Shortly after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. confirmed as Secretary of Health, President Donald Trump was able to take the child through prescriptions of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, stimulants and weight. He instructed the administration to assess the “threat” posed by it. – Loose medication.
This is part of an executive order establishing Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy” committee, aims to end the “Chronic Children’s Crisis” and “overrelationship on drugs and treatment.” While cracking down on Kennedy’s artificial additives and ultra-highly processed foods resonated with many voters, he was also a controversial figure, and conspiracy theory that mislinked the vaccine to autism and antidepressants. I repeated the shootings at school.
Trump’s executive order caused panic and controlled mental health among individuals relying on SSRIs and other psychiatric drugs. So what exactly does SSRI do and what did RFK Jr. say about past medications? This is what you need to know.
RFK Jr. likened antidepressant withdrawal to heroin and accidentally linked SSRI to school shootings
During a confirmation hearing with the Senate Finance Committee on January 29, Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) said RFK Junior spread lies and misinformation, particularly when it comes to mental health care and antidepressants. I criticized it.
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In 2024, Kennedy speculated that antidepressant use could explain the increase in school shootings despite the lack of scientific evidence to support such claims.
When Smith asked Kennedy if he stood on this scientifically questionable claim, he lacked a clear response. “It should be researched alongside other potential perpetrators,” he said.
However, studies have shown that there is no causal relationship between antidepressants use and school shootings, and Smith adds, “Most school shooters were not treated with antidepressants.” “There was no evidence of a connection,” he added.
“SSRIs, and psychiatry in general, are not responsible for large-scale shootings or violence,” says Columbia University’s Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at the School of Psychiatry and the Chief Researcher of the 2022 Study on Mass. Dr. Ragy Girgis, who is not responsible. A murder I mentioned in an email to USA Today previously. “These psychotoxic drugs have certain anti-violent traits.”
People with severe mental illnesses that are not treated are more likely to be victims of violence or the harm of autocracy than to be violent towards others.
Kennedy compared SSRI, a common type of antidepressant drug, including Prozac, Zoloft and Lexapro, to heroin addiction.
“Listen, I know people, including members of my family. They had a much worse time than people were getting off heroin,” he told Smith. Kennedy had previously been obsessed with heroin.
In July, Kennedy also called a wide group of people taking ADHD medications or SSRIs, as well as those who rely on opioids and benzodiazepines “addicts.” He announced plans to send people suffering from addiction to rural “wellness farms.” At the hearing on January 29th, he revealed that these treatment programs should be available but were not forced to attend.
However, Sean Leonard, a psychiatric nurse practitioner with a focus on addiction medicine, opposes the comparison between SSRI and heroin.
“The serotonin receptor sites and opiate receptor sites are midday and midday,” says Leonard. “It’s very difficult to get away from opiates. Your brain longs for it, your body longs for it. Serotonin, not too much.”
Suicide is a massive public health crisis, according to the CDC. In 2022, 49,000 people died from suicide. This means one death every 11 minutes. Additionally, 12.3 million adults took the suicide seriously, and 1.6 million people attempted suicide. Antidepressants can save lives for people suffering from depression, OCD, anxiety and other mental health conditions when alternative treatments like talk therapy are not working.
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“If they take these drugs away, it’s going to cause a massive tragedy.”
Trump’s executive order quickly trended online. One post defending the SSRI has earned over 5 million views.
“I’m not living today without my SSRI, literally. But that’s probably the point,” one user who posted on X.
“SSRI literally saved my life. I debilitated depression and anxiety with suicidal thoughts, and it changed me so that I can deal with my mental illness and alienate harmful thoughts. “I did it,” another X user wrote. “If they take these drugs away, it’s going to cause a massive tragedy.”
Others have tried to assure those who are concerned that the executive order will not have immediate effect: “I take many medications that are specifically mentioned in order. I am taking them. The point is that they are still in the exploration stage. Our medicines are always on the drug immediately,” one Ladytol responded to a thread about news that was approaching 200 replies. said.
Another said, “RFK JR has always advocated medical freedom and informed consent. You can have an SSRI, but you deserve to know the side effects. Continue.”
How do SSRIs and antidepressants work?
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are a class of antidepressants that treat depression and other mental health conditions by increasing serotonin levels. It is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood, appetite, sleep, memory, social behavior and sexual desire. Cleveland Clinic.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 8.3% of US adults aged 18 and older had a large episode of depression in 2021. For people aged 18-25, this rate jumped to 18.6%. The lifetime risk of suicide in patients with untreated depression disorder is almost 20% compared to a high-end estimate of 4.6% of the general population.
Due to the rising rate of depression, the monthly antidepressant distribution rate among young people also increased by 66.3% from January 2016 to December 2022.
Suicide with antidepressants is a rare event, but it is a “legitimate phenomenon.” Close monitoring and follow-up care is essential after the introduction of new antidepressants (as with most drugs), and some patients need to switch antidepressants to find a suitable fit There is.
The problem with RFK Jr.’s misinformation is what should you know about SSRIs?
What is “antidepressant withdrawal”?
Leonard says taking someone out of an SSRI is called the “leave process,” but “nothing to the extent that it is opiate.” People usually stretch their doses and can experience headaches, fatigue and anxiety, he adds.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, people stop taking antidepressants if they stop taking medication, not taking medication, taking medication, taking medication, or taking high doses. It is more likely that you are experiencing symptoms.
According to the NHS and the Academy of Family Medicines in the US, withdrawal symptoms usually begin within five days of stopping the medication, lasting for a week or two, and are usually mild. However, some people have severe withdrawal symptoms that last for more than a few months. One study showed that these symptoms last up to one year, but another study showed that 2% of people who have experienced discontinued symptoms have symptoms lasting for more than three years, according to the Cleveland Clinic It was done. Before initiating SSRI, some experts will encourage patients to properly alert them of withdrawal symptoms, and more reproducible studies on antidepressant withdrawal can inform future guidelines.
However, some symptoms are recurrence of depression that the antidepressant was treating, not ongoing withdrawal symptoms. When considering a psychiatric drug ride or miss, people need to develop a personalized treatment plan with their prescriber.
Non-medical treatments for depression include lifestyle changes such as psychotherapy (such as cognitive behavioral therapy), art therapy, social support, sleep hygiene, exercise, and diet improvements.
Contribution: Hannah Handal