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Article: Removing Roadblocks to Full Recovery; A Psychiatrist Argues for Treating the Side Effects of Today's Antidepressant Medications
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- February 29, 2000
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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Like most psychiatrists, I was excited in the late 1980s when drug
manufacturers began introducing a new type of antidepressant called
selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI). These drugs, which
include Prozac, Zoloft and Paxil, offered tremendous relief from the
devastating effects of depression with negligible side effects.
Unfortunately like many "wonder drugs," SSRI antidepressants have
proven to be a mixed blessing. For the majority of depressed people,
these medications offer a desperately needed bridge back from
crippling and sometimes suicidal despair. But their record on side
effects has not been so good. For some patients they have left
daunting roadblocks to full recovery ...