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July 1, 2005
GUEST OPINION Abusing women in the name of psychiatry, prescription drugsBy JAN EASTGATE
I've documented horror stories of past "miracle cures" for PPD where psychosurgery mutilated women's brains or electroshock wiped out their memory of the birth of their child. Today, mind-altering drugs are passed off as a solution for depression that can follow a traumatic labor. Brook Shields suffered a grueling labor and was promised that the antidepressant she was prescribed was non-addictive and safe. This isn't true. The "Physicians Desk Reference" lists these side effects: agitation, amnesia, confusion, mood swings, nightmares, insomnia, hallucinations, hostility, and psychosis. The FDA warns of suicidal thoughts. Withdrawal effects indicate addiction; a fact that ABC's "Prime Time" exposed last year and that was suppressed by drug manufacturers. As for claims that PPD results from a "chemical imbalance" that mind-altering drugs can supposedly correct, the weight of medical opinion shows that there is no way to even determine a "normal balance," let alone how to correct one. Just more lies. None of this diminishes the fact that new moms can go through hell and can become desperate. Women might experience drastic drops in hormone levels after the birth of a child that can deliver a major shock to their body. Iron deficiency may also be a problem. But they need medical, not psychiatric help. There are many alternatives but psychiatrists, defending a more than $14 billion a year psychiatric drug industry, would prefer women didn't know about them. That's information worth warning others about - and something about which (movie star) Tom Cruise has thankfully rang the alarm bell. Eastgate is the international president of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights. |
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