Well-being in a bottle

But while the study has kicked up the predictable storm in shrinkdom, it is certainly not seminal. As far back as May 1998, a research paper in the American Clinical Psychiatry News claimed that Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors SSRIs like Prozac 8212; Prodep or Fludac in India 8212; were implicated in serious sleep and sexual dysfunctions, weight gain and aggression. In fact, the report went so far as to suggest that Prozac could ironically end up making depressed people feel suicidal. Plagued by bad press, the manufacturers, Eli Lily, finally set up a psychiatric panel to study the side effects and found evidence of 8220;suicidal ideation8221;, 8220;violent behaviour8221;, fatigue, visual and sensory disturbances, decreased concentration, lowered mood and memory, and 8220;dramatic8221; crying spells.

Incidentally, the other class of drugs that spell trouble are benzodiazepines, found in tranquillisers like Trika, Restyl, Alprax, and sleeping pills like Calmpose. Used to control anxiety by suppressing brain activity, benzodiazepines have a laundry-list of well-documented side-effects similar to those of alcohol abuse. These include slowed thinking, slurred speech, lack of coordination, impaired walking ataxia, drowsiness, and poor judgment that makes users prone to accidents. In higher doses, they can also cause memory loss, confusion, paranoia, and paradoxical reactions such as rage and aggression. According to a Task Force Report of the American Psychiatric Association 1990, when withdrawn suddenly, benzodiazepines can double or triple anxiety levels, trigger panic attacks and cause nausea, the 8220;shakes8221;, severe headaches, insomnia, sensitivity to light, even hallucinations and delirium.

Why do these medicines continue to be used?

Distressingly, because patients do not report their symptoms, says Dr Peter Breggin, an American psychiatrist who is campaigning for a pill-free approach to psychiatry. Forced to rely on the edited literature issued by drug manufacturers, many psychiatrists simply do not know how debilitating they can be 8212; and therapists or counsellors who are aware of the side effects feel reluctant to speak out against prescriptions by qualified doctors who refer the cases to them.

Worse, shrinks are not the only ones who prescribe. A recent study in Britain reported that about 80 per cent of the prescriptions for anti-depressants and sleeping pills came from ordinary GPs rather than psychiatrists, which makes them the most widely used drugs in the world. No wonder it8217;s party time for manufacturers who have been repeatedly accused of skewing research to suit their products.

Still, like it or not, antidepressants and tranquillisers have saved thousands from suicide and given millions of neurotic patients the chance to live 8220;happily8221;. Which brings us to the moot question: is our modern definition of happiness unrealistic?

Emotional suffering is inevitable in life, points out Breggin, but in today8217;s pro-drug environment, emotional disorders have been reduced to a biochemical malfunction. There8217;s a 8216;designer drug8217; for every mental glitch, from midlife blues to timidity, because for doctors and patients alike, it8217;s easier to pop a pill than deal with psychological baggage. But ultimately, medication doesn8217;t resolve disturbed feelings; it only helps to anaesthetise the pain.

Now there8217;s evidence that this pain may actually be beneficial, according to Dr Paul Keedwell, a leading British psychiatrist from the Institute of Psychiatry, London. Far from being a sign of human weakness, depression, says Keedwell, sparks creativity, and plays an important role in evolution. It brings misery to sufferers, but could also make them tougher, more resilient, and willing to examine themselves. In short, depression could be good for the soul.

farah.bariaexpressindia.com