries (ongoing) ♡

nier:automata ♡

blood+ ♡

kakegurui: compulsive gambler (+twin) ♡

kakegurui×× ♡

a list of series i watched ;

teen wolf ♡

the last of us ♡

resident evil: infinite darkness ♡

house of the dragon ♡

shadow and bone ♡

game of thrones ♡

the vanishing triangle (ongoing) ♡

polowanie na ćmy ♡

and then there were none (miniseries) ♡

black summer ♡

avatar: the last airbender ♡

the legend of korra ♡

other things ;

hamilton (musical) ♡

until down (game) ♡

man of medan (game) ♡

little hope (game) ♡

house of ashes (game) ♡

the devil in me (game) ♡

les misérables (musical & 2012) ♡

wonka (musical) ♡

#all movies i watched recently tho #navigation.txt

[swifty-fox]

1, 3, and 8 for the ask thingie!!

what are 3 things you’d say shaped you into who you are?

oh jeeze. My Pops really shaped me in terms of showing me how to care for your loved ones and show up for them. Acts of Service to a T. You don't bitch and moan about it you just show up and help.

I was bullied a lot as a kid, by students and by teachers. I don't really rely on anybody for emotional safety unless you're really fucking close to me and even then I waffle back and forth as to whether I can trust you or not. Abandoment issues all over the place. But it's severely impacted my ability to foster emotional intimacy.

I was heavily medicated from the ages of 8-18. we're talking cocktails of Prozac Vyvanse Wellbutrin etc. sometimes together and at pretty high doses. I basically spent my entire teen years a zombie and it's been a long 8 years since reconnecting with my emotions and how to feel them. I have a deathly phobia of going back on meds now, I don't even like taking advil lol. But it's shaped my emotional threshold for things p heavily.

3. 3 films you could watch for the rest of your life and not get bored of

Any LOTR ring Hands DOWN. I would say also Elf, since my family watches it every holiday season. And then Maurice probably.

8. any recurring dreams?

I don't dream!!! It's very rare and if I do its usually run of the mill nightmares or full blown sleep paralysis. I used to have one when I really little that my dog went to the vets and had his head cut off. I sleepwalked to the top of my stairs once as my parents were coming to bed and said I couldn't find ozzy(the dogs) head. Lol they were understandably freaked out

#swiftytalks #swifty lore alert

[babydxhl]

“ you have so much to do, and i have nothing ahead of me. “

mitski sentence starters | still accepting.

"Oh, you know I can't stand melancholy."

She kneels in the front hall, buckling her shoes, fighting the urge to turn and send one flying directly at his head. They'd both been awake too long. Staring at blueprints and scribbling notes and working in resolute silence; a smear of ink mars Mary's jaw just below her ear, the same space she'd rested the heel of her palm.

After a moment she exhales sharply through her teeth and straightens up. He frustrates her, as always. She feels it simmering just under the skin.

"What do you want, huh?" She whirs to face him. "You want me to sit here for another two days? You want to me to tell you you've got the best life in the goddamn world?" Her arms fold over her chest, and the effect is something akin to a sullen teen. "Take Prozac and get over it, like the rest of us."

#;;ask. #they are not team players they should not work together #mcnomaniametus

[trainsongbyvashtibunyan]

Hi, I just saw your post about throwing up from period cramps, and just in case you hadn't considered it previously- that's a pretty common symptom for endometriosis

yeah i haven’t exactly been diagnosed with endo yet but like it hasn’t been ruled out either…..my periods used to be way worse and way more irregular when i was in my late teens-early 20s ish but then i was diagnosed with pmdd a few years ago and i started taking prozac for the symptoms and evening primrose oil to help regulate my hormones so. things aren’t like As Dire as before but apparently stress can fuck with your cycle too which is prob why it’s worse this month :(

#i’m going to the gyno in a few weeks tho! #💌

[prnlive]

Gary Null’s Newsletter Issue 062

In this week’s Gary Null’s Newsletter:

The Cult of Modern Psychiatry

Gary Null's Show Notes

Recipe for Spaghetti and Shiitake Saffron Tomato Sauce

The Cult of Modern Psychiatry

By Gary Null, PhD and Richard Gale            

Recently New York Times reporter Matt Richtel published an article entitled “This Teen Was Prescribed 10 Psychiatric Drugs: She’s Not Alone.” The article begins as an honest indictment of psychiatry’s rising irresponsible practice of over prescribing multiple powerful drugs for teens struggling with anxiety, depression and other behavioral disorders. Richtel states the problem clearly. “Many psychiatric drugs commonly prescribed to adolescents are not approved for people under 18. And they are being prescribed in combinations that have not been studied for safety or for their long-term impact on the developing brain.” The practice of prescribing multiple psychiatric drugs, known as polypharmacy, to any given patient has “gone mainstream.”  Many of these drugs, such as the entire class of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, carry black box warnings. Because psychiatry has never proven itself as an exact science, physicians frequently experiment by switching drugs, prescribing drugs for conditions they were not licensed for, and combining drugs into highly toxic cocktails.  The Times article documents several cases where young adults were taking 9 and 10 drugs simply for a diagnosis of anxiety and depression. In practice, psychiatry is largely based on guesswork rather than empirical evidence.

Admirably, Richtel’s article identifies a crucial problem in modern psychiatric practice for treating common mental disorders.  However it suffers from the sin of omission. It fails to specifically identify the nature of the teen’s suffering from polypharmacy practice. Nor does Richtel mention that these drugs commonly cause the very mental illnesses they are prescribed to relieve. He also fails to mention that the entire Chemical Imbalance Theory upon which psychiatric medication for depression is based remains unproven. As we will explore in detail, the theory may be completely erroneous as a fundamental tenet for treating such disorders with drugs. 

Richtel’s omissions are no surprise. The New York Times and the National Institute of Mental Health that the newspaper writes on behalf of has lost all credibility for promoting blatant psychiatric quackery. Having been one of the nation’s loudest media cheerleaders for US military interventions in the Middle East, when did the Times ever take responsibility for accurately reporting on the high rates of suicide among military personnel due to the overprescribing of psychiatric medications?  It is now well established that SSRIs contribute to suicidal and homicidal ideation. This was the reason for the CDC slapping a black box warning on SSRIs. By omitting the most important facts regarding the failures of SSRIs and other psychopharmaceutical drugs, the mainstream media and the entire psychiatric establishment has been manufacturing madness for decades. So where has the Times and the mainstream media been for the past fifty years when reporting the actual cause of anxiety and depression, and offering legitimate criticisms for prescribing SSRIs and other medications.

In 1986, the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly released its antidepressant drug Prozac, the world’s first SSRI.  Prozac has been called a wonder drug. Since its approval over fifteen other SSRIs, including Paxil, Zoloft, Luvox, and Celexa are now commonly prescribed for depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety and post traumatic stress. The popularity of SSRIs has skyrocketed. Today, one in every six Americans, approximately 77 million Americans, is taking psychiatric medication, and a quarter of these are long term users. Forty-five million and 31 million for depression and anxiety respectively. This ratio jumps to an incredible 21% among women between the ages of 45 and 64. During the first couple months of the Covid-19 pandemic prescriptions for depression, anxiety and insomnia increased by 21 percent. Worldwide, mental illness is now the leading cause of disability among children. Since 2015, antidepressant use among children between 5-12 has grown 41 percent, the majority being boys. 

Active members and veterans of the US military have become especially dependent on psychiatric medications. Seventeen percent of active duty service members are currently taking antidepressants, sedatives, and other psychiatric drugs, which is 7 percent higher than the wider US population. In 2020 the Department of Veterans Affairs reported that it needed to spend $682 million more in 2021 to deal with the epidemic of mental health disorders within the military. Fifty three million dollars was necessary for suicide protection alone, which now averages 20 suicides per day. A decade ago, the Pentagon spent $280 million on psychiatric drugs.

Along with the rise in antidepressant use, there has been a surge in the creation of many new clinical diagnoses for mental disorders.  What would have been considered just a few years ago to be rebellious behavior among teenagers is now termed Oppositional Defiant disorder; what was once looked upon as a child not wanting to do math homework is now classified as Mathematics Disorder.  The latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) includes normal behaviors that have been pathologized as mental disorders. These include Binge Eating Disorder, Caffeine Withdrawal, Hoarding Disorder and Social Communication Withdrawal. As the psychiatric establishment increasingly asserts its importance by pathologizing normal human behaviors, tens of millions of Americans are popping pills in an attempt to find mental wellbeing. All the while, Big Pharma is making a killing; antidepressant drug salesalone are predicted to top $22 billion by 2027 and global sales for all psychiatric drugs are anticipated to reach $41 billion by 2025.

Considering how widely SSRIs are prescribed, you would be forgiven for thinking that this class of drugs is highly safe and effective. In point of fact, these drugs come with a host of devastating and sometimes deadly health implications. Examining the state of the medical industrial complex deeper still makes one thing abundantly clear: Psychiatry is NOT a science but a massively destructive unscientific experiment fueled by a medical industrial complex that values profits over human life and wellbeing.

Let's break it down:

FACT: Psychiatric Drugs are Dangerous

Volumes of solid scientific evidence demonstrate that SSRIs carry serious and sometimes deadly side effects. These adverse effects include akathisia (a condition in which a person feels compelled to move about), permanent neurological damage, bone fracture, birth defects, sexual dysfunction, suicide (especially in children and teenagers) and acts of violence.[1-5] Shockingly, evidence indicates that SSRI use in patients can, in fact, exacerbate and lengthen bouts of depression and significantly promote relapse.[6]

Most alarming has been the relationship between suicides and psychiatric drug use. The year 2021 saw suicide among military personnel reach an all time high. Since 911, the number of active duty and veteran suicides is over four times greater than actual combat causalities.  In other words, more active-duty American soldiers are ending their own lives than are dying in battle. Could it be that the rising rates of suicide among members of the US military are being fueled by SSRIs and other psychiatric medications? A body of research suggests that the answer is yes.  

A meta-analysis appearing in the British Medical Journal, which pooled data from more than 700 studies and 87,650 patients, found that that there exists an "association between the use of SSRIs and increased risk of fatal and non-fatal suicide attempts" The researchers stated in their conclusion that methodological limitations may have caused them to actually underestimate the real risk of suicide.[7]

In 2004, the FDA required SSRI manufactures to place a black box label on SSRI drugs stating suicide as a lethal side effect. How many more deaths have to occur before the FDA bans these dangerous medications altogether?

