Should I use psychiatric drugs for my anxiety?

In the mental health arena, psychiatric drugs or anti-depressants are used to help
alter mood and control behavior. People suffering with anxiety and depression
have turned to household drug names like Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft for several
years now. Not only are these drugs prescribed by psychiatrists, they are now
being administered by physicians who lack the expertise of recognizing mental
disorders.




To make matters worse, some of these drugs are known to have numerous and
serious side effects such as uncontrollable facial and body tics (signs of severe
neurological damage), hallucinations, dizziness, nausea, anxiety, withdrawal
symptoms and sexual dysfunction.



Ritalin in children, for example, is known to cause brain damage, stunted growth,
insomnia, loss of appetite, stomachache, headaches, dizziness and changes in
personality and behavior.




A small percentage of anti-depressant users may even become suicidal,
homicidal or both. Homicidal tendencies may sound like a stretch but consider
the recent increase of shootings over the last 2 decades especially in America’s
school system.




In 1994, according to the Journal of the American
Medical Association, 3,000 prescriptions for Prozac
were written across the U.S. for children less than 1 year old.




Another 150,000 psychiatric drug prescriptions were written for children between
the ages of two and four years old. As shocking as this may seem, it is even
more appalling to know that these drugs are not approved for children younger
than the age of six nor is there any data concerning the safety and efficacy for
such age groups.




Why are psychiatric drugs so prevalent in American society?
I strongly encourage you to read an interview with Robert Whitaker, author of
Mad in America: Bad Science, Bad Medicine and the Enduring Mistreatment of
the Mentally Ill. Mr. Whitaker’s investigative reporting uncovers how psychiatric
drugs and the companies distributing them are endangering the public health of
America. It truly is a fascinating interview and I strongly recommend you read it
right away especially if you are a parent or you have considered using these
types of drugs in the past. Click the link below for an interview you don’t want to
miss!




http://www.futuresfoundation.org.au/documents/wellbeingproject/supportin
g%20articles/Drugs%20increase%20mental%20illness.pdf

The core issue at stake here concerning these drugs is the alarming
rate of drug distribution to all age groups, especially in America, and the
profound negative impact these drugs are having on people.




This negative impact, in some cases, is provoking or spawning other disorders in
people prompting doctors to prescribe even more drugs. The result is giant
profits for drug companies at the expense of a tormented and drugged up
American society. The word “criminal” does not suffice for the monstrosity that is
taking place and has been for several years now.




Despite corporate greed, caregivers are contributing to the problem by
looking for and trying to administer a quick fix for anxiety and depression.



I would like to say that in no way am I scrutinizing or criticizing the good work of
foster parents or caregivers as a whole. I, myself, worked in a group home for
over a year. I know exactly how difficult it can be to manage a rowdy and
rambunctious group of preadolescents. Getting through to kids, especially those
that hail from a disadvantaged background can seem like a monumental task; but
hastily medicating those exhibiting even the slightest abnormal behavior is simply
irresponsible and unconscionable.




According to Robert Whitaker in his interview, “60-70% of foster kids
in the state of Massachusetts are now on psychiatric drugs.”




Are we really to assume that 6-7 out of 10 foster kids suffer with a mental illness
in the state of Massachusetts or is something else taking place there? Perhaps
caregivers, foster parents, doctors and child service administrators are relying far
too heavily on psychiatric drugs to make their jobs easier in managing and
controlling kids? Across America, as a whole, psychiatric drug usage is on the
rise but kids, especially, deserve more careful consideration and proper
evaluation before becoming another drug statistic.




So what is a safer solution for anxiety?
You will have to wait until next report to find out.