This group is for anyone who was, is, or is planning on taking anti-depressant medication to cope with depression, anxiety, panic disorder, or a myriad of other indications.

This group is for people who are interested in hearing the OTHER side of the story: the alternative treatments for depression/anxiety/panic, the falsehood of the "chemical imbalance" marketing campaign, and the hellish withdrawal symptoms that come with "discontinuing" an anti-depressant.

You will probably not get this information from your doctor, your pharmacist, or from television and magazine ads. And why not? First, there is no money to be found in researching alternative therapies -- you can't patent vitamin C or magnesium. Second, it would not be a sound business decision if pharmaceutical companies actually made the public aware of ALL adverse reactions to their products. Thus, it's unlikely that we'll ever see quantitative studies about the problems inherent in SSRI's -- unless the study was funded by a pharmaceutical company in an attempt to make popular a new and "better" drug.

Big Pharma is unlikely to change. Thus, this group seeks to encourage its members to become competent consumers of prescription medication.

It also seeks to begin a healthy dialogue about depression, anxiety, and panic disorder that may ultimately remove the stigma regarding them. Consider the current paradigm: "Mental illness" concerns are private, and are usually an uncomfortable topic of conversation. Thus, the depressed, anxious, or panic-stricken individual will likely run straight to their doctor for help, bypassing the advice of others. Our family doctors have always cured our strep throat and our ear infections, so it becomes difficult to doubt them when they pull out their prescription pad. Once the stigma is removed, people will be able to talk more freely about "mental illness" -- and consequently have a higher likelihood of hearing about alternative therapies that SHOULD be first-line treatments. As it stands, SSRI antidepressants are first-line treatments for many doctors -- when in reality, their potential for side effects and for "addiction" clearly make them a last resort.

Disclaimer: Obviously, this group is not meant to replace your doctor. It's here so that you can arm yourself with information before the visit.

Another disclaimer: There are plenty of websites that purport to exist for the sole purpose of bringing together folks going through SSRI withdrawal, when in reality, they want to sell you something (either a product OR an idea.) This group is not here to promote any of the above. I don't sell anything, & I started this group to promote awareness of this pressing issue. (read less)

This group is for anyone who was, is, or is planning on taking anti-depressant medication to cope with depression, anxiety, panic disorder, or a myriad of other indications.

This group is for people who are interested in hearing the OTHER side of the story: the alternative treatments for depression/anxiety/panic, the falsehood of the "chemical imbalance" marketing campaign, and the hellish withdrawal symptoms that come with "discontinuing" an anti-depressant.

You will probably not get this... (read more)