FACT: Psychiatric Drugs are NOT Effective

Back in 1967, a British psychiatrist proposed the Chemical Imbalance Theory, which established a template for future research to search for mental disorders in chemical imbalances that may be observed in the brain. It is also the underlying basis for the belief that the neurotransmitter serotonin is responsible for what has become the Serotonin Theory of Depression. However, a large state of the art “umbrella review evaluation” conducted by a consortium of eight universities investigated the relationship between serotonin and depression and found that there is no convincing evidence to make this claim.  Furthermore, many studies show that SSRIs are generally no more effective than a placebo (sugar pill) for treating depression. The authors of one meta-analysis examining the effectiveness of using SSRIs in patients with depression remarked that:

"These findings suggest that, compared with placebo, the new-generation antidepressants do not produce clinically significant improvements in depression in patients who initially have moderate or even very severe depression, but show significant effects only in the most severely depressed patients"[8]

Upon closer investigation, it's little wonder that these drugs aren't efficacious. Psychiatric authorities still contend that mental illness has its roots in "chemical imbalances" in the brain that may be mediated through pharmaceuticals. The only problem is that there is no compelling evidence to confirm this hypothesis. To the contrary, there is increasing evidence to debunk the chemical imbalance theory altogether.  Furthermore, studies prove that SSRIs can adversely interfere and disturb normal brain function; SSRIs ultimately reduce the brain's ability to respond to serotonin.[9] This is a possible reason that many individuals on SSRIs are more likely to suffer from depression for longer periods of time, and relapse more frequently.

FACT: Psychiatric Diagnoses Have No Basis in Science  

The American Psychiatric Association's Fifth Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) is the definitive guide for psychiatric diagnoses. Of the nearly 300 mental disorders outlined in the DSM-5, the criteria for determining mental illness are based solely on subjectively measured and described behaviors.  There are no blood tests, no brain scans or urine samples- not one biological marker to validate the existence of these so-called conditions.

The flawed nature of conventional mental health diagnoses has been pointed out for years. In a 2010 opinion piece for the Los Angeles Times, Allen Frances, chairman of the taskforce that created the DSM-4, commented on the absurdity of the ever-expanding pool of mental disorders stating the following:

“The first draft of the next edition of the DSM, posted for comment with much fanfare last month, is filled with suggestions that would multiply our mistakes and extend the reach of psychiatry dramatically deeper into the ever-shrinking domain of the normal. This wholesale medical imperialization of normality could potentially create tens of millions of innocent bystanders who would be mislabeled as having a mental disorder. The pharmaceutical industry would have a field day -- despite the lack of solid evidence of any effective treatments for these newly proposed diagnoses.”

Even more damning was a deathbed confession in 2009 by the eminent child psychiatrist, Dr. Leon Eisenberg. In his final interview, Eisenberg reportedly revealed that "ADHD is a prime example of a fictitious disease." The bombshell came at the end of Eisenberg's long career developing foundational theories in modern psychiatry that led to the creation of ADHD and other mental disorders.

Given the lack of scientific rigor with which the APA concocts new disorders, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the DMS-5 even outlines "internet gaming disorder" as a brain abnormality that warrants further study. The bottom line is that psychiatry's DSM handbook has as much credibility as a comic book.

FACT: The Psychiatric Establishment is Bought and Paid for by Big Pharma

Like the other branches of the medical-industrial complex, psychiatry is infested with conflicts of interest. One of the most outspoken critics of the pharmaceutical industry's extensive influence over modern medicine is Dr. Marcia Angell, the former editor-in-chief of the New England Journal of Medicine who is currently on the faculty at Harvard University’s School of Public Health. 

In her New York Book Review article, Dr. Angell recounts the systemic corruption that has plagued the field of psychiatry:

“As psychiatry became a drug-intensive specialty, the pharmaceutical industry was quick to see the advantages of forming an alliance with the psychiatric profession. Drug companies began to lavish attention and largesse on psychiatrists, both individually and collectively, directly and indirectly. They showered gifts and free samples on practicing psychiatrists, hired them as consultants and speakers, bought them meals, helped pay for them to attend conferences, and supplied them with "educational" materials. When Minnesota and Vermont implemented "sunshine laws" that require drug companies to report all payments to doctors, psychiatrists were found to receive more money than physicians in any other specialty. The pharmaceutical industry also subsidizes meetings of the APA and other psychiatric conferences. About a fifth of APA funding now comes from drug companies.”

Dr. Angell goes on to describe how pharmaceutical companies manipulate study results to maximize profit streams from their drugs:

“...drug companies make very sure that their positive studies are published in medical journals and doctors know about them, while the negative ones often languish unseen within the FDA, which regards them as proprietary and therefore confidential. This practice greatly biases the medical literature, medical education, and treatment decisions.”

Upon further investigation not only are unfavorable clinical trial results concealed while positive results are highlighted and publicized, but the pharmaceutical industry has been embroiled in scandals involving fabricated study results.  In one case, Dr. Scott S Reuben, a Massachusetts anesthesiologist and researcher, allegedly faked data for 21 studies on major medications. Several of the drugs reviewed in Reuben's studies, including Wyeth's antidepressant, Effexor FX, were presented in a favorable light without any supporting clinical evidence.

In our opinion, professional dishonesty is rampant in modernpsychiary. In 2013 The Economist published an article entitled "Unreliable Research: Trouble at the Lab." The paper covered the work of Dr. Daniele Fanelli at the University of Edinburgh, who studied the flaws of scientific research conducted at academic institutions. Dr. Fanelli stated that fraud is likely second to incompetence in generating erroneous results --  although determining the difference is difficult. Dr Fanelli evaluated 21 separate surveys by academics (mostly in the biomedical sciences but also in civil engineering, chemistry and economics) carried out across a 21 year period (1987 to 2008). Only 2% of respondents admitted falsifying or fabricating data, but 28% of respondents claimed to know of colleagues who engaged in questionable research practices.

Collusion and deception have become hallmarks of the medical establishment. Here are some examples of psychiatry's corruption by the pharmaceutical cartel.

Psychologist Lisa Cosgrove and her colleagues examined the conflicts of interest among the panel members tasked with updating the DSM-5 handbook. Her study noted that "69% of the DSM-5 task force members report having ties to the pharmaceutical industry. This represents a relative increase of 21% over the proportion of DSM-IV task force members with such ties (57% of DSM-IV task force members had ties)."[10]

Cosgrove points out that panel members are eligible to help edit the DSM as long as they are not paid more than $10,000 from drug companies per year (through consultancies and other jobs). In addition, members are permitted to own up to $50,000 in stock holdings in pharmaceutical firms and still serve in their position.

Moreover, the American Psychiatric Association meets in secret to develop the DSM. All of the task force members are required to sign non-disclosure agreements.  This practice has been assailed by many, even former DSM chairman Robert Spitzer, who stated in an interview that "When I first heard about this agreement, I just went bonkers...transparency is necessary if the document is to have credibility."[11]

Groups such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), which were allegedly founded to advocate on behalf of people with mental disorders, have been challenged for operating as front groups created to push the pharmaceutical industry’s profit-driven agenda.

In the 1970s and 1980s, leaders at the National Institute of Mental Health played a key role in helping found these professional organizations, such as NAMI, in order to enable drug companies to effectively lobby lawmakers in Washington and state capitols to fund more psychiatric research. These organizations have enjoyed a steady stream of generous financial support from drug makers for decades.

Psychiatrist Dr. Peter Breggin has alleged that NAMI is the “astroturf lobbying organization… for the psychopharmaceutical complex.”  The organization controls 70 percent of the mainstream media’s messaging about mental health and psychological disorders. Its corporate sponsors are a Who’s Who of the nation’s largest firms in the drug and chemical industries, Wall Street banks, the most influential Silicon Valley companies and the major media networks. It dominates social media, with over 160 million impressions, to advance psychiatry’s drug-based model for dealing with mental illness. In a single year NAMI spent $3.5 million to grab state organizations to advocate on its behalf through its many hundreds of local chapters in every US state. And in 2021, NAMI’s annual report called for $2.1 billion of additional funding to advance its influence over state psychiatric organizations and the media. It is currently in a collaboration with Google to embark on an initiative that would flag internet searchers for psychological related disorders, such as anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsion, etc, thereby incorporating a vehicle for the psychiatric and drug industry to identify and reach out to internet users who may suffer from these mental afflictions. Very likely, this initiative will generate algorithms for pharmaceutical ads targeting the specific searches people make. 

Given the overwhelming evidence implicating modern psychiatry as a sick and twisted farce designed to profit from human suffering, how could it be that this issue doesn't receive any substantive media coverage? Why hasn't this been exposed by The New York Times, CNN and MSNBC, or 60 Minutes? Could it be the hundreds of millions of dollars in advertising that the corporate media receives from Big Pharma each year? Perhaps this could lead to self-censorship.

The Dangers of SSRIs

We need to take a deeper look at the dangers associated with SSRIs. The most controversial issue surrounding the use of SSRIs--a possible connection to suicidal and homicidal thoughts and behavior in some users--made news in mid-2003 when the Food and Drug Administration recommended that Paxil not be used to treat depressed children and adolescents because regulators were reviewing reports from clinical trials of an increased risk of suicidal thinking and suicide attempts in young users.[12]

Although the Prozac era has ended for Eli Lilly, the availability of less costly generics means that fluoxetine may be more affordable for tens of millions of uninsured people. In addition to gaining approval for Prozac for indications besides depression (obsessive-compulsive disorder, bulimia nervosa, and panic disorder), Eli Lilly now markets two Prozac-related products that have their own patents: Sarafem is the version of Prozac approved for the treatment of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).[13] It was the first prescription drug in the US with this indication. The second drug is Prozac Weekly, intended for the longer-term treatment of depression when symptoms have stabilized.[14] 

IQVia (formerly IMS Health) has observed a trend toward "lifestyle indications" for antidepressants.[15] In addition to major depression and OCD, both Paxil and Zoloft are indicated for panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and social anxiety disorder. Zoloft also is approved for premenstrual dysphoric disorder, while Paxil is approved for generalized anxiety disorder. [16-17] Doctors, for their part, prescribe SSRIs for a wide range of conditions, such as headaches, substance abuse, eating disorders, back pain, impulsivity, upset stomach, irritability, hair pulling, nail biting, premature ejaculation, sexual addictions, and attention deficit disorder.[18]

One growing market for SSRIs and other psychiatric medications is young children and adolescents. This is despite some studies showing that antidepressants are no more effective than placebos in these patients.[19-22]  Another study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that psychotropic medications prescribed to preschoolers has rapidly increased.[23] An analysis of prescription claims among young Medicaid patients in North Carolina found that the use of Ritalin-type stimulants and Prozac-type antidepressants among children rose dramatically and that more were taking both drugs at once. Current figures record that 1 in 5 children have a mental health problem: 43 percent increase in ADHD, 37% rise in teen depression, and   200 percent increase in suicides among adolescents between 10-14 years of age. For 2020, the IQVia patient tracker database records over 6.1 million persons between 0-17 years of age on some type of psychiatric medication.  Breaking down this statistic, 2.1 million are antidepressants, 3.1 million are taking anti-ADHD drugs such as Adderall, and another 1.2 million are on anti-anxiety drugs. Writing about the increase in psychiatric drugs prescribed for younger people, Jerry Rushton, MD, MPH, commented, "... the consistent increase in SSRI use and in dual prescriptions is especially surprising. We need further information about whether this is due to new unrecognized mental disorders, substitution for other therapies, or overprescription."

