Beverley Thomson - Antidepressed: A Breakthrough Examination of Epidemic Antidepressant Harm and Dependence

Wicked refers to a problem that cannot be fixed, where there is no single solution to the problem. Wicked denotes resistance to resolution, rather than evil. Another definition is a problem whose social complexity means that it has no determinable stopping point and because of complex interdependencies, the effort to solve one aspect of a wicked problem may reveal or create other problems.

N OWADAYS, WE TALK about the urgent need for a paradigm shift in how we think about mental health and for transformation in the way we collectively understand and intervene on mental health issues.

It is important to remember, whatever we need to do to make change and however loud we shout about emerging new ways of thinking, antidepressant prescribing is continuing to soar around the world. The medicalized way we look at mental health has become a dominant and powerful one and millions of us have chosen to take antidepressants knowing very little about them. Whilst the medical profession has a responsibility to first do no harm, we, as patients also have a responsibility to learn about this medication we take, often with very little thought. It is hoped that this book will enable us to become savvy about antidepressants, make informed choices and contribute to changing how we think about, talk about, and cope with lifes up and downs.

Mental illnesses are amongst the most common health conditions in the United States.

• More than 50% will be diagnosed with a mental illness or disorder at some point in their lifetime.
• 1 in 5 Americans will experience a mental illness in a given year.
• 1 in 5 children, either currently or at some point during their life, have had a seriously debilitating mental illness.
• 1 in 25 Americans lives with a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression.

The US has declared itself to be in the grips of a mental health epidemic. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data, one in sevenor 13.2 percentof adults aged 18 and over took antidepressants between 2015 and 2018; more than 43 million adults. Use was higher amongst women, 17.7 percent, than men, 8.4 percent. This increased with age, rising to 24.3 percent of all women aged 60 and above. Teenagers, aged 13-19, experienced the greatest increase in antidepressant use from 2015 to 2019, up a significant 38.3 percent, from 5.7 percent to 7.9 percent.

This is written at the time of COVID-19 and already in the US there have been significant increases in the prescribing of drugs used to treat mental health conditions. Statistics for 2020 show 45 million Americans were taking antidepressants and this included 2.1 million young people aged 0-17. By March 2020, it was reported prescriptions for antidepressants had risen by 19%, anti-anxiety medication by 34 percent and anti-insomnia drugs by 15 percent. Reports tell of 40 million Americans suffering from anxiety and over 17 million being diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder.

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients with Major Depressive Disorder recommends antidepressants or psychotherapy as the initial treatment for patients with mild-to-moderate depression.