From the Inside Flap
Few Americans are aware that the chemical imbalance theory is purposely promoted by drug companies in order to further a drugbased approach to treating mental problems. Few are aware of the permanent brain damage and other longterm health effects we now know result from taking mind drugs. Few are aware that, among drug researchers, job promotions, tenure, grants and intimidation are all factors which encourage faith in one of the most harmful lies ever to become widely believed. Few are aware that antidepressants are so widely prescribed in America that traces of Zoloft, Effexor, Cymbalta, Lexapro and other antidepressants are being found in the streams of America--traces which have already entered our food chain and are damaging fish and other kinds of aquatic life. Americans assume the claims made by drug manufacturers can be believed since the government approves and regulates drugs. Perhaps Americans would be more skeptical if they realized that in a single week, Pfizer, Inc., had sales of $70 million for their antidepressant Zoloft; Wyeth Pharmaceuticals had sales of $74 million for their antidepressant Effexor, and Eli Lilly had combined sales of $105 million for their antidepressant Cymbalta and their antipsychotic Zyprexa. These are but a few of the tremendous fortunes made each week by a host of drug makers whose total antidepressant and antipsychotic sales are over $20 billion per year in the U.S. alone. Billions of those dollars are used to educate average Americans as well as physicians with journal, magazine and television advertisements, free posters and literature for doctors offices, industrysponsored continuing education, funding for most of the antidepressant and anti-psychotic drug research, and daily educational visits to physicians offices by an army of drug representatives.America Fooled is the nonsensational, factfilled story of how Americans have come to believe that depression and other mental problems are caused by chemical imbalances which can be fixed with pills. It reveals how the drug studies used to achieve FDA approval are designed, paid for, and written by the drug companies themselves and are purposely deceptive. America Fooled also relates how to avoid and overcome the mental problems which have increased so dramatically across our nation.
About the Author
As a fulltime psychology professor for over 20 years, Dr. Scotts primary academic concern has been the inability of college graduates to critique research. No skill is more important and yet most college graduates and most MDs lack that skill. Until large numbers of Americans can read original research and see the flaws in the design of poor or deceptive research studies, Americans will continue to be fooled. Dr. Scott holds MS, MMFT, and PhD degrees. He is now writing and lecturing in order to reach a larger audience than he has reached in the classroom.