Serotonin and side effects

Prozac relieves depression by affecting the level of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that connects receptor sites and fires nerve cells. Joseph Glenmullen, MD, a clinical instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, explains in his book Prozac Backlash that the drug inhibits the reuptake of serotonin--a process in which a cell that releases this chemical messenger reabsorbs any unused portion of it. By blocking the reuptake of this neurotransmitter, Prozac boosts the level of serotonin and prolongs the serotonin signals in the brain.[24]

Dr. Glenmullen points out, however, that neurotransmitters like serotonin, adrenaline, and dopamine are connected by complex circuitry and function interdependently. 

Changes in one neurotransmitter can set off changes in another. Thus, the idea that Prozac-type drugs work "selectively" on serotonin is an illusion. When the level of serotonin is artificially increased, the primary reaction in the brain is a drop in dopamine--a powerful secondary effect that was not understood when the new class of serotonin  

boosters was introduced. The severe effects of the SSRIs are thought to be caused by the connections between the serotonin and dopamine systems. "Drugs producing a dopamine drop are well known to cause the dangerous side effects that are now appearing with Prozac and the other drugs in its class," Dr. Glenmullen writes. His term for these compensatory reactions in the brain is "Prozac backlash."[25]

Dr. Peter Breggin has also reported in Talking Back to Prozac: What Doctors Aren't Telling You About Today's Most Controversial Drug, that Prozac acts as a stimulant to the nervous system.[26] Therefore, it can produce side effects that mimic those of amphetamines and are exaggerations of the desired effects of Prozac in relieving depression.

According to Dr. Breggin, the FDA psychiatrist who wrote the agency's safety review of Prozac, the drug's effects--including nausea, insomnia, and nervousness--resemble the profile of a stimulant drug rather than a sedative. He notes that nearly all of the Prozac side effects listed in the Physician's Desk Reference "fit into the stimulant profile." Among others, these stimulant symptoms include headaches, nervousness, insomnia, anxiety, agitation, tremors, weight loss, nausea, diarrhea, mouth dryness, anorexia, and excessive sweating. He adds in The Antidepressant Fact Book that all of the SSRIs can cause insomnia, anxiety, agitation, and nervousness. These same effects and others are caused by the classic stimulants--methylphenidate, amphetamine, methamphetamine, Ecstasy, and cocaine. [27]

A drug that acts as a stimulant can also overstimulate the body systems. In Talking Back to Prozac, Dr. Breggin offers the example of a person who takes Prozac to relieve depression (the beneficial effect) and suffers from agitation and insomnia (the negative effects). These adverse reactions "are inherent in the stimulant effect that produces feelings of energy and well-being," he writes. "In this sense, the difference between 'therapeutic effects' and 'toxic effects' are merely steps along a continuum from mild to extreme toxicity."[28]

Between 2004 and 2019, the FDA’s Adverse Events Reporting System or FAERS reported over 7.3 million adverse events for 30 different antidepressants on the market.  Across the board, SSRIs were the most responsible; however, one reason may be that SSRIs are more prescribed. It is not unusual for serious adverse effects to surface after a drug hits the market. Only then is a major new warning added to the label or the drug be withdrawn. The FDA informs doctors, but not the public that the approval of a drug does not mean it is safe.

In 2004, the FDA was compelled to issue a black box warning on virtually all antidepressant drugs. Four years later the FDA instituted a black box warning for all second generation antipsychotics due to rising deaths among elderly patients.  It is not uncommon for drugs to eventually undergo greater scrutiny after they have been on the market for longer periods of time and drug injuries and deaths increase. It is estimated that there is a 20% chance that problems will arise with any given drug after its approval. One group of researchers stated, "The safety of new agents cannot be known with certainty until a drug has been on the market for many years."  Now that pharmaceutical companies have easier access to fast track new drugs off the production line through the FDA’s regulatory review process, there has been a noticeable increase in black box warning for new drugs. 

Dr. Glenmullen says that popular psychiatric drugs follow a "10-20-30 year pattern" in revealing their dangerous effects and falling into disfavor: About 10 years after their debut, the earliest signs of problems appear. At 20 years, there is enough data for the problems to be undeniable and a significant number of physicians to voice their concerns. At 20 years (or more), professional organizations and regulators actively work to stop overprescribing of the drug. At this point, drugs have become passé and lose their patent protection, and the manufacturers move on to more profitable drugs "that can be promoted as 'safer' because their hazards are not yet known." [29]

Comparisons of efficacy

SSRIs have no more specific effect on depression than do other antidepressants, including the tricycles and monoamine-oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), according to Charles Medawar. As he explains in The Antidepressant Web, patients generally respond to antidepressants in about 60% to 70% of cases, while the typical response to  placebo is 30% to 35%. Therefore, the popularity of SSRIs is due to the fact that most experts believe they are safer or otherwise more acceptable than the alternatives. And, in fact, promotional messages for SSRIs state three advantages: the drugs produce fewer unwanted side effects, are more acceptable to more patients, and are safer when overdosed.[30]

Despite the safety-related claims made in the medical literature, "the evidence overall does not suggest that SSRIs show any great and decisive safety advantage over alternatives in day to day use," says Medawar. Consider the results of trials comparing SSRI efficacy and safety with that of other antidepressants: "Two independent meta-analyses, each starting with a careful search of the literature to identify all properly controlled trials, have reached broadly similar conclusions--the SSRIs do have the edge on alternatives, but not by much."[31] One analysis of 62 trials found a 49% dropout rate for SSRIs versus a 54% rate for tricyclic antidepressants. A second analysis of 63 trials (16 comparing an SSRI with a nontricyclic) found that 3% fewer people stopped taking an SSRI because of the side effects. [32]

Other reviews also have found that the newer antidepressants are no more or less effective in treating depression than older-generation drugs. In a government study conducted by Dr. Cynthia Mulrow and colleagues, the researchers analyzed more than 300 randomized controlled trials and concluded there were no significant differences in efficacy between newer and older agents or in overall discontinuation rates.[33-34] Fewer people taking SSRIs stopped treatment due to adverse effects than those taking first-generation tricyclics (the rate difference was 4%). More than 80 studies found that newer antidepressants were more effective than placebo in treating major depression in adults. The response rate was 50% for the drugs, versus 32% for a placebo. 

A more disturbing conclusion was reached by Dr. Irving Kirsch and colleagues who analyzed data sent to the FDA for approval of the six most commonly prescribed antidepressants over the course of a dozen years (Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Effexor, Serzone, and Celexa). Their analysis found that the response to placebo was almost as great as the response to the antidepressants. The mean difference on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression was two points, according to a report in Psychiatric Times. The difference was statistically, but not clinically, significant. The article states, "More than half of the clinical trials sponsored by the pharmaceutical companies failed to find significant drug/placebo difference, and there were no advantages to higher doses of antidepressants." The authors add, "The small difference between antidepressant and placebo has been referred to as a 'dirty little secret' by clinical trial researchers ..."[35]

Several recent studies have reported similar results, finding that an SSRI did not differ significantly from placebo in the treatment of depression.[36]

Footnotes:

[1] Koliscak, Lindsey P., and Eugene H. Makela. "Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor-induced akathisia." Journal of the American Pharmacists Association 49.2 (2009): e28-e38. Print.

[2] Wu, Q., A. F. Bencaz, J. G. Hentz, and M. D. Crowell. "Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor treatment and risk of fractures: a meta-analysis of cohort and case–control studies." Osteoporosis International 23.1 (2012): 365-375. Print.

[3] Bahrick, Audrey (2008). "Persistence of Sexual Dysfunction Side Effects after Discontinuation of Antidepressant Medications: Emerging Evidence". The Open Psychology Journal 1: 42–50. Retrieved 30 January 2014.

[4] Olfson M, Marcus SC, Shaffer D (August 2006). "Antidepressant drug therapy and suicide in severely depressed children and adults: A case-control study". Archives of General Psychiatry 63 (8): 865–72.

[5] Henry, Chantal, and Jacques Demotes-Mainard. "SSRIs, Suicide and Violent Behavior: Is there a Need for a Better Definition of the Depressive State?." Current Drug Safety 1.1 (2006): 59-62. pubmed.gov. Web. 18 Mar. 2014.

[6] van Weel-Baumgarten, EM, et al. "Treatment of depression related to recurrence: 10-year follow-up in general practice." Journal of Clinical of Pharmacy and Therapeutics 25.1 (2005): 61-6. pubmed.gov. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.

 [7] Fergusson , Dean, et al.. "Association between suicide attempts and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors: systematic review of randomised controlled trials." British Medical Journal 330 (2005): n. pag. BMJ.com. Web. 17 Mar. 2014.

 [8] Kirsch, Irving, Brett J. Deacon, Tania B. Huedo-Medina, Alan Scoboria, Thomas J. Moore, and Blair T. Johnson. "Initial Severity And Antidepressant Benefits: A Meta-Analysis Of Data Submitted To The Food And Drug Administration." PLoS Medicine 5.2 (2008): e45. plosmedicine.org. Web. 18 Mar. 2014.

[9] Andrews, Paul W, et al.. "Blue again: perturbational effects of antidepressants suggest monoaminergic homeostasis in major depression ." Fronteirs in Psychology July (2011): n. pag. journal.frontiersin.org. Web. 17 Mar. 2014.

 [10] Cosgrove, Lisa, and Sheldon Krimsky. "A Comparison of DSM-IV and DSM-5 Panel Members' Financial Associations with Industry: A Pernicious Problem Persists." PLoS Medicine 9.3 (2012): e1001190. plosmedicine.org. Web. 18 Mar. 2014.

 [11] Carey, Benedict. "Psychiatry's Struggle to Revise The Book of Human Troubles." The New York Times. The New York Times, 17 Dec. 2008. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.

 [12] U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA talk paper: FDA statement regarding the anti-depressant Paxil for pediatric population. June 19, 2003.

 [13] U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). New treatment approved for severe premenstrual symptoms. FDA Consumer magazine, Sep-Oct. 2000.

[14] U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Weekly Prozac dosage: treatment alternative for depression. FDA Consumer magazine, May-June 2001.

[15] IMS Health. Lifestyle indications for antidepressants. April 4, 2000. From www.ims-global.com/insight/news_story/news_story_000404b.htm.

[16] GlaxoSmithKline. Prescribing information for Paxil (paroxetine hydrochloride) Tablets and Oral Suspension. August 2003. From www.us.gsk.com/products/assets/us_paxil.pdf.

[17] Pfizer Inc. Prescribing information for Zoloft (sertraline hydrochloride) Tablets and Oral Concentrate. Revised September 2003. From www.pfizer.com/download/uspi_zoloft.pdf.

