I clicked on this and had no idea it would be so triggering for me. What are the chances that the court case would be about this!! :-/ I don't find this court case troubling.I find it more troubling that the majority of people- including at one time myself, don't know how powerful ssris are. They're given out so readily that people think they're relatively benign. no one even knows precisely how they work, and there's no subtlety to medication. It's not a precise science. Also itis not true that boosting serotonin i automatically good. Serotonin is also linked to impulse control and anger- you can actually end up with elevatd energy, but full of anger- a dangerous combination!

I have had unbelievable mixed episodes due to taking ssris for many years. I'm taking a complete character change whilst taking them. I would try to literally get out of my skin. I was in a domestically abusive situation which blamed me for the reactions, and therefore I was constantly on and off ssris having mania for 7 years!! I didn't often get to leave the house, but i remember times when I ran away and I do remember stealing during those periods, so I was lucky not to have been caught.

Somewhat strangely, given that the abusive situation was with my parents, I have heard that my father took ssris- sertraline and he had an extreme manic episode to the point of stripping naked, drinking constantly,( he litrally never drank prior,) and hallucinating blue men who were telling him to hurt himself! It seems likely that I inherit the bipolarity or 'allergy' to ssris from himThere;s evidence to now suggest that ssris can cause mania in people who don't even have bipolar. It's not certain whether I have bipolar but ssri induced mania is now in my medical notes.

Iff I hadn't lived that for so many years, I too would be dubious upon reading these stories.However, I have lived it so I know this is only the tip of the iceberg. The akathisia and mania they cause is real, and akathisia is now what they think is behind the homicides whilst taking ssris. It's well known akathisia/mania can cause homicides ans yet akathisia and mania are listed as side effects, and suicde is on there, and yet so far, they have got away with not putting homicide on there.

It's weird that people can acknowledge that ssris could make someone more suicidal and yet have issues acknowledging that they could have other unwanted effects on the human mind too. I know how painful it is to be blamed for somehting you weren't able to control- it cost me many years of my life, and I was a conventional straight A 18 year old graduate when it began. It still is so disorientating and painful to think about and I think it always will be.

I believe these people because I have lived it, and I am glad it's getting more acknowledgement. If you google ssri horror stories and have an open mind, you'll see that this stuff is powerful beyond belief . I'd ask those who are dubious to have an open mind because I lost years of my life having those episodes, and it makes it doubly painful to think that most people won't even take it seriously or believe me. I try now whenever I haven't lived a situation or don't understand someone's situation, to give that person the compassion and belief that I would want in that same situation

( I don't want to put people off who are getting a good response to these meds though. I am just telling you my experience)

xxxxx

Xxx