This is getting ridiculous
One of the greatest boons medicine has provided humanity in recent years has been the development of a class of safe, relatively side-effect free anti-depressants called selective seratonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRI's). The class includes Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa, Lexapro, and Paxil (also Luvox, no longer manufactured as a brand-name drug in the U.S., but available as a generic).
The drugs are usually prescribed for depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or social anxiety order, although they have a number of "off-label" uses as well.
There has been a great deal of essentially undeserved bad publicity given SSRI's for quite a while now. During a brief window in SSRI therapy, depression's tendency to paralyze people's capacity for action is relieved, but painful feelings remain- creating an increased danger that during this period people who already have suicidal thoughts might actually act on them. But study after study has vindicated the drugs from charges that they, themselves, "cause" suicide, and monitoring of depressed patients during the crucial period is standard in responsible SSRI use.
The anti- SSRI fanaticism is really getting out of hand. Irresponsible anti-SSRI propaganda has led to the drugs being used as an excuse for all sorts of abberant behavior- including, now, murder.
No, Virginia. Zoloft does not deprive anyone of their capacity to distinguish between right and wrong. It may, admittedly, permit a depressed potential murderer to act on his urges- but only if the depression has been all that has been holding them in check all along!
The drugs are usually prescribed for depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or social anxiety order, although they have a number of "off-label" uses as well.
There has been a great deal of essentially undeserved bad publicity given SSRI's for quite a while now. During a brief window in SSRI therapy, depression's tendency to paralyze people's capacity for action is relieved, but painful feelings remain- creating an increased danger that during this period people who already have suicidal thoughts might actually act on them. But study after study has vindicated the drugs from charges that they, themselves, "cause" suicide, and monitoring of depressed patients during the crucial period is standard in responsible SSRI use.
The anti- SSRI fanaticism is really getting out of hand. Irresponsible anti-SSRI propaganda has led to the drugs being used as an excuse for all sorts of abberant behavior- including, now, murder.
No, Virginia. Zoloft does not deprive anyone of their capacity to distinguish between right and wrong. It may, admittedly, permit a depressed potential murderer to act on his urges- but only if the depression has been all that has been holding them in check all along!
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