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A critique of SSRIs and pharma’s influence on medicine, including SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction, suicidality, and violence.
Long Summary: Dr. David Healy critiques modern medicine, focusing on SSRIs and psychiatric medicine, including: how pharmaceutical companies manipulate clinical trial data, ghostwrite studies, and influence medical practice, often ignoring patient experiences; highlighting issues like post-SSRI sexual dysfunction (PSSD), the immediate sensory effects of SSRIs, and their potential to induce suicidal or violent behavior; challenging the reliance on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) over individual patient reports; and more.
About the guest: David Healy, MD, PhD, a psychiatrist and pharmacologist, has decades of experience researching the serotonin system and SSRIs, working across Ireland, the UK, Canada, and the US. He is a professor at McMaster University and a vocal critic of pharmaceutical industry practices.
Discussion Points:
- SSRIs cause near-immediate sensory effects, like genital numbing, in most people.
- Post-SSRI sexual dysfunction (PSSD) can persist for years or decades after stopping the drug, affecting many long-term users.
- Healy argues RCTs prioritize averages over individual experiences, often missing serious side effects like suicidality.
- Pharmaceutical companies ghostwrite studies and manipulate data, with journals like the New England Journal of Medicine publishing misleading articles.
- Serotonin theory of depression lacks evidence. Industry tactics include dismissing patient reports as anecdotes and using high doses in trials to mask weak efficacy.
- SSRIs can increase suicide risk, not just during initiation but also when adjusting doses or withdrawing, as seen in cases like the Aurora movie theater shooting.
- Regulatory bodies like the FDA often fail to investigate adverse effects due to bureaucratic processes and lack of follow-up. Healy emphasizes doctors’ failure to prioritize patient observations, driven by industry-influenced standards of care.
Chapters
00:00:00 Intro
00:04:41 Critique of Western History Narrative
00:09:19 Internet & Information Democratization
00:15:14 SSRI Development & Medical Observation
00:23:42 Early SSRI Research & Patient Insights
00:31:11 Nature of Evidence in Medicine
00:37:52 Immediate SSRI Effects & Misconceptions
00:45:16 Acute SSRI Sensory Impacts
00:53:13 Long-term SSRI Side Effects
01:00:31 SSRI Trial Design & Industry Tactics
01:09:32 Data Manipulation in Drug Approval
01:16:15 Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction (PSSD)
01:24:47 PSSD Manifestations & Prevalence
01:36:19 SSRI Withdrawal Challenges
01:44:02 Ghostwriting & Industry Influence
01:51:41 SSRIs, Suicide, & Violence
02:03:01 Final Thoughts on Psychiatric Medicine
