Customer Reviews

Talking Back to Prozac

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Psychiatrist Peter Breggin is known for his outspoken stance against psychiatric medications. Talking Back to Prozac is in effect a response to Peter Kramer's Listening to Prozac, a book that argues Prozac is safe, relatively free of side effects, and effective in relieving mild, chronic depression as well as what may be called "personality flaws." Breggin contends that psychiatrists and pharmaceutical companies are hiding the scary facts about Prozac. He makes the same point about newer psychiatric drugs in more recent works. Breggin's book offers a one-sided rather than a fair, balanced judgment of antidepressants like Prozac. About fourteen years have passed since Prozac became available in the U.S., and the drug has been taken by over 20 million people worldwide. It has proven safe for the overwhelming majority of these people, although it is no longer the "hot," popular drug that it was in the late 1980s and early 90s. Countless studies have shown Prozac to be safe and effective in a range of conditions such as depression, social phobia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. In this light, Breggin's book seems alarmist. Most mental health professionals in the U.S. and Europe believe that medications, along with psychotherapy, are an important part of treating mental disorders. With his rigid stance, Breggin is denying patients an effective means of relieving their anxiety, depression, etc.
On the other hand, Breggin's arguments are not all completely false. Antidepressants like Prozac are not bogus pills, as he suggests, but their effectiveness has probably been exaggerated. New antidepressants constantly enter the market and are prescribed in the hope that they would be effective in patients that did not respond to Prozac or other older drugs. Also, studies usually report an efficacy rate of 60-80% for these drugs, but it is not clear why the 20-40% who respond to placebo are not subtracted from those larger figures to report an actual efficacy rate of 20-60%. Another valid point is that the rate of side effects for Prozac and similar drugs has been under-reported. Sexual side effects are far more widespread in patients taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) including Prozac than previously thought. One possible reason is that patients in clinical trials did not readily express sexual complaints about the drug they were given. Another plausible point is that pharmaceutical companies are sometimes less than fully ethical in reporting all the facts. If we consider the entire drug industry, there have been many cases in which these companies have apparently exaggerated the benefits and hidden the problems related to drugs they were marketing. These companies also mount very effective advertising campaigns to encourage both psychiatrists and ordinary people to take certain drugs rather than older and cheaper alternatives. For example, Prozac is now available in its generic form as fluoxetine, but it has lost popularity to newer drugs introduced in the past few years. All of this suggests that patients must consider both the pros and cons of antidepressants. Breggin only offers the cons in his book.

While I agree there is much abuse of Prozac, I think he lacks understanding of those with much more serious cases of mental illness. What I found particulary offensive is the last part of the book when Breggin tells that he has very depressed clients come to him for help. Breggin instead shuns them away from drugs and insteads "tries" to comfort them with talk therapy alone. He tells he understands their situation, but from reading part of this book, it is obvious he doesn't. The book is extremely one-sided and never points out the positive aspects of these types of drugs. Although there are a few reported case of disabilities created by Prozac, the vast majority are helped by it. Let me tell you this, a seriously depressed person would rather take their chances with an antidepressant than not be helped at all. It is true that antidepressants are unnecessary by those with mild cases or no illness at all. Those that have rated this book 5 stars evidently have not read the other argument of this drug.

I found the author's argument unconvincing. I think Kramer's "Listening to Prozac" paints too rosy a picture, while "Talking Back To Prozac" is way too negative. I think the truth is somewhere in between. The comment the author makes repeatedly in the book about the "sick" people who seem to like Prozac is not open minded, and reveals the religious intensity of the author's opposition (I am not taking Prozac!). The close minded arguments of the author turned me off, and I could care less about the bureaucratic problems of the FDA. The truth about depression and the effectiveness of the SSRIs is independent of the FDA's Prozac drug trials, and dumping on a very large part of the medical community because of a strong feeling against SSRIs was not at all convincing to me, and made for an unsatisfying read. His linking of SSRIs to amphetamines seemed very unscientific to me, and he did not reveal how he came up with this conclusion to my satisfaction. I would appreciate a more clinical proof of SSRI ineffectiveness, and would not accept his word for it just because he believes strongly about his point of view. Two words to describe this book is: Too extreme. I disliked this book alot.

