CCHR Promotes New York Times Expose on Antidepressant Scandal: Antidepressants are Addictive

CLEARWATER, Fla., April 19, 2018 -- The Florida chapter of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), a human rights group founded in 1969 by the Church of Scientology and renowned psychiatrist Dr. Thomas Szasz, promoted the recent expose on anti-depressants by the New York Times, noting that CCHR has been speaking out for some four decades on the dangers of anti-depressants. Despite protest from over 40 psychiatrists, the New York Times published its investigation in an article entitled, “Most People Taking Antidepressants Discover They Cannot Quit.”  The Times data makes a clear case that the reason for the mounting long-term usage rates of these drugs – which were only researched and marketed for short term periodic use – is because antidepressants are addictive.

For this particular report, the Times had access to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, with data compiled over the last two decades. “Overall, more than 34.4 million adults took antidepressants in 2013-4, up from 13.4 million in the 1999-2000 survey”, the Times reports.

“Many who try to quit say they cannot because of withdrawal symptoms they were never warned about”, the Times researchers conclude.[1]

“Some people are essentially being parked on these drugs for convenience’s sake because it’s difficult to tackle the issue of taking them off,” said Dr. Anthony Kendrick, a professor of primary care at the University of Southampton in Britain.

The Times points out that in the U.S., physicians have “wide latitude” in prescribing an approved drug as they choose. The fact that no long-term data was available did not impede U.S. doctors “placing tens of millions of Americans on antidepressants indefinitely.”

The article quotes Dr. Allen Frances, a professor emeritus at Duke University, who says “Most people are put on these drugs in primary care, after a very brief visit and without clear symptoms of clinical depression. Usually there’s improvement, and often it’s based on the passage of time or placebo effect.”[2]

Diane Stein, President of Citizens Commission for Human Rights (CCHR) of Florida, had another explanation. “Psychiatric drugs are a massive pharmaceutical cash cow,” said Stein. “One needs to follow the money. From 2011 to 2015 $175.4 billion was spent on psychiatric drugs in the U.S. This is truly an outrage on a national scale.”[3]

Some readers expressed shock to learn that nearly 7 percent of American adults have taken prescription antidepressants for at least 5 years.

“CCHR has been warning of the dangers of antidepressant abuse since 200 lawsuits were filed in relation to Prozac in 1990”, said Ms. Stein. “We took a lot of heat for it, but what we warned about then is painfully obvious today.”[4]

About CCHR: Initially established by the Church of Scientology and renowned psychiatrist Dr. Thomas Szasz in 1969, CCHR’s mission is to eradicate abuses committed under the guise of mental health and enact patient and consumer protections. It was L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, who brought the terror of psychiatric imprisonment to the notice of the world. In March 1969, he said, “Thousands and thousands are seized without process of law, every week, over the ‘free world’ tortured, castrated, killed. All in the name of ‘mental health.’” For more information visit, www.cchrflorida.org

Sources:

[1] New York Times, April 7, 2018. Many People Taking Antidepressants Discover They Cannot Quit by Benedict Carey and Robert Gebeloff https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/07/health/antidepressants-withdrawal-prozac-cymbalta.html

[2] New York Times, April 9, 2018. Opinion – Letters to the Editor – Withdrawing from Antidepressants. 4 letters from psychiatrists and one psychiatric nurse, one signed by 39 Columbia psychiatrists https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/09/opinion/antidepressants.html

[3] Psychiatric Drugs Create Violence & Suicide: Putting the Community at Risk https://www.cchrint.org/pdfs/violence-report.pdf

[4] CCHR: Exposing the Dangers of Antidepressants and Other Psychotropic Drugs— Despite FDA/Psychiatric Pharmaceutical Cover-Ups

http://www.cchr.org/sites/default/files/Exposing_the_Dangers_of_Antidepressants_Despite_Cover-Ups.pdf 

Media Contact:
Diane Stein
President, CCHR Florida
727-442-8820
[email protected]
www.cchrflorida.org