A headline in today’s New York Times:
Popular Drugs May Help Only Severe Depression
A headline from two years ago in Nature:
SSRIs show efficacy over placebo only in the most severely depressed patients
Drug companies exaggerate and even fictionalize their drugs’ benefits. This is not news.
I’m not against the use of these drugs, but their reckless promotion leaves a sour taste. Who are these drugs made for, exactly? When I take one of these pills, who stands to gain? These are always good questions to ask. Pills can work, and in the severest cases they’re necessary despite risks. But in the battle for peace of mind, no drug is an easy answer. Adam Phillips says it best: “Havoc is always wreaked in fast cures for confusion.”
[Update: As usual, Jonah Lehrer has a clever take from a year ago. -Ed.]
Douglas Faneuil is the founder of Living Proof Productions, a not-for-profit devoted to suicide prevention based in New York City. He also designs database solutions for companies throughout the Northeast.