I'm a psychiatric nurse. Peter Breggin is well known in the field of psychiatric medicine as being anti-all drugs. Has prozac been overprescribed or mis-prescribed? sure. but this drug and the class it belongs to have helped WAY more people than they hurt. penicillin and other antibiotics can kill you too if you're allergic and don't know it. and antibiotics are WAY over prescribed if you ask me and other professionals. i've worked in state psychiatric hospitals and i've seen a LOT of people who only got out and back to the world because of medication. i would hate to think that a book like this would turn back the clock to the old days when there was no medication and people wasted their whole lives in the hospital. GET A GRIP: ANYthing you put in your body has side effects and you can die from taking too much Tylenol, too. picking on this drug is a cheap trick

The author, a long-term expert in the field of psychotherapy, lays out a frightening picture of how the FDA serves not the people of the United States, but the drug companies. He shows how the pre-approval drug tests were doctored (no pun intended) to allow the FDA to approve a "mind-altering drug" whose effectiveness in battling clinical depression rivals that of placebos.

Before you take Prozac, or before anyone you know takes Prozac, get and read this book. Believe me, you'll run, not walk, to some drug-free way of handling your depression

Talking back to Prozac by Peter R. Breggin is an absolutely eye-opening and awesome book. As the covers suggests, "If you've been listening to Prozac, you haven't heard the real story...", and that is no lie. People are crying out to hear the truth about antidepressants. Peter and Ginger Breggin are unashamed to tell the readers what most physicians are unwilling or unknowledgeable to tell their pateints about Prozac and other similar antidepressants. This common-sense book regards the readers as intelligent people who can understand medical studies and medical terminology. The intensive bibliography proves that in-depth research was taken to bring the most accurate information available to the readers. If you are currently taking Prozac, know someone who is taking Prozac, considering taking Prozac yourself, or just have an interest in psychiatry, doctor-patient relationships, and/or the drug industry, this book is a must for you.

In addition, if this book interests you, the following books will give additional insights on the subject: Prozac Panacea or Pandora by Ann B. Tracy; Toxic Psychiatry: Why therapy, empathy, and love must replace the drugs, electroshock, and biochemical theories of the new psychiatry by Peter R. Breggin; Prozac Backlash: Overcoming the dangers of Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil and other antidepressants with safe, effective alternatives by Joseph Glenmullen.

This would have been more convincing (and more entertaining to read) if the author had not seemed to be so personally emotional about the issue. Legitamite concerns about the drug are found side by side with histrionic, non-scientific arguments against it. I am a biased reader because Prozac has DRAMATICALLY changed my life for the better. I no longer cry easily. I almost never fight with my husband now because my 'control freak' tendencies are gone. I no longer have nightmares. This book should take experiences like mine into account instead of pretending they don't exist.

There is nothing on the earth that works for everyone! I had a very bad "Cocaine Like" reaction to Prozac. You don't realize your own reaction. The drug can consume your life and destroy you before you know what is happening. Thank You, Dr. Breggin (It is a wonder that Lilly hasn't put out a contract on you! The are ruthless and have made many drugs that have destroyed the lives of many people.

I was one of the many who almost died to Prozac. I am glad I read this book when I did because it was a definite help in making the desicion not to swallow another one on Eli Lilly's wonder mood-enhancer pills. The last pill I took was the day I attempted suicide by swallowing 28 sleeping pills, much good Prozac did for my depresion!! Thank you for all the information, I wish all those people out there who are being subjected to this medication would read your book. There are other ways. Seek and you shall find.

I was on every anti-depressant on the market. None seemed to work. When I was on Prozac and lithium I found that I grew more depressed. I couldn't eat, sleep, I withdrew from my friends and family. I haven't taken an antidepressant in two years and I feel great. I used to have suicidal thoughts every day but now that I am off Prozac I feel 100% better. Reading this book has helped me realize that the way to cure clinical depression is not to resort to antidepressants. They just aren't worth it!! Reading the other book reviews and this book made me aware that I was not the only one who was getting worse while on "anti-depressants". Thank you for the great info.!!