[18] Glenmullen, Joseph, M.D. Prozac backlash: overcoming the dangers of Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, and other antidepressants with safe, effective alternatives. Touchstone, Simon & Schuster, New York, 2000, p. 14.

[19] Leonard M. Children are the hot new market for antidepressants. But is this how to make them feel better? Boston Sunday Globe, May 25, 1997, D1, D5 (cited in Glenmullen).

 [20] Strauch B. Use of antidepression medicine for young patients has soared. New York Times, August 10, 1997, 1 (cited in Glenmullen).

[21] Martin A, Leslie D. Trends in psychotropic medication costs for children and adolescents, 1997-2000. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2003 Oct; 157(10):997-1004.

 [22] Fisher RL and Fisher S. Antidepressants for children. Is scientific support necessary? J Nerv Ment Dis 1996; 184:99-102 (cited in Glenmullen).

[23] Pellegrino D. Commentary: Clinical judgement, scientific data, and ethics: antidepressant therapy in adolescents and children. J Nerv Ment Dis 1996; 184:106-8 (cited in Glenmullen).

 [24] Glenmullen, op. cit., p. 17.

[25] Ibid, pp. 17-20.

[26] Breggin, P.R., and Breggin, G.R. Talking back to Prozac: What doctors aren't telling you about today's most controversial drug. St. Martin's Press, New York, 1994, p. 121.

 [27] Breggin, P.R. The antidepressant fact book. Perseus Publishing, Cambridge, MA, 2001, p. 46.

[28] Breggin and Breggin, 1994, p. 105.

[29] Glenmullen, op. cit., pp. 12-13.

[30] Medawar C. The antidepressant web--marketing depression and making medicines work. International Journal of Risk & Safety in Medicine 1997;10(2):75-126. Posted online at a Web site operated by Social Audit Ltd., the publishing arm of Public Interest Research Centre Ltd.: Last updated August 8, 2003.

 [31] Anderson IM, Tomenson BM. Treatment discontinuation with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors compared with tricyclic antidepressants: a meta-analysis. Brit Med J 1995 June 3; 310:1433-8 (cited in Medawar).

[32] Song F, Freemantle N, Sheldon TA, et al. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors: meta-analysis of efficacy and acceptability. Brit Med J 1993; 306:683-7 (cited in Medawar).

 [33] Mulrow CD, Williams JW Jr, Trivedi M, Chiquette E, Aguilar C, et al. Treatment of depression--newer pharmacotherapies. Psychopharmacol Bull 1998; 34(4):409-795.

[34] Geddes JR, Freemantle N, Mason J, Eccles MP, Boynton J. SSRIs versus other antidepressants for depressive disorder. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2000; (2):CD001851.

 [35] Hollon SD, DeRubeis RJ, Shelton RC, Weiss B. The emperor's new drugs: effect size and moderate effects. Prevention & Treatment, 5 Artical 28, 2002 (cited in Kirsch and Antonuccio).

[36] Hypericum Depression Trial Study Group. Effect of Hypericum perforatum (St John's wort) in major depressive disorder: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA 2002 Apr 10; 287(14):1807-14.

Gary Null’s Show Notes

Survey: 9 in 10 adults have tried losing weight in past 5 years — but 44% gained more than 20 pounds

Nutrisystem, February 24, 2023

No, you’re not crazy and you’re not alone – losing weight continues to be a struggle for many Americans. A poll of 2,000 Americans who have tried to lose weight at any point in their life finds that 95 percent have tried to lose weight within the last five years. However, 44 percent have struggled so much over the past half decade, that they’ve ended up gaining 21 pounds or more.

For the year ahead, 62 percent say they are planning to lose an average of 22 pounds to reach their goals in 2023. Over half (58%), however, recognize their weight loss goal is ambitious. Although 72 percent say losing weight this year is a major priority for them, nearly as many (71%) believe there are a lot of challenges making it difficult for them to lose weight.

Commissioned by Nutrisystem, the study reveals the biggest challenges people face while trying to lose weight, including maintaining willpower (28%), lack of motivation (27%), eating healthy foods (27%), and overcoming hunger (27%). Other major challenges people face include the pure difficulty of losing weight (26%), the expense associated with weight loss (25%), and even finding time to work out (25%).

Many place the blame on distractions in their lives — like health issues (25%), money problems (23%), and social media (19%). Even where people work impacts their eating habits. Out of the 27 percent surveyed who say they work in a hybrid environment (half work-from-home, half in an office or on-location), 69 percent eat more frequently at home than they would at their workplace.

The study also reveals that 73 percent of Americans think losing weight is “great at first,” but then it slows down and plateaus. Similarly, 72 percent claim it “feels like forever” before they see any weight loss results. Even then, the average person can only tell they’ve lost weight after dropping 20 pounds.

The reasons why people choose to lose weight are typically personal. Many want to improve their appearance (43%), feel more confident in themselves (39%), and to address major health concerns (39%). When it comes to discussing their weight loss journey, 44 percent tend to keep the goal to themselves, while 40 percent don’t mind sharing their journey with others.

Fruits, vegetables, 'farm-to-fork continuum' vital to cancer prevention 

Penn State University, February 19, 2023 

After decades of research aimed at improving the yield, appearance and safety of fruits, vegetables and grains, it's time to focus science on the health benefits those foods can provide, according to a cancer researcher in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

But concentrating on the foods' potential alone won't adequately assess their cancer-fighting properties, noted Jairam Vanamala, associate professor of food science. Instead, he contends that researchers must consider the effect of how foods are harvested, handled, stored and prepared to aid the development of new and science-based strategies for cancer prevention.

The influence of that "farm-to-fork continuum" on the bioactive compounds in fruits, vegetables and grains is critical and has largely gone unstudied, he believes.

Vanamala pointed out that new cancer cases are expected to surge 57 percent worldwide in the next two decades. With most cancers containing numerous genetic alterations and the dysregulation of multiple critical cellular-signaling pathways, he doesn't expect a "silver bullet" treatment effective against most cancers to emerge.

"Instead, research should shift toward developing prevention strategies for cancer. Accumulating evidence suggests that a diet high in plant-based foods is preventive of a variety of chronic diseases, including cancer," he said. "A plethora of bioactive compounds—such as polyphenols, glucosinolates and carotenoids in fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes—are shown to suppress a variety of biological capabilities required for tumor growth."

"Many practices in the farm-to-fork continuum, including preharvest methods, postharvest storage and processing, and consumer practices, affect a food's bioactive compound content, composition and chemopreventive bioactivity," Vanamala explained. "Food system practices may be adjusted to improve the bioactive compound profile, elevating the cancer-fighting properties of fruits, vegetables and other food products."

For example, Vanamala said, recent studies reported that two types of bioactive compounds—polyphenols and isothiocyanates—possess cancer preventive/protective activity. "These two compounds are present in many whole foods, such as grapes, broccoli and others. However, no studies have been conducted on using farm-to-fork-function continuum on whole foods anti-cancer activity even though pre- and postharvest practices were shown to alter the content and composition of bioactive compounds."

Ramping up the amount of bioactive, cancer-fighting compounds in foods via the farm-to-fork continuum is especially critical because the number of servings of fruits increased by only 0.3 and vegetables by only 0.8 per capita during the last 30 years. Given the ineffectiveness of public healthcampaigns to increase fruit and vegetable consumption, Vanamala said, selection of cultivars with greater bioactive compound content may be a more effective means of improving the overall health of the population.

But consumer selection has the greatest impact on overall dietary intake of bioactive compounds. Though crop biodiversity has decreased, consumers still have the ability to choose foods with more bioactive compounds in many situations.

"Choosing red onions, purple-fleshed potatoes, or even blue corn chips instead of their respective white alternatives could lead to increased bioactive compound intakes," Vanamala said.

"By selecting a wide variety of whole foods—consuming a rainbow of foods—consumers can maximize the health benefits gained from fruit and vegetable bioactive compounds."

Exercise more effective than medicines to manage mental health, says study

University of South Australia, February 24, 2023

University of South Australia researchers are calling for exercise to be a mainstay approach for managing depression as a new study shows that physical activity is 1.5 times more effective than counseling or the leading medications.

Published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the review is the most comprehensive to date, encompassing 97 reviews, 1,039 trials and 128,119 participants. It shows that physical activity is extremely beneficial for improving symptoms of depression, anxiety, and distress.

Specifically, the review showed that exercisevinterventions that were 12 weeks or shorter were most effective at reducing mental health symptoms, highlighting the speed at which physical activity can make a change.

Lead researcher, Dr. Ben Singh, says physical activity must be prioritized to better manage the growing cases of mental health conditions.

"Physical activity is known to help improve mental health. Yet despite the evidence, it has not been widely adopted as a first-choice treatment," Dr. Singh says. "Our review shows that physical activity interventions can significantly reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety in all clinical populations, with some groups showing even greater signs of improvement.

"Higher intensity exercise had greater improvements for depression and anxiety, while longer durations had smaller effects when compared to short and mid-duration bursts.

"We also found that all types of physical activity and exercise were beneficial, including aerobic exercise such as walking, resistance training, Pilates, and yoga.

"Importantly, the research shows that it doesn't take much for exercise to make a positive change to your mental health."

Senior researcher, UniSA's Prof Carol Maher, says the study is the first to evaluate the effects of all types of physical activity on depression, anxiety, and psychological distress in all adult populations. 

Recipe for Spaghetti and Shiitake Saffron Tomato Sauce

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About Gary Null

An internationally renowned expert in the field of health and nutrition, Gary Null, Ph.D is the author of over 70 best-selling books on healthy living and the director of over 100 critically acclaimed full-feature documentary films on natural health, self-empowerment and the environment. He is the host of ‘The Progressive Commentary Hour” and “The Gary Null Show”, the country’s longest running nationally syndicated health radio talk show which can be heard daily on here on the Progressive Radio Network.

Throughout his career, Gary Null has made hundreds of radio and television broadcasts throughout the country as an environmentalist, consumer advocate, investigative reporter and nutrition educator. More than 28 different Gary Null television specials have appeared on PBS stations throughout the nation, inspiring and motivating millions of viewers. He originated and completed more than one hundred major investigations on health issues resulting in the use of material by 20/20 and 60 Minutes. Dr. Null started this network to provide his followers with a media outlet for health and advocacy. For more of Dr. Null’s Work visit the Gary Null’s Work Section or Blog.GaryNull.com In addition to the Progressive Radio Network, Dr. Null has a full line of all-natural home and healthcare products that can be purchased at his Online Store.

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[kattestrophe]

Pop Culture Kattes Part 1 - A Collection of Written Kattes

Throughout the years, many an author has decided to write about the trial of 1730. Their interpretations of both the happenings and the characters vary... greatly. So let's compare some (definitely not all) Kattes from books and theatre! The ratings are based on vibes alone and don't mean a thing.

