Here from Joseph Glenmullen, M.D., author of the landmark study Prozac Backlash, is the essential guide to helping millions of patients overcome antidepressant "addiction," dependence, and withdrawal by using a five-step program to safely and effectively taper off the drugs.
More than twenty million Americans -- including over one million teens and children -- take one of today's popular antidepressants, such as Paxil, Zoloft, or Effexor. Dr. Glenmullen, a graduate of Harvard Medical School, recognizes the many benefits of antidepressants and prescribes them to his patients, but he has also led the way in warning the public of the dangers associated with overprescribing these drugs. Now, in the wake of overwhelming evidence, the FDA has finally stepped forward and urged pharmaceutical companies to include warning labels on antidepressants to caution doctors and patients that the drugs -- and more important, withdrawal from them -- may cause agitation, anxiety, hostility, impulsivity, and even suicidal tendencies.
Dr. Glenmullen's last book, Prozac Backlash, sounded the alarm about possible dangers. Now, this new book provides the solution. The Antidepressant Solution is the first book to call attention to the drugs' catch-22: Although many people are ready to go off these drugs, they continue to take them because either the patient or the doctor mistakes antidepressant withdrawal for depressive relapse. Unfortunately, approximately 70 percent of prescriptions for these drugs are written by family doctors who may not be familiar with the safest procedures to wean patients off them. Now, however, The Antidepressant Solution offers a step-by-step guide for patients and doctors alike, including:
1. Evaluating whether the patient is ready to taper off the drug
2. Making the initial dosage reduction
3. Monitoring withdrawal symptoms
4. Making additional dosage reductions
5. Completing the taper safely
Written by the premier authority in the field, The Antidepressant Solution is an invaluable book for all those concerned with going through the process -- from friends and family members to doctors and patients themselves.
John Horgan, author of the "End of Science" and "The Undiscovered Mind" An authoritative and eloquent antidote to the pro-drug bias of modern psychiatry.
Leon Eisenberg, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School Dr. Glenmullen documents the carefully concealed dark side of these highly touted drugs and makes a strong case that alternative treatments yield equal benefits at much less risk. Provocative and hopeful, a must-read for anyone on the drugs.
Alan Stone, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry and Law, Harvard University, former President of the American Psychiatric Association Dr. Glenmullen has assembled from every possible source the clinical and scientific evidence that there are costs as well as benefits to Prozac and related drugs. He warns us that no one really knows the long-term consequences of these chemicals on the brain.
Joan Acocella, "The New Yorker" One is inclined to listen to him, because he is not a one-solution man. Indeed, he prescribes SSRI [antidepressants]. Like many cautious psychiatrists, he uses them to relieve depression to the point where the patient can do something about its source.
Sherwin B. Nuland, M.D., Yale School of Medicine, author of "How We Die" and "The Mysteries Within" The all-purpose pill that guarantees a psychiatric quick fix has finally been exposed as an illusion. Dr. Glenmullen's lucid explanations and engrossing narratives are the much-needed corrective to the sensationalism of the false prophets of Prozac and the zealots of Zoloft. This is the book that sets the record straight. It should become the criterion of reason, against which all the current hype and misinformation can be measured.
Thomas J. Moore, George Washington University Medical Center, author of "Prescription for Disaster: The Hidden Dangers in Your Medicine Cabinet" Joseph Glenmullen has done an outstanding job in portraying the real-life experiences of patients and using them to illustrate the scientific facts. If you really want to listen to Prozac, this is an eye-opening account that should not be missed.
Candace B. Pert, Ph.D., Research Professor, Georgetown University School of Medicine, author of "Molecules of Emotion: The Science Behind Mind-Body Medicine" Beautifully, clearly, and enthrallingly written, it is a courageous book and a must-read for every American.
Janet Maslin, "The New York Times" An important, deeply troubling examination of the means by which these drugs have become so widely disseminated and the possible long-term toll they may take.
