Prozac as a Way of Life

Prozac as a Way of Life PDF Author: Carl Elliott
Publisher: UNC Press Books
ISBN: 1469617080
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 222

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Book Description
Prozac and its chemical cousins, Paxil, Celexa, and Zoloft, are some of the most profitable and most widely used drugs in America. Their use in the treatment of a multitude of disorders--from generalized anxiety disorder and premenstrual syndrome to eating disorders and sexual compulsions--has provoked a whirlwind of public debate. Talk shows ask, Why is Prozac so popular? What, exactly, do these drugs treat? But sustained critical discussion among bioethicists and medical humanists has been surprisingly absent. The eleven essays in Prozac as a Way of Life provide the groundwork for a much-needed philosophical discussion of the ethical and cultural dimensions of the popularity of SSRI antidepressants. Focusing on the increasing use of medication as a means of self-enhancement, contributors from the fields of psychiatry, psychology, bioethics, and the medical humanities address issues of identity enhancement, the elasticity of psychiatric diagnosis, and the aggressive marketing campaigns of pharmaceutical companies. They do not question the fact that these antidepressants can, in some cases, provide great benefit to alleviate real suffering. What they do question is the abundant popularity of these drugs and that popularity's relationship to American culture and ideas of selfhood. Contributors: Tod Chambers, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago David DeGrazia, George Washington University James C. Edwards, Furman University Carl Elliott, University of Minnesota Center for Bioethics David Healy, University of Wales College of Medicine Laurence J. Kirmayer, McGill University Peter D. Kramer, Brown University Erik Parens, The Hastings Center Lauren Slater, AfterCare Services, Boston Susan Squier, Pennsylvania State University Laurie Zoloth, Northwestern University Center for Genetic Medicine, Chicago

Prozac as a Way of Life

Prozac as a Way of Life PDF Author: Carl Elliott
Publisher: UNC Press Books
ISBN: 1469617080
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 222

Get Book Here

Book Description
Prozac and its chemical cousins, Paxil, Celexa, and Zoloft, are some of the most profitable and most widely used drugs in America. Their use in the treatment of a multitude of disorders--from generalized anxiety disorder and premenstrual syndrome to eating disorders and sexual compulsions--has provoked a whirlwind of public debate. Talk shows ask, Why is Prozac so popular? What, exactly, do these drugs treat? But sustained critical discussion among bioethicists and medical humanists has been surprisingly absent. The eleven essays in Prozac as a Way of Life provide the groundwork for a much-needed philosophical discussion of the ethical and cultural dimensions of the popularity of SSRI antidepressants. Focusing on the increasing use of medication as a means of self-enhancement, contributors from the fields of psychiatry, psychology, bioethics, and the medical humanities address issues of identity enhancement, the elasticity of psychiatric diagnosis, and the aggressive marketing campaigns of pharmaceutical companies. They do not question the fact that these antidepressants can, in some cases, provide great benefit to alleviate real suffering. What they do question is the abundant popularity of these drugs and that popularity's relationship to American culture and ideas of selfhood. Contributors: Tod Chambers, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago David DeGrazia, George Washington University James C. Edwards, Furman University Carl Elliott, University of Minnesota Center for Bioethics David Healy, University of Wales College of Medicine Laurence J. Kirmayer, McGill University Peter D. Kramer, Brown University Erik Parens, The Hastings Center Lauren Slater, AfterCare Services, Boston Susan Squier, Pennsylvania State University Laurie Zoloth, Northwestern University Center for Genetic Medicine, Chicago

Prozac as a Way of Life

Prozac as a Way of Life PDF Author: Carl Elliott
Publisher: UNC Press Books
ISBN: 9780807855515
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 226

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Book Description
In this collection of eleven essays, leading doctors and bioethicists discuss the pros and cons of Prozac and America's culture of self-enhancement.

Listening to Prozac

Listening to Prozac PDF Author: Peter D. Kramer
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0140266712
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 481

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Book Description
The New York Times bestselling examination of the revolutionary antidepressant, with a new introduction and afterword reflecting on Prozac’s legacy and the latest medical research “Peter Kramer is an analyst of exceptional sensitivity and insight. To read his prose on virtually any subject is to be provoked, enthralled, illuminated.” —Joyce Carol Oates When antidepressants like Prozac first became available, Peter D. Kramer prescribed them, only to hear patients say that on medication, they felt different—less ill at ease, more like the person they had always imagined themselves to be. Referencing disciplines from cellular biology to animal ethology, Dr. Kramer worked to explain these reports. The result was Listening to Prozac, a revolutionary book that offered new perspectives on antidepressants, mood disorders, and our understanding of the self—and that became an instant national and international bestseller. In this thirtieth anniversary edition, Dr. Kramer looks back at the influence of his groundbreaking book, traces progress in the relevant sciences, follows trends in the use and public understanding of antidepressants, and assesses potential breakthroughs in the treatment of depression. The new introduction and afterword reinforce and reinvigorate a book that the New York Times called “originally insightful” and “intelligent and informative,” a window on a medicine that is “telling us new things about the chemistry of human character.”