Michael Roes - Zeithain (2017)

Starting off with the newest and longest version. This Katte is definitely the most fleshed out, if only because he's the only one who has a life before meeting Fritz. And what a life it is! He's... in dire need of psychological help. Get this man a therapist. Honestly, he has not felt joy since he was 13 years old and made his first friend. His friends die like flies, he doesn't really have any emotional connection to his family, he got robbed and shot on some dirt road in France... Oh, and he's explicitly gay, which he doesn't deal with too well either (People this man sleeps with: His distant cousin, a sailor who's killed someone before, and the mentally unstable Crown Prince of Prussia). We do get him and Fritz in a romantic relationship, but it's as depressing as the rest of the book (and Fritz needs some serious therapy too). He's that character you relate to even though you really don't want to. Oh, and he has a cat tattoo, which is at least a little bit funny.

Overall rating: 9/10 Bottles of Prozac

Hermann Burte - Katte. Ein Schauspiel in 5 Aufzügen. (1914)

Now for the other side of the spectrum: This Katte is honestly hilarious in every scene. Not good, but hilarious. He LOVES being in the military and he LOVES the King and he LOVES Wilhelmine! Frederick who? Naaah, he's dying for Wilhelmine now! Or maybe for FW? Definitely not for Fritz! They look deeply into each other's eyes in the first act, then Fritz, who is incredibly stupid for some reason, disappears until the last scene of act five and we are treated to multiple acts of Katte making eyes at Wilhelmine, sassing the people interrogating him, and starting to sob because he heard marching music in the distance. At one point he's talking in his sleep like "Nooo, don't become an abbess, you're so hot". Also his horse has dietary restrictions that he really wants you to know about. His last words are "Long live the King!" before he is killed, Fritz faints, the curtain falls, and FUNNY MUSIC PLAYS! WHAT A WAY TO GO!

Overall rating: 6/10 Laugh tracks, purely because it's so bad it's good

Rafael Sabatini - King in Prussia (1944)

This Katte is just a calm jock who is dealing with the most theatrical, larger than life Crown Prince Fritz known to man. I mostly remember him for his very germanic oak dining room, having a personal fencing room and not minding his overly dramatic boyfriend openly venting about his terrible life to his shocked cousin. After all, they have reportedly done worse in public. He seems chill; listens to Fritz's dramatic rants and is an object of his jealousy. Good lad overall.

Overall rating: 6/10 homosexually charged fencing lessons

Peter Kaiser, Norbert Moc, Heinz Peter Zierholz - Das Richtschwert traf den falschen Hals (1979)

Ah yes, who doesn't know the friendship of the Prussian Crown Prince and Lieutenant Katte, based on their shared love for music, pranks and WOMEN. Oh yes, folks, this Katte is once again straight af. Still, he gets the gayest line of any Katte on this list: “Your Highness, you know how dear you are to me, how much I love you. Rule over me; and everything that is mine, even my life, is yours too. My place will always be by your side." - but the book immediately tells us that he didn't actually mean that and just kinda said it to fill an awkward silence or something. As you do. Other than that he's just your average Katte, very noble, very self sacrificing, and very straight. And also stuck in a story that basically screams "This was written for teens in the GDR!" every other sentence. The neck the Richtschwert should have hit is that of the Prussian monarchy. Honorable mention for Katte's sister "Christine" who doesn't exist anywhere but here :'D

Overall rating: 5/10 totally platonic confessions of love

Romulus Linney - The Sorrows of Frederick (1966)

Bravo, Majesty <3 This Katte doesn't care about titles (neither Frederick's nor his own, he's just Hans Katte in this), he cares about gazing softly at his Crown Prince, reading anachronistic Voltaire letters and... spending time with Fritz and Fredersdorf, of all people. Yeah, this one knows Fredersdorf, and, according to FW, looks like a girl. Pretty boy Katte, that's a new one. He's sweet, that one, very supportive of his Prince. Not here for a long time, the poor thing doesn't survive act 1.

Overall rating: 6/10 little eggs, because "Bravo Majesty" is already more romantic than anything we got in Zeithain

PART II

PART III

#hans hermann von katte #frederick the great #history #18th century #prussia

[futurewife]

ok below cut for more depressing monologue but on a selfshipping note i hope they're okay with i guess comforting me no matter what and i could feel like they were always "safe" to show emotion and be vulnerable in front of, and not feel like i was jeopardising my worthiness of affection or lovability by doing so.

I used 2 think i wasnt a big crier but maybe it was just that i forgot over 6 years of Prozac what im actually like unmedicated... crying steaming my work shirt...crying lying in bed... I don't think there's a point in all of this tbh. ever since I was a teen I felt that the things I longed for just didn't happen to people like me and that I was probably incapable of generating/retaining the love I sought. and i hate affirmations like "I am loved" bc I can never make it sound real... logically i know i have family members who love me i just seem to have an emptiness inside me that swallows everything...

#im like crying full of sorrow about just having conciousness... it seems so unecessary and cruel #i wish i didn't have to 'be' anything at all... i wish i didnt have to press on to survive in this life #this sounds so crazy but i just feel like there's no happy ending waiting for me and have felt this way since i was like 15 #like im faulty but made it off the production line and now im just trudging towards death having not been meant to in the first place #tw negative #tw depression #tw rant #well thank god im pretty in my fleeting youth i guess lol

[what-is-agoraphobia]

What is Agoraphobia? Definition, Symptoms, and Treatment

Have you ever felt fearful of being in a crowded place?

If it’s something you experience occasionally, that’s relatively common.

We all have anxiety in certain situations from time to time. When does that fear become an issue?

Below, we answer the question, “what is agoraphobia?” by going into the symptoms and traits of this condition; then we will look into some options of what you can do about it.

What is Agoraphobia?

So what is agoraphobia, exactly?

The simple answer is that It’s an anxiety disorder.

When you have agoraphobia, you might fear certain situations that occur outside your home.

The triggering situations usually involve being in crowds of people and can cause you to feel trapped, embarrassed, or helpless.

Do you feel highly fearful about using public transportation, being in a crowd, standing or line, or being in a place that’s enclosed?

All of these can indicate agoraphobia.

If your agoraphobia is especially severe, you might be afraid to leave home at all.

What Causes Agoraphobia?

If you suspect you might have agoraphobia, you’re probably wondering what causes it.

As much as you might try to get over what you know isn’t a reasonable fear, you might still be struggling with it.

For many people, agoraphobia starts in the late teen or early adult years, but it can begin in older adults too.

Additionally, studies show that agoraphobia is more common in women than men.

We’re all continuing to learn more about the role of different factors in developing anxiety disorders and other mental health conditions, including agoraphobia.

It could be a combination of genetics, environmental stress, and learning experiences.

Some of the possible risk factors to develop agoraphobia include:

Having another panic disorder or phobia

Experiencing excessive fear or avoidance when you have a panic attack

A stressful life event, like the loss of a loved one

Having an anxious personality overall

A close family member who also has agoraphobia

Agoraphobia Symptoms

Have you experienced any of the following agoraphobia symptoms but maybe not been able to identify exactly what you were going through?

Mental health professionals divide the symptoms broadly into three groups: physical, cognitive, and behavioral.

Physical Agoraphobia Symptoms

Physical agoraphobia symptoms are similar to a panic attack. These can include:

Fast heartbeat

Rapid breathing

Sweating or feeling hot

Feeling sick or nauseous

Problems swallowing

Diarrhea

Trembling

Chest pain

Ringing in the ears

Feeling faint

Cognitive Agoraphobia Symptoms

Fear that you’ll be embarrassed in front of other people

Worries that people will stare at you

Concerns that you’ll lose control in public

Excessive worry that you would be trapped in a situation if you were to have a panic attack

General dread or anxiety

Behavioral Agoraphobia Symptoms

Avoiding situations that could trigger you to experience a panic attack, like public transportation, elevators, or crowded places

Not leaving the house for extended periods

Requiring someone to go with you when you go anywhere

Trying to avoid a situation where you’re far away from home

How Is It Diagnosed?

If you’re concerned that you could have agoraphobia, luckily, treatment can help you tremendously.

To get to that point, you do need a diagnosis.

A diagnosis of agoraphobia starts with your doctor and will start by going over your signs and symptoms.

They’ll ask you how often they happen and when they started; then they’ll go over your medical history and your family history.

To rule out any underlying causes for your physical symptoms, your health care provider might also run blood tests.

The American Psychiatric Association uses the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) to diagnose agoraphobia.

If you have intense anxiety or fear in two or more of the situations below, then you meet the criteria of an agoraphobia diagnosis:

Using public transportation, like a bus or train

Finding open space, like a parking lot

Being in an enclosed space, like an elevator

Crowds

Alone and away from home

To meet the diagnosis criteria, you’d also need to have experienced ongoing panic attacks, with at least one followed by:

A fear of having more panic attacks

Anxiety about the consequences of the panic attack

Changes in your behavior because of panic attacks

Treating Agoraphobia

Once you’re diagnosed with agoraphobia, the good news is that you can begin treatment.

What might work best, depending on your symptoms, is a combination of treatment methods.

Treatments can include:

Talk Therapy

Talk therapy is also known as psychotherapy.

When you’re in therapy for agoraphobia or any kind of panic disorder, you regularly meet with your therapist or counselor.

You can talk about your fears, how you experience agoraphobia, and how it affects your life.

Psychotherapy, like cognitive-behavioral therapy, is usually short-term.

You’ll learn coping mechanisms that will help you be more functional in your daily life.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy or CBT is the most frequent type used for agoraphobia.

You’ll start to work with your therapist on how your views and distorted feelings are affecting you.

Your therapist can also go over how you can then combat those distorted feelings and replace them with healthy ones.

Exposure therapy is another option.

With this type of therapy, you’d work with a counselor to gradually increase your exposure to the situations or places that you’re afraid of.

The goal is to reduce your fear or anxiety over time.

Medication

Medication can be used alone or along with your therapy sessions.

Medicines that can help if you’re experiencing agoraphobia symptoms or panic attacks include:

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors like Prozac or Paxil

Selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors like Cymbalta or Effexor

Tricyclic antidepressants such as Elavil

Short-term anti-anxiety medicines like Xanax or Klonopin

Lifestyle Changes

There are things you can do on your own too. These aren’t a cure for agoraphobia, but they can work alongside other treatments to help you feel your best.

For example, exercising regularly can help stimulate brain chemicals to help you be more relaxed and upbeat.

Eating a healthy diet and meditation and practicing mindfulness regularly can also help improve your symptoms of agoraphobia.

Final Thoughts

To sum it all up, what is agoraphobia?

If you’ve ever had intense anxiety or a sense of dread or worry about going to crowded places, open places, or places you fear you couldn’t escape from, it could mean you have agoraphobia.

You might also have panic attacks as a result.

If you believe this describes you, treatment can include a combination of medicine, therapy, and lifestyle changes.

The sooner you speak to your doctor about what you’re going through, the more proactively you can receive treatment.

