The Marketing of Madness - Are we all Insane?
"If you, a loved one, or anyone you know is taking drugs recommended by an MD or Psychiatrist for Anxiety, Depression, Bi-Polar, ADHD, Obsessive Compulsive, Schizophrenia etc... then this film is an absolute must watch." - James Colquhoun - Producer Director, 'Food Matters'
The use and abuse of prescription drugs has entered our living rooms more than ever, this past year. With celebrities such as Michael Jackson, Demi Moore and most recently, Whitney Houston we have become vividly aware of the dramatic and often tragic consequences these drugs can lead to.
We all know that medications can save and even extend people's lives. However, all drugs create biological changes in the body and most people don't think much about this fact before they begin taking medications. Everyone wants a quick fix but are they really aware of the dangerous side effects? What is really sad is that there is a strong partnership between the doctors and the pharmaceutical companies that has created an $80 billion psychotropic drug profit center.
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| I purchased this DVD from the website www.foodmatters.tv |
Below are some notes from this incredibly informative documentary.
Did you know that each of these 5 main "classes" of psychotropics has side effects of its own?
Anti-psychotics (such as Thorazine) - powerful chemicals originally designed to shut down the central nervous systems of mental hospital inmates. Now they are used on people with serious mental problems causing feelings of helplessness, deterioration of the mind, dementia, trembling and twitching to name a few.
Anti-Anxiety Drugs (Valium, Xanax, Ativan, etc.) - prescribed for nervousness, anxiety & panic disorders. Side effects cause foggy thinking, weight gain, fatigue, hallucination, increased aggression, diabetes and one symptom after another...
Stimulant Drugs (Ritalin, Adderall, Concerta, etc.) - mainly used for people with so-called "attention problems" ADHD. These are very addictive and can result in stunted growth, weight loss, manic behavior, heart palpitations, neurological tics, cardia arrhythmia,
gross brain shrinkage and malfunction, anxiety, insomnia and even sudden death.
Ritalin is a stimulant commonly prescribed to children and acts on the body in a very similar way to cocaine - but it is far more potent!
Antidepressants (Lexapro, Zoloft, Prozac, Paxil, Pristiq, etc) - These drugs are used to treat depression and mood disorders. The side effects are blurred vision, dry mouth, low blood pressure, internal bleeding, weight gain, seizures, impaired psychosis, sexual dysfunction...
One study found that Paxil, which is the leading anti-depressant, increases the risk of breast cancer in women by seven times.
Riskiest of all is the drugging of pregnant and postnatal women with antidepressants for depression. The baby is affected as well as the mother.
Atypical-Antipsychotics the newest classes of psychotropic drugs (Zyprexa, Abilify, Risperdal, etc.) - These are mood stabilizers for adults and kids with bipolar disorder. Side effects include severe weight gain, diabetes, coronary heart disease, pancreatitis, delirium, etc.
The new antipsychotics were originally approved to only treat schizophrenia in adults, however, over a 7 year period prescriptions for children jumped 5-fold (2.5 million prescriptions).
When side effects surface, the psychiatrist will prescribe yet another drug. This is called polypharmacy - adding additional drugs to contrast the side effects of the previous drugs. It is not uncommon to see people on up to 9 psychotropic drugs but there is not a shred of evidence that that these drugs can be used safely and effectively in combination.
Sometimes this combination may create an intense inner agitation and restlessness known as "akathisia". This causes people to become a little nuts or a little off balance. They will do things they would never have done before. Things that are out of character. Some hear voices telling them that the only way to stop the pain is to kill themselves. It is estimated that 10-255 of SSRI's antidepressant users (close to 7 million people in the U.S.) experience "akathisia".
Psychiatry's Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders even admits the connection between psychotropic drugs, "akathisia" and suicide. There are statistics to back this up and yet we are told by psychiatrists and the drug companies that these drugs actually prevent suicide. What can we believe?
I am sure you know of someone, or maybe even you, that is taking a psychotropic drug. This information maybe something to consider.
I take paxil, but now not anymore.
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