Everything You Need to Know about Prozac

Everything You Need to Know about Prozac PDF Author: Jeffrey M. Jonas
Publisher: Bantam
ISBN: 9780553291926
Category : Depression, Mental
Languages : en
Pages : 168

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Book Description


Prozac Backlash

Prozac Backlash PDF Author: Joseph Glenmullen
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 0743200624
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 388

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Book Description
In a controversial look at the potent drugs millions of Americans consume each day--for everything from anxiety to sexual addiction--Dr. Glenmullen presents authoritative information on why they are risky and provides advice on choosing safer alternative treatments.

The Antidepressant Fact Book

The Antidepressant Fact Book PDF Author: Peter Breggin
Publisher: Da Capo Lifelong Books
ISBN: 9780738204512
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 240

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Book Description
By the author of Talking Back to Prozac and Your Drug May Be Your Problem, the answers to over 100 questions about antidepressants

Life After Prozac

Life After Prozac PDF Author: Eva Del Bosque
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 0595322565
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 115

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Book Description
Got a problem? Pop a pill. Life After Prozac is one part memoir, one part self-help and one part cautionary tale. Pain is a sign. Problems are opportunities. Life After Prozac is a companion for those wanting to let go, move on and lead an authentic life. An excerpt from Life After Prozac; A Few Words From Dad 1. Be tranquil. 2. Don't add fuel to the fire. 3. You don't sound sick. 4. Be prepared. 5. Write a few words. 6. Save your money. 7. Buy real estate. 8. Establish yourself first. 9. Take vitamins. 10. Get off Prozac.

Living with Prozac and Other Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) : Personal Accounts of Life on Antidepressants

Living with Prozac and Other Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) : Personal Accounts of Life on Antidepressants PDF Author: Debra Elfenbein
Publisher: Harper San Francisco
ISBN: 9780062512062
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 308

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Book Description
Used by more than 11 million people worldwide, Prozac's healing powers have been widely acclaimed. For those who are presently taking Prozac or who are considering it, this invaluable resource presents actual testimonies by patients who speak out about the benefits of this life-changing drug.

Let Them Eat Prozac

Let Them Eat Prozac PDF Author: David Healy
Publisher: NYU Press
ISBN: 0814736971
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 367

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Book Description
A psychiatrist provides an insider account on the controversial use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) Prozac. Paxil. Zoloft. Turn on your television and you are likely to see a commercial for one of the many selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) on the market. We hear a lot about them, but do we really understand how these drugs work and what risks are involved for anyone who uses them? Let Them Eat Prozac explores the history of SSRIs—from their early development to their latest marketing campaigns—and the controversies that surround them. Initially, they seemed like wonder drugs for those with mild to moderate depression. When Prozac was released in the late 1980s, David Healy was among the psychiatrists who prescribed it. But he soon observed that some of these patients became agitated and even attempted suicide. Could the new wonder drug actually be making patients worse? Healy draws on his own research and expertise to demonstrate the potential hazards associated with these drugs. He intersperses case histories with insider accounts of the research leading to the development and approval of SSRIs as a treatment for depression. Let Them Eat Prozac clearly demonstrates that the problems go much deeper than a side-effect of a particular drug. The pharmaceutical industry would like us to believe that SSRIs can safely treat depression, anxiety, and a host of other mental problems. But, as Let Them Eat Prozac reveals, this “cure” may be worse than the disease.

Prozac Diary

Prozac Diary PDF Author: Lauren Slater
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780241137499
Category : Fluoxetine
Languages : en
Pages : 203

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Book Description
In 1988, at age 26, Lauren Slater lived alone in a basement apartment in Cambridge, depressed, suicidal, unemployed. Ten years later, she is a psychologist running her own clinic, an award-winning writer, and happily married. The transformation in her life was brought about by Prozac. Prozac Diary is Lauren Slater's incisive account of a life restored to productivity, creativity, and love. When she wakes up one morning and finds that her demons no longer have a hold on her, Slater struggles with the strange state of being well after a lifetime of craziness. Yet this is no hymn to a miracle pharmaceutical. It is a frankly ambivalent quest for the truth of self behind an ongoing reliance on a drug. Slater also addresses Prozac's notorious "poop-out" effect and its devastating attack on her libido. This is the first memoir to reflect on long-term Prozac use, and reviewers agree that no one has written about Prozac with such beauty, honesty, and insight.