A class of anti-depressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have been prescribed to hundreds of millions of people around the world.
Do you think that many people have successfully controlled their depression or other affliction using this family of pills?
A series of studies suggests that the SSRIs can be effective, but only for a subsection of patients.
I worry that any drug prescribed that heavily is being over-prescribed. I also worry that the insurance companies are dictating which kinds of drugs to give to people with psychological disorders. Shrinks often want to prescribe other drugs that are more effective in certain cases, but then the patient needs to foot the bill for therapy and the drugs.
I need to take something for all these worries.
On the topic of depression, there is a major piece coming up in this week’s NY Times Magazine and the online version is already available. It’s about one person’s life with chronic depression. If you’re interested in the topic, you might also want to score a copy of William Styron’s Darkness Visible.