Don’t struggle, and don’t let your anxieties become debilitating because help is available.

Contact our team at the Mental Health Center of San Diego to get a tailored treatment plan and take back control of your life.

#agoraphobia #mental health #mental health disorders #mental health illness #yoga #exercise of mental health

[reubsworld]

Ngl it’s kinda terrifying being trans even as an adult

I cannot imagine being a young trans teen or child looking at the current state of trans healthcare

The process of going on puberty blockers as a trans kid is not this thoughtless process that happens between a child and a clueless doctor. If it is, we should not be demonising the use of puberty blockers, instead we should be disgusted at the current state of the healthcare system not being provided with enough funding or education to have in depth open conversations about the feelings these kids are having and whether dysphoria can be eased or lessened without the use of puberty blockers.

Puberty blockers desperately need to be readily available to trans kids. The option needs to be there because these kids are not going to stop using them no matter how difficult the government make it to access them. Parents of trans kids will go out of their way to find the quickest easiest solution to help save their trans child from years of misery that puberty is going to cause them. FUCK if I was a parent I’d do anything to help my child. Which is why is is SO IMPORTANT that puberty blockers can be prescribed by professionals that are educated on them and can administer them safely.

In reality the government don’t give a shit about trans kids. It is all about cutting funding where possible. It’s about money not morality or ethics.

Stop acting like you are some saviour of confused trans kids by making healthcare impossible for the working class to access.

I went through puberty during a time where transgender was not spoken about in fear that if we spoke about it, it might actually become real. I went through HELL when I began puberty and had no idea why or what the fuck was happening. I was pumped with Prozac and nearly sectioned under the NHS for Suicide attempts because my gender dysphoria had manifested into a full blown eating disorder and manic depression. That is the reality of puberty for trans kids.

The cold fucking reality

#personal #ftm #ftm mlm #trans nblm #trans mlnb #transftm #transgender #ftm problems

[batskulldrag]

Phoenix by Fallout Boy

SO, Deciet’s real name is Janus, so I changed his human character’s name to Janus. I’m not changing it in any earlier chapters. But it’ll be Janus from here on out. Chapter twelve it is.

Chapter Twelve: Hell to Your Doorstep from The Count of Monte Cristo musical

               Virgil ran his finger across the edge of the photograph he had stolen from Patton’s scrap book. He had been clinging to it for days now. It was the first image he had ever seen of his parents together. And there was such an uncanny feeling to finally seeing his mother.

               She didn’t look like someone who would walk out on her kid. Not that he really blamed her for it, Payton was probably one of those guys who threatened to kill themselves to get what they want. And she was most likely leaving him with his grandmother rather than his dad. And she was only like twenty, maybe twenty-one. Probably old enough to drink, no one would have sex with Payton sober. Hardly the image of good decision making.

               No, he wasn’t mad at past mom. It was present mom who had hurt him. It was present mom who didn’t want him. Present mom who had moved on and didn’t have room for anymore baggage. Any room for him.

               Payton had often told people that she rejected the idea of starting a family with him, it was a good sympathy play that cast him as the victim. She seduced him and left him with the baby. Another great victim claim. And of course, the pseudo rape story that had started most of this. Payton finally bit off more than he could chew with a lie that could be so easily disproved.

               Despite Payton’s lies to other people, Virgil had always heard the same story. His mom left because she didn’t want him. He never would have guessed that, that was the true story.

               “Blue skidoo we can too!” Dr. Picani sang as he popped into the room. “How are you today Virgil?”

               “I’m doing good.” Virgil quickly pocketed his picture. “I haven’t had to take too many Valium.”

               “That’s good. But you are taking the Prozac daily right?”

               “Yes, Logan is super on top of that.”

               “Good. And I heard that you’re spending time at the library while Patton’s working.”

               “Yeah, it’s a pretty chill place.”

               “Oh, I thought it would be warmer, it is summer after all.” Picani grinned.

               “Patton told that same joke.” Virgil smiled.

               “So, your anxiety is calming down. How about the nightmares, you still having those?”

               “Yeah.” Virgil looked away.

               “Has the bed wetting gotten any better?”

               “There were a couple more since our last session. Uncle Logan suggested I stop drinking after nine, and that helped a bit.”

               “Ok, that’s good. And it’s awesome that your uncles are trying to help you through this.”

               “Yeah.”

               “Have you talked to either of them about, well, Payton?”

               “I told Uncle Logan a few things.”

               “Do you feel ready to talk about them here?”

               “I can try, that way if I wuss out of going to court there’s still a record of it.”

               “Hang on, let’s get into the way back machine and start at the beginning of that statement.”

               “I want to testify against my dad. I’m done being afraid of him. And I want him to know that I know he’s just a mere mortal. Just like the rest of us.”

               “That’s pretty intense. Are you sure about this?”

               “I am. I’ve given it a lot of thought.” Virgil hardened his resolve.

               “Ok. Confronting your abuser is a massive step. And it’s one that a lot of people struggle with, even adults. So, I want you to be one million percent sure of this. Ok?”

               “I am.”

               “Ok, and if you change your mind, you can.”

               “Cool.”

               “So, if we are gonna talk about Payton, I want to try a different technique with you. It’s all in the technique.”

               “What are we gonna do? You gonna pull out one of those ‘show me where he touched you’ dolls?”

               “No, but those are extremely successful, don’t diss them.” Picani replied. “I want you to tell me about your dad, but I want you to tell the story backwards.”

               “Is this from a cartoon?” Virgil squinted.

               “No, it’s from a journal of psychology.” Picani sat up straighter. “And also, the backwards messages from Gravity Falls.”

               “That reminds me.” Virgil interrupted. “Where can I get Teen Titans, I can’t find any episodes on YouTube.”

               “I recommend the DVDs you can get bonus features.” Picani answered gleefully, before becoming a shrink again. “So, what do you think? Ya, think you can talk about Payton backwards?”

               “I’ll try.” Virgil hesitated. “Which story do you want to hear?”

               “You decide, it’s your hour.”

               “I’ll go recent.” Virgil sighed and thought hard. “So, when I looked at the bruise later there was a full-fledged belt mark. As always, I went to school bruises and all. It was at that point that he started hitting me. Sick of his bullshit, I told him to stop harassing me over something that wasn’t my fault. As he does, Payton mocked and yelled at me for wetting the bed like a toddler, saying if I keep this up, he is just going to order a crib for me. Payton came in and asked why I was screaming. I woke up screaming and noticed that the sheets were wet. It was April, and I had a debate meeting coming up and a chess tournament and all of my teachers were on me to talk to my dad about my grades, so when I finally did get to sleep, I had nightmares.”

               Virgil paused the memory didn’t seem so terrifying now. What black magic…?  

               “How ya feelin’” Picani asked curiously.

               “Ok.” Virgil responded, surprised. “What happened?”

               “Well, the idea is to be able to recall what happened backwards so that you can see the memory but not the fear associated with the moment. I think it’s using just your left brain, and then you can see the even without feeling that crushing weight. Like you get to know that it wasn’t the end of the world, process it and be able to move on. Cool, Huh?”

               “Very.” Virgil smiled.

               “And it’s not so bad seeing a thing in reverse. It’s almost kind of funny.”

               “Sure, if you watch a horror movie backwards it ends up being about a monster who brings people back to life.”

               “Exactly.”

               “How are you going to decipher what I’m actually saying?”

               “I’m recording our session so I can work it out later.”

               “Cool.” Virgil nodded. “Aren’t tape recordings not admissible though?”

               “The recording is just for me we’re not taking it into court.”

               “Ok.” Virgil looked at the ground. “What can we do if Payton accuses my uncles of abusing me?”

               “Well, unless your dad has proof it’s just going to be an accusation.”

               “Yeah, but then the accusation is still going to be there. And just that could ruin them. I don’t want that to happen.”

               “Virgil, are you worried that he’s going to claim that they have been molesting you?”

               “Yes. He’s literally the devil. He would totally do that. What can I do to counter that?”

               “I’ll call my friend Joan, they’re with the police, and they can probably help me get a few things together. Ok?”

               “Like what?”

               “We have screening tests to see if a person is, well, sick in that way, that we use mostly for cases like this.”

               “Ok.” Virgil looked at his skeptically.

               “And.” He hesitated. “Well, since you brought it up… they haven’t done anything like that have they?”

               “No.” Virgil went with the response that could never be taken out of context. “They have not at any point in time touched me in any inappropriate manner or tried to commit any sexual acts with me. It has never happened, and I am completely certain that it never will.”

               Virgil smiled at Picani after he finished talking.

               “Virgil, do you watch a lot of court room dramas?” Picani asked, giving him a side eye.

               “I’ve been watching a lot of reddit threads about custody battles.” Virgil looked at the floor, ashamed. “I’m scared.”

               “That’s perfectly normal.” Picani soothed. “You don’t want to go back to Payton, and you don’t want anything to happen to your uncles, am I right?”

               “Yeah, that’s about it.”

               “Well, we’re all going to try to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

               “Ok.” Virgil stared at him through his bangs.

               “We still have some time do you want to keep talking?”

               “I guess.”

               “Ok, and afterwards, can you send your uncles in?”

               “Sure.”

                                                                               #             #             #

               “I already had Patton take that screening as a part of his background test.” Thomas said from Emile’s monitor. “Logan too. They’re clean, at least as far as we can prove.”

               “Well, at least there’s that.” Emile responded. “Virgil’s pretty worried. And I think he has a good reason to be.”

               “We have a solid case, and at least three reasons for Payton to lose custody.” Janus added from his portion of the screen. “Four if we can charge him with neglect.”

               “Ok, Jan. We don’t have to wail on him.” Thomas scolded.

               “Maybe you don’t.” Janus rolled his good eye. “And I told you not to call me jan.”

               “Look, Virgil expressed a concern about this, and I want to be able to prove that we are doing something.” Emile interrupted, not wanting an argument. “I want him to see that he can trust people.”

               “I get that.” Thomas sighed. “The system messed him over just about as much as his dad did. Well, I covered all the bases. I’m not about to release a teenager into the custody of potential pedophiles.”

               “And we should get the results of Payton’s psych evaluation from the prison soon.” Janus added smoothly. “His bail hearing didn’t go as well as he would have wanted.”

               “He’s still locked up?” Thomas raised an eyebrow.

               “He doesn’t have anywhere to go.” Emile added. “He burned his house down, and he can’t stay with Patton because he’s not allowed to go near Virgil.”

               “That’s pretty much it. That and they were worried he may try to retaliate against his brother.”

               “How has no one helped this kid sooner?” Thomas said, his face buried in his hands.

               “I know.” Emile sighed. “I hate working with older kids. It hurts to think that they had to suffer for that long.”

               “We’re doing all we can.” Janus sighed, rubbing his temples. “And we’re helping him now. You can’t keep driving yourself crazy every time you get assigned to an older kid. I’m sorry, but we can’t save everyone.”

