View the Table of Contents. Read the Introduction.
”Stirring firsthand account of the SSRI wars. . . . Healy is a distinguished research and practicing psychiatrist, university professor, frequent expert witness, former secretary of the British Association for Psychopharmacology, and author of three books in the field. Instead of shrinking from commercial involvement, he has consulted for, run clinical trials for, and at times even testified for most of the major drug firms. But when he pressed for answers to awkward questions about side effects, he personally felt Big Pharma's power to bring about a closing of ranks against troublemakers. That experience among others has left him well prepared to puncture any illusions about the companies' benevolence or scruples.”
—New York Review of Books
"A compelling story about mystery, deception, death, disappointment, vindication, and uncertainty."
—The American Psychological Association
"Healy confirms his status as one longtime thorn in the side of big drug companies, recounting how he was initially enthusiastic about SSRIs but eventually grew concerned about their side effects."
—Psychology Today
"Physicians should be aware of Let Them Eat Prozac."
—JAMA
"Let Them Eat Prozac is a double-pronged exploration, first of the SSRI drugs used to treat depression, and second of the drug industry."
—Publishers Weekly
"Ultimately, the book is about science, society and the power and misuse of commercial promotion. . . . His investigation is impressive."
—Nature
"This very important book will demonstrate beyond your worst dreams that the commercial needs of Big Pharma are the natural-born enemy of independent scientific research."
—John Le Carré
"Healy presents technical matters clearly. This book could not be more timely."
—Foreword
"Let Them Eat Prozac is an interesting history. It asks some stimulating and challenging questions, which are still in need of better and more constructive answers."
—Journal of the American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry
"In a flood of academic publications and talks, David Healy has issued harsh criticisms of both the pharmaceutical industry in general and the nearly $20-billion-dollar-a-year antidepressant industry in particular."
—Boston Globe
"Healy does raise some timely issues."
—Psychiatric Services
"Dr. Healy's tenacity in fighting for what he believes in is admirable."
—E-Streams
"[Healy is] the leading authority on the history of psychopharmacology."
—Times Literary Supplement
“An alarming book. . . . The most disturbing part of the story Healy tells is not merely about the risks of SSRIs but about the efforts of the pharmaceutical industry to make sure those risks were not uncovered.”
—Dissent
"In his timely new book, Healy draws on his extensive experience in antidepressant studies and involvement in legal actions against drug manufacturers. . . . Healy has the advantage of access to internal pharmaceutical industry documents and makes a strong case."
—Library Journal
"The author is an excellent historian who offers a gripping interpretation of the role of the pharmaco-industrial complex in the introduction of SSRIs. His recommendation for a funded agency that would carefully evaluate the benefits and harms of marketed drugs is a superb idea and much needed."
—Jonathan Cole, Harvard Medical School
"Healy exposes the massive fraud and deception in the production and marketing of antidepressant drugs, the selevtive serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)."
—Choice
Prozac. Paxil. Zoloft. Turn on your television and you are likely to see a commercial for one of the many selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) on the market. We hear a lot about them, but do we really understand how these drugs work and what risks are involved for anyone who uses them?
Let Them Eat Prozac explores the history of SSRIs—from their early development to their latest marketing campaigns—and the controversies that surround them. Initially, they seemed like wonder drugs for those with mild to moderate depression. When Prozac was released in the late 1980s, David Healy was among the psychiatrists who prescribed it. But he soon observed that some of these patients became agitated and even attempted suicide. Could the new wonder drug actually be making patients worse?
Healy draws on his own research and expertise to demonstrate the potential hazards associated with these drugs. He intersperses case histories with insider accounts of the research leading to the development and approval of SSRIs as a treatment for depression. Let Them Eat Prozac clearly demonstrates that the problems go much deeper than a side-effect of a particular drug. The pharmaceutical industry would like us to believe that SSRIs can safely treat depression, anxiety, and a host of other mental problems. But, as Let Them Eat Prozac reveals, this "cure" may be worse than the disease.
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