So, then – it’s April 2010 but I can still read things like this on the internet:
“Antidepressants work by normalising the activity levels of brain chemicals which affect our mood. Current medical advice is that antidepressants are not addictive”.
“Most side effects from antidepressant drugs usually cease after about three weeks”.
“Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
Introduced in the 1980s, SSRIs are the other major type of antidepressant. They tend to cause less side effects, and are less sedative than other types. Many patients find SSRIs easier to take than other types of antidepressant”.
The above was taken from the website of Depression Alliance – a UK Charity that is supposed to help people with depression and provide up to date advice and impartial information. Any mention of withdrawal problems? No.
How can a specialist charity be so out of step with the truth? Maybe it’s because the Chair of Depression Alliance is Alison Lawrence – who is also managing director of Forethought Consulting, a healthcare public affairs agency, working with a wide range of clients from the private and public sector for the UK and Europe. Prior to this Alison gained extensive corporate experience working in the pharmaceutical industry in the UK.
Forethought Consulting’s client list? Here goes:
GSK
Boehringer Ingelheim
Sanofi Pasteur MSD
UK Vaccine Industry Group (UVIG)
Wyeth
Diabetes UK
National Autistic Society
ABPI
Conflicts of interest? Poor advice on SSRIs? Stupid lies about the way antidepressants work …normalising the activity levels of brain chemicals? You might think so, I couldn’t possibly comment.
Contrast Depression Alliance’s ‘advice’ with what MIND says about Seroxat. Or maybe what MIND says about SSRI withdrawal.
Now read more about Depression Alliance’s history:
Depression Alliance – clumsy conflicts of interest once again?
National Depression week 2005…
Yet more on Cymbalta marketing…
I’m looking forward to the major new report that will be released to coincide with Depression Alliance’s depression awareness Week (18th – 24th April 2010) – but I can’t help wondering if it will be just another part of some drug company’s latest marketing push.