               “Ok, I have another session soon.” Emile looked at the clock in the computer. “I just wanted to see if everything was kosher.”

               “It is. Unfortunately for Payton, this isn’t our first time doing this.” Janus smiled.

               “Yeah, he’s really screwed himself.” Thomas added. “It’s gonna be a fireworks display.”

               “Ok. Keep me updated.”

               “We will.” Janus nodded. “I wonder if I can prove neglect.”

               Janus Pent or surprisingly cruel attorney logged off.

               “Damn, he’s vindictive.” Thomas sighed.

               “He’s a bit of a Bismuth, but he means well.”

               “Yeah, I guess we all have to cope with this somehow.”

               “You still good for our session on Thursday?”

               “Yeah, I’ll be there.”

               “Ok, bye.”

               “Peace out.”

               Thomas logged off.

               Emile closed his laptop. Thomas was a Steven all the way. He wanted to help, and usually he spread himself too thin trying to help everyone. And he’d beat himself up way too much over the ones he couldn’t help. But he was doing ok, therapy helped him. Mostly, it showed him that he needed to help himself as well.

               Janus or Pent or E.S as his plaque read, (they somehow misheard his name), or whatever he wanted to be called, was very different. He was a Bismuth. Passionate, skilled but very vindictive. He wasn’t a bad guy. He was just very empathetic towards the victims he represented and wanted to hurt their abusers right back. That wasn’t bad, in fact it was very normal. But it definitely needed to be kept in check.  

               Emile traced a circle around one of his cardigan buttons. He liked to think of himself as a Steven as well or maybe an Amethyst. After all, he went into medicine to help people. And as many people as he could. Sure, no one thought he was cut out for it. He always knew that. No one was more aware than Emile that he didn’t cast the most intelligent looking silhouette. And yes, he talked about cartoons a lot. But it worked.

               He had a decent success rate. And being a goofy goober made people open up to him. If he walked into a session with a fake persona then his patients would put their walls up too.

               “If I had been Mr. Stoic, Virgil would have never talked to me.” Emile said to himself. “None of the kids would have. Heck, most of the couples might not have.”

                                                                               #             #             #

               “Ok, we’ll be home in an hour, maybe more.” Patton said as he hugged Virgil. “Stay safe and be good for Roman.”

               “Uncle Patton, I’m thirteen.” Virgil sighed, hugging him back.

               “We shouldn’t be too long.” Logan sighed, patting Virgil on the head. “I’m giving Payton half an hour to threaten us, and the lawyers half an hour to negotiate. I’m hoping I can have them talk while Payton threatens us. It’ll save time.”

               “I’m sorry I got you into this.” Virgil buried his face in Patton’s shoulder.

               “You don’t have anything to be sorry for.” Patton kissed him on the head.

               “We’re almost out of this. The metaphorical light at the end of the tunnel.”

               “By the by.” Roman added, he was leaning against the wall casually. “Remus and I talked on the phone last week, he said if we need a diversion so we can run away with Virgil, he’s down for it. Said, he’s been practicing.”

               “We’re not using Remus as a distraction.” Patton said officially. “It’s not fair to exploit his, whatever is wrong with him. We’re doing this legally.”

               “Are we sure Remus is real?” Virgil asked. “I don’t wanna think that there’s someone that screwed up in the world.”

               “Payton is worse, he exists.” Roman countered. “Remus isn’t a bad person, he’s just insane.”

“We’re not talking about Payton right now.” Patton waved away the idea.

               “We should get going, I’d like to be early.” Logan squeezed Patton’s shoulder.

               “Ok.” He smiled up at him and turned back to Virgil. “I just want you to know that we love you and we’re proud of you. And everything’s gonna be ok.”

               Patton gave him one last kiss and left with Logan. They entered the car silently. Patton drove to keep his mind off things. As they left the driveway, he heard the rhythmic sounds of Logan slamming his hand on the car door.

               “Logan, honey, are you alright?” Patton glanced over to him.

               “I’m a bit nervous.” Logan answered flatly, still drumming his hand. “There’s a lot of feelings going around. I’m surprisingly susceptible to that.”

               “Do you wanna clap?”

               “Absolutely not.”

               “You can, I don’t mind.”

               “I’m okay with hitting the door.”

               “Do you wanna talk?” Patton reached over and took Logan’s free hand. “Is all the abuse talk making you uncomfortable?”

               “No, I think it’s just the stress of having a child.” Logan sighed. “It’s an adjustment, but I can handle it.”

               “You’re doing great. Virgil had so much fun playing chess with you last week, I think he’s really taken to you.”

               “You’re doing an excellent job as well.” Logan squeezed his hand. “I think Virgil’s almost used to having a loving role model in his life. And he certainly likes you.”

               “That’s good.” Patton smiled. “I know it’s only been about a month, but I can’t imagine life without our dark, strange son.”

               “Me neither.” Logan looked at the floor to hide his smile. “And we won’t have to. I have every right to be confident.”

                                                                               #             #             #

               The prison looked exactly like, well a prison. The five of them had been given a room to meet privately, rather than try to use the phone things.

               Payton stared at the three of them coldly while his lawyer looked on, the effigy of stoicism. Patton anxiously pulled at his fingers and Janus, as they found out was his actual name, looked on at their opponents unfazed. And Logan, Logan met Payton’s gaze with total eye contact. He could stare until his head hurt, but he would have to do a lot more than glare to get Logan to back down.

               “So, I arranged this meeting to see if we could avoid going to court altogether.” Janus began. “Do you think you three could come to an agreement?”

               “I’m willing to offer supervised visitation rights.” Patton said looking at the table.

               “Oh, do I have your permission to see my son?” Payton sneered. “How generous, will you let me write him a letter if I’m a good boy?”

               “Payton, this isn’t funny.” Patton didn’t look up.

               “I’m not laughing. First you ruin my campaign and call me a liar, you get me investigated by my old law firm and now you’re here telling me that I can only see my own son on your terms. Do you realize that I haven’t seen him since the fire?”

               “Payton, it is not our fault that you’re losing custody of Virgil.” Logan argued. “We are just trying to do what’s best for him.”

               “Do you think our terms are fair?” Janus asked the other lawyer.

               “No,” The lawyer answered. “My client wishes to maintain full custody of his son.”

               “He’s going to prison.” Patton looked up. “He can’t keep custody.”

               “That is not a part of this case.” The lawyer retorted.

               “This is ridiculous.” Logan sighed. “If you lose, we get custody of Virgil, if you somehow win, you are still facing jail time for a long enough period to lose custody anyway. Why are you doing this?”

               “I don’t want my son being raised by you two.” Payton said, mimicking a normal tone. “I don’t trust you to provide for him, so I’d prefer if he went somewhere else, should I not be there for him.”

               Logan looked on in shock. Payton actually thought that he could beat the arson case, he even thought he could get custody of Virgil. He didn’t see any reason that he was in the wrong. He had absolutely no clue that his actions were reprehensible. How? How could he see this as acceptable?

               “Payton, do you realize what you did to Virgil was wrong?” Logan asked.

               “Well, you’re sticking to your story.” Payton scoffed. “So, I’ll say it again. I have never harmed my son. I don’t know if it was him that started that horrid lie, or if you and Patton decided that it was the best way to get a kid, but it is still a vicious lie.”

               They way Payton’s eyes lit up as he lied was horrifying. They glowed with a cruel light that said, ‘I’ve beaten you’ and he believed that he had won. He was thrilled with the prospect of dragging this out. Patton looked back at the table. Logan didn’t break eye contact.

               “We are willing to offer you supervised visitation. Virgil is going to need someone to drive him out to see you anyway.” Logan repeated Patton’s original offer.

               “We sure are going through a lot just so you can pretend to stand up to your parents.” Payton smiled at him the freak might as well have had fangs. “I will not bow to these allegations, taking any deals would be like admitting that I have abused my son. I’m not going to stand up and say that you two are fit parents while I’m not. No deal.”

               “Well,” Janus stood up. “It looks like we can’t agree on anything. I’ll see you both in court.”

               The three of them walked out into the hallway and watched as a guard took Payton back to his cell.

               “That was suboptimal.” Logan sighed. “Unfortunately, it’s nothing more than I expected.”

               “I’ll make sure to get us in with a judge that isn’t a moron.” Janus added angrily. “If Payton thinks he has a case, he can kiss my ass.”

               “Are you sure he doesn’t have a case that can beat ours?” Patton looked up from the floor.

               “Doctors say that Virgil has been abused, Virgil says that his dad hit him, police say that Payton is going to jail for felony child endangerment and arson. And there’s all the shit he did while he was practicing law. He’s losing custody, in fact I hope he wins this case, so he can lose custody again when he goes to jail.”

               “I’m worried.” Patton grabbed Logan’s hand.

               “We’re going to be ok.” Logan squeezed Patton’s hand in return. “Everything’s gonna be ok.”

               “Well, now Payton doesn’t even get supervised visits.” Janus chimed in, trying to be funny. “Trust me, this is going to be one of the easiest child removal cases in history. Payton shot himself in the foot.”

               “Payton didn’t shoot anything he doesn’t own a gun.” Logan squinted at Janus

               “It’s a metaphor honey.” Patton rested his chin on Logan’s shoulder.

               “Right.” Logan looked at the floor.

               “Well, I’m sorry I wasted your time.” Janus sighed. “You two go home and relax. Rest assured that I know what I’m doing.”

               “Sure.” Patton sighed. “When do you think the rape allegations will show up?”

               “Probably in court, but Payton is already a known liar.” Janus smiled. “He’s not going to get very far with that.”

               “Ok.” Logan nodded. “Thanks.”

               “I guess we can call you ‘No prob Bob’.” Patton smiled.

               “No, you can’t.”

