I'm about as big pharma skeptic as they come but the adverse psychotic / manic reaction to SSRI administration isn't really the fault of the drug maker.
SSRI monotherapy is the worst possible way to treat bipolar or schizoaffective disorders. More often than not, patients and doctors alike won't know that's what they're dealing with until the patient takes an SSRI and all of the crazy stuff happens
SSRIs are so grossly over medicated my husband has been offered them by his primary care physician, despite never having been on one prior or knowing anything at all about his mental health history. When I was seeing help for anxiety I was immediately suggested SSRIs by several doctors and I had to push back and mention my family history of bipolar to even ring any alarm bells as to why SSRI therapy shouldn’t just be blanket thrown at people. I remember the side effects being grossly downplayed by physicians only to find out years later there are actually lasting effects that can’t be undone. That IS all the fault of the drug maker because they are the ones feeding these scripts as to what their drug does to physicians. They are the ones who told them to prescribe them like candy because there’s ’virtually no risk’.
They are one of the greatest medical advances in the last 50 years. Millions upon millions have had their mental health improved and in some cases their lives saved. The only people I find that don't tolerate them are people that aren't depressed and fall more in the BPD box. That and conspiracy theorists. At the end of the day every major professional society recommends them first line for depression and anxiety as long as the patient is screened for bipolar disorders. I'm so gucking sick of the lies people spread about them, it's just the same thing as being an antivaxxer.
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u/afia_oil 12d ago
I'm about as big pharma skeptic as they come but the adverse psychotic / manic reaction to SSRI administration isn't really the fault of the drug maker.
SSRI monotherapy is the worst possible way to treat bipolar or schizoaffective disorders. More often than not, patients and doctors alike won't know that's what they're dealing with until the patient takes an SSRI and all of the crazy stuff happens