Prozac -- Road Rage, Children killing Children? Linked?

Interesting correlations, Ziroc. I think it very likely that there is some significance to what you're seeing in regards to the elevated stress in our society.
I've been on Prozac for about three years now, and it has had a major impact on my life, of which I would say 95% has been positive.
SSRI's are an extremely potent class of drugs in that they directly affect the chemical balance that has significant influence on our emotions, personality, and rationality.
In my opinion, there are a few factors that are contributing to the picture you're seeing:
Increased use of psychotropic drugs in all segments of society, and in all age groups.
Lack of proper clinical diagnoses prior to prescribing the drugs.
Lack of proper follow up or monitoring of patients using psychotropics.
Lack of education on the patients part as to what to expect from the drugs.

I think these factors, combined with our general social trends of instant gratification and responsibility avoidance have created a frighteningly large population of patients on psychotropic drugs who shouldn't be.

Great topic, I expect to see a lot of responses to this.

[Memnoch]

Interesting article, Z. I think this is the key point:

No other book available today shows in such clear, easily readable detail, what these dangerous, mind-altering drugs are doing to ordinary, everyday individuals with no history of mental problems. Most were prescribed psychiatric SSRI drugs for periodic depression, PMS, weight gain, insomnia, acne, smoking, and other minor issues. In return, the drugs have taken thousands of people's lives. One knowledgeable doctor attributed 50,000 needless suicides to Prozac alone -- the first SSRI marketed. But now doctors are handing these seriously mind-warping drugs out to millions of normal adults and children, without any significant warning about their dangerous side effects -- with devastating consequences. After a decade of fatalities, doctors are still not warning people that these drugs could cost them their lives, in as little as 7 days! This book does not advocate totally banning the drugs, because they help some people with preexisting mental problems -- but the wholesale use of them by normal people is causing an ever-increasing wave of senseless killings and shootings across America. Those killings must be stopped. The key is public awareness of how dangerous the drugs are to many people, how to tell the warning signs, and how the FDA must enforce stern label warnings about the potentially lethal side effects of SSRI drugs.

Not quite sure how it works in the US but here in Australia SSRIs and other psychotropic drugs can only be prescribed by psychiatrists, not GPs and certainly not for acne or insecurity problems. Patients have to be assessed as to their suitability for this type of medication, and it is usually only prescribed for severe anxiety, panic disorders, or depression where the patient's quality of life is already significantly degraded and they have not responded to therapy or other pharmacological treatment. Like I said in my earlier post:

What it is not, is a magic pill that someone can pop that makes them feel better about themselves. I think that a lot of this bad press about Prozac and other psychotropic drugs are the result of these medications being incorrectly prescribed without the appropriate psychological support (or people taking them for the wrong reason).

Medical practitioners need to be fully aware of all the issues involved with prescribing an SSRI (or a benzodiazepine for that matter) and they need to be aware that treatment does not end with the prescription. I saw an ad on TV in California once for Paxil, pitched at people with shyness, urging them to "try it and turn into the extrovert they always wanted to be". (Such ads are illegal in Australia.) Paxil is a great treatment for social anxiety disorder as that is caused by serotonin imbalances in the brain, but it's not a wonder drug that will make you popular and remove all anxiety/depression from your life. People who take it for this reason are taking it for the wrong reason, and blame must be laid at a) the company that advertised at this target market; and b) the medical practitioner who prescribes the drug for this reason.

These drugs have the potential to improve the quality of life for a lot of people who suffer from mental illness - but they have the potential to affect others in strange and sometimes unhealthy ways.

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Wow, Memnoch, I had no idea that Australia's control of SSRI's was so tight. I think that is probably a much better approach than we have in the US. Here, any GP can prescribe any of the drugs, with no psychiatric evaluation or follow-up mandated. I think this greatly increases the chance of mis-diagnoses and abuse.
Sometimes it seems that the American medical system is run solely for the benefit of the pharmaceutical companies.
Unfortunately, as is pretty common in my country, the pursuit of money overshadows all other concerns.

Total wierd how why people turn to drugs to get edgy...

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All your base are belong to us! How Are you gentlemen?

Fish?
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Welcome to your doom!!!
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Official villain/demon of IW!

[MILAMBER]

I agree with Lifetime. It is an interesting correlation, but it is a falacy.

It is a falacy of false cause also known as Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc (after this, therefore because of this)

example:

Given as the Great Depression followed the enfranchisement of women, it is clear then that the Rise of RedLesbianHomeWreckers in Acadamia is the reason for our economic malaise.

Just because people with emotional disorders take drugs to help them combat the emotional disorders, it doesen't mean that the drugs are responsible for what the emotional disorder might make them do.

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"The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his."
-General George Patton (1885-1945)

Member of CLAN HADB

[Kaz]

I do not know what the law is regarding these drugs in Germany but I think it's very strict because - believe this or not - I had never heard of these drugs before reading this thread. My theory would be that Prozac, when used by people who have a minor psychic 'flaw', like a tendency to lose one's temper easily and violently (really tiny things you wouldnt notice that much), could enhance those minor flaws until they become major flaws. The results would be, among others, extreme violence and similiar. Just my 2 Pfennig (until we get the Euro, that is)

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I am the great Kazara

[Blade]

About the Euro ( I know off topic) any knowledge of how they will determin its value? I have heard nothing of it.

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Life and death are mearly shadows of the complexity of humans

[Kaz]

I believe it is now a 'currency' although nobody uses it yet. It has a value (which has been dropping the last year, from more than 1$ to 0.86$ I think), the currencies which are going to be replaced by the Euro - for instance DM, Lire, Francs etc. are 'tied' to it. Clear? I'm not so sure about this though.

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I am the great Kazara

Actually, I just thought of the most obvious sign of the widespread abuse of mind-altering drugs in America....

George W. Bush is president

Quid est demonstratum

[Kaz]

Originally posted by Absynthe: Actually, I just thought of the most obvious sign of the widespread abuse of mind-altering drugs in America.... George W. Bush is president Quid est demonstratum

Good point - any George W. Bush fans here?
As you might expect, most of Europe isn't too happy with him right now, one gets the impression he is doing what he wants to and ignoring all of the other countries. And none of us wish to have average temperature drop by ten dgrees celsius because of global warming (complicated) for instance.
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I am the great Kazara

[This message has been edited by Kaz (edited 09-04-2001).]