#logicality #parental moxiety #parental anological #pattonsanders #logansanders #virgisanders #romansanders #platoniclamp #famILY #janussanders #sanders sides human au #sanders sides

[nikoalaa]

usually this is something i’d post on a side blog with no tags or followers (just to get out of my head), but i think this time i want the possibility of someone helping. idk how long this will be but i’ll put it under a read more when i’m on my computer.

i’ve been struggling more lately. idk if it’s just the pandemic and quarantine and everything getting to me, but this has all been happening before too, just maybe not as often. i’m more anxious, i’m more depressed, i want to shut myself away from friends and not leave my house much unless it’s a quick trip somewhere by myself. i’m so tired all the time. i’m just so, so exhausted. and since i’m home a lot with nothing to do, i’ll sleep. my schedule is so messed up. i sleep basically 5am-2pm and then sometimes still take a nap. like today i slept 5 or 6 am- 2, woke up and had something small to eat, sat at my computer and then slept again 6:30pm-9pm. i jokingly call this my “unemployed schedule” with my parents, but i think they just think i’m lazy.

and speaking of them, i think a lot of my problems i have with myself would be nonexistent if i just had good parents. my crooked teeth wouldn’t be an issue if my dad didn’t hate doctors and was scared of the dentist, therefore never making appointments for me or my brother, resulting in us both not having good teeth. my weight and unhealthy relationship to food wouldn’t be an issue if my mom would have just made me eat a god damn vegetable when i was a kid instead of just giving me chicken nuggets so i would stop whining. and when i was chubbier then other kids, instead of herself trying to fix my diet by actually cooking healthy food and making me eat it, she made me see a doctor and go to group sessions of other kids in similar situations (that i was very uncomfortable going to, to the point of me crying, but she forced me to go anyway). which none of that helped anyway, it just made me self conscious about eating so i now hate food and when i do eat in public, i feel gross and that people are staring at me. and now my body has tricked itself that if i’m out in public, i can only eat very little or else i get sick and throw up. and my mental illness could be in check if my parents just put in any effort. they’ve been aware of my depression since i was in 3rd grade (which my mom would phrase as “you don’t seem as happy anymore”) and i recall having anxiety since kindergarten. i get that we didn’t have a lot of money when i was growing up, so maybe they just made me see the guidance counselor every friday for two school years. which is fine, that’s what they could do and it was at least something idk. but after that it’s like they stopped caring. i went on to public school after that and i hated it. i constantly would go to the nurses office in 5th grade and pretend being sick so my mom could pick me up or some how get me home. that should have been a red flag. or whenever my dad asked me how my day was and i never said “good”, another red flag. i was so depressed for the rest of my time in public school, and they didn’t do anything. sure i would join clubs or play sports to try to make myself happy and have fun, but it wasn’t ever enough. high school was even worse. i was angry all the time. just that angry emo kid sat in the back of the class. and eventually i lost almost all my friends. i started cutting, but i kept it hidden until i got changed after gym class one day. someone i was kinda friends with spotted the cuts on my upper arm. they gave me a knowing look and asked what happened. i said my dog scratched me. but it was way too many cuts and too dark to be dog scratches. but they didn’t ask again and i was grateful because i didn’t want help at the time. rest of school went on, the cutting stopped (or at least stopped being as frequent. relapses now and again), had panic attacks before and during school (that i always seemed like a burden for having when my mom had to deal with it), then i had a manipulative friend/ex gf i’m not even going to get into rn. long section short, my parents knew i was struggling. they would mention it off handedly. “you didn’t seem as happy” “we saw their was something going on” stuff like that. but they did nothing to help me. never asked questions, never talked to me, never asked if i needed help or someone else to talk to.

after highschool the panic attacks weren’t as frequent, but the depression was there. and they knew it. because even now and then i would bring it up, especially when i was having a breakdown. i would tell them i need help, i need a therapist and i need medication. she said (because it was always my mom i would go to) that she would see what she could do. then nothing happened. another time, full break down, and i fully told her i am suffering and i need help. she made me feel like such a burden and an inconvenience. she said she had no idea how to get me a therapist. no idea where to start. so i told her, mainly yelled, to ask this one lady we know (someone who had actually done more for my mental health than my own mother) for advice because i know her two kids go to therapy and stuff. she said she would try but she never did. few weeks ago, i have the biggest panic attack i’ve had in a while. full hyperventilating, almost going to throw up, all because there was a bug in my room trapped under a bowl. that is not healthy. i’m sobbing and gasping for air as my dad is trying to get the fast bug off the floor but not lose it, and once it’s gone i’m in bed sobbing and heaving and my whole body is twitching uncontrollably. she thinks she’s hot shit because she did that “5 things you can touch” bull shit once i was starting to calm. nothing again after that. what they did, they bought a hand vacuum so i could catch bugs myself. i guess so i won’t have to bother them at 4 in the morning and again freaking the fuck out. all in all, if they got me therapy as a teen and i had meds, i probably would be much much much better off. i won’t even go into the trans stuff rn. i think they think it went away because they ignored it and i don’t talk about it with them. even tho in the rest of the world away from family, i go by my chosen name and my friend calls me “he”. but it’s been almost 4 years, if not already 5 years, since i came out to them. they said they looked up therapy and stuff but again, nothing ever happened. i joke with my parents and say they’re lucky i don’t steal my dogs prozac and they laugh. i know it’s exactly the one used for people because it’s the same exact one my ex took. these days i’m starting to see things out of the corner of my eye, but nothing is there. i tell my mom i think i have adhd or something because i’ve read symptoms and it would make sense. and i also don’t remember a time where my head wouldn’t just be quiet. even now. it never is. but she says i was tested and they didn’t say i had adhd. when i was 7... and it’s misdiagnosed in afab people... and especially since i was anxious as a child.. and nervous around the lady who tested me. when. i. was. 7. shit develops later in life. but she won’t believe me because she says she’s trained to see the signs for her work. but then she’ll bring up how my uncle, grandma, and dad, are like the poster kids for adhd. and she just won’t believe me.

i’m really struggling with just everything. and i feel guilty that i’m even struggling and “feeling bad”. i’m a white kid from the philly suburbs. everything could be much much worse for me. but then again, i know thinking like this isn’t good for me. just because it could be worse, doesn’t mean it still can’t be a hell of a lot better too. i just want to be okay. i want to be healthy and happy. i’ve never really gotten to experience it all. my happiness seems fake and it fades away. my idea of health is “going to the gym and the right amount of anorexia.” i know that’s not healthy but that’s just the only way i know. my mom doesn’t seem to care anyway. i tell her that when i am working or i was in school, i would only have like one meal a day. she didn’t say a thing. i just want to be happy. i don’t want to die. i really don’t. i hate being alive but like, i’m already here. i’m not going to take myself out. but it’s just so hard to exist a lot of the time. idk how i’ve done it this long. and i can tell it’s gonna get bad again because i tried to cut myself a few nights ago. the knife wasn’t sharp enough to really make a mark but i had no energy to keep trying. i really need help but idk what to do anymore.

#im so sorry this is so long #it took me an hour to write #ill put a read more later #im so sorry #tw depression #tw anxiety #tw eating disorder #tw anorexia #tw self harm #tw cutting #ask to tag #just in case #im gonna try to sleep cuz its now almost 5:30 am

[watashawa]

   1989: Joseph T. Wesbecker walked into his former employer Standard Gravure Corp and shot 20 workers, killing nine. He had been taking Prozac for a month. This shooting led to a landmark case, where the survivors sued the makers of Prozac, Eli Lilly. Wesbecker used a semiautomatic Chinese AK-47-style firearm, a 9mm pistol, and a .38 Special snubnose revolver – all of which he purchased legally, passing his background check.

   1995: Jarred Viktor was 15 when he was prescribed Paxil. Ten days after starting it, Viktor stabbed his grandmother 61 times.

   1996: At 18, Kurt Danysh murdered his father just 17 days after being prescribed Prozac by his family doctor, who failed to do even one psychological test. During his police confession, Danysh told police the medication made him feel odd, “I just act differently. I don’t have the energy or personality I used to. I spend half the time in a trance.”

   1997: Luke Woodham stabbed his mother, then traveled to Pearl High School, where he was enrolled, using a .30-30 to shoot two students and wound six others; he was stopped by his assistant principal (aka a good guy with a gun) who used his own .45 ACP handgun to force Woodham’s surrender.

   1998: 15-year-old Kip Kinkel shot both of his parents, then carried a 9mm handgun, .22 rifle, and a .22 pistol to his Thurston High School, where he murdered two classmates and injured 22 more, all while taking Prozac.

   1999: Eric Harris, 17, with Dylan Klebold, killed 12 students, one teacher, himself, and wounded 23 others during the Columbine school shooting; he had been prescribed Zoloft and then Luvox before he used a 12 gauge shotgun received through a straw purchaser and a 9mm TEC-DC9.

   2001: Christopher Pittman, a 12-year-old, was prescribed Zoloft, which caused him to become agitated, jittery, and experience tactile hallucinations; Pittman told psychiatrist Dr. Lanette Atkins that he heard voices telling him, “Kill, kill, do it, do it.” He took a .410 shotgun and shot his grandparents, then burned their house down.

   2001: Andrea Yates drowned all five of her children. She was taking Effexor and was suffering from delusions about satanic possession. The murder of her children led Effexor to list homicidal thoughts in the medication’s side effects. Although it’s a rare side effect, manifesting in one in 1,000 patients, over 19 million prescriptions were written and filled in 2005. That’s an estimated 19,000 people suffering from homicidal thoughts because of the medication.

   2005: 16-year-old Jeff Weise was taking 60 mg/day of Prozac, the highest dosage for adults, when he shot his grandfather, his grandfather’s girlfriend, murdered 10 students at Red Lake, Minnesota, and wounded 12 more, before shooting himself. He was armed with a .40 caliber pistol, .22 pistol, and a 12 gauge shotgun.

   2008: Steven Kazmierczak was prescribed Prozac, Xanax, and Ambien, a sleeping medication, three weeks before walking into Northern Illinois University, killing six people and wounding 21, with three pistols (one chambered in 9mm and two in .380 ACP) and a shotgun. Kazmierczak had stopped taking the antidepressant “because it made him feel like a zombie.”

   2009: Two weeks after starting Lexapro, Robert Stewart walked into his estranged wife’s work at Pinelake Health and Rehab, and opened fire. He killed eight elderly patients and wounded three others. He doesn’t remember the incident.

   2012: James Holmes, also known as the Batman Movie killer, was taking sertraline when he walked into the showing of The Dark Knight with two .40 caliber pistols, an AR-style .223 rifle, and a 12 gauge shotgun, killing 12 people and injuring 70 others. In his personal notebook, which he sent to his psychiatrist the same day as the shooting, shows that as the medication decreased his anxiety, he lost his fear of consequences. As the dosage became higher, his thoughts became more obsessive and psychotic.

   2013: At the time of the Washington Navy Yard shooting, Aaron Alexis was a civilian contractor working at the yard and was prescribed trazodone, a serotonin antagonist and reuptake inhibitor (SARI) that works much like an SSRI to increase serotonin levels in the brain. He killed 12 people and injured eight others.

   2014: Ivan Lopez was a 34-year-old U.S. soldier who shot 15 of his comrades, killing three of them, at his base in Fort Hood, Texas. He was undergoing mental health treatment through the Veterans’ Administration, which is known for over-prescribing medication. The VA confirmed that Lopez was taking antidepressants (the VA only uses SSRI antidepressants) during the time of the shooting and his subsequent suicide.

   2015: From the moment it occurred, the Charleston Church shooting has been deemed an act of white supremacy, a race crime against blacks. But two years after Dylann Roof shot and killed nine people and injured another, the court released documents that show it was more mental health than hatred that led to the murders. The documents confirmed he was taking antidepressants.

   2016: Arcan Cetin, who was just 20 years old, walked into the Cascade Mall where he shot and killed four women, one just a teen, and shot one man, who later died at the hospital. Records show that Cetin was under the care of a psychiatrist and taking medication for depression and ADHD, including Prozac