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Updated 1.20pm, Friday 30 November
ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT, the Dáil voted down legislation proposed by the United Left Alliance TD Clare Daly to provide for abortion in circumstances where there is a risk to the life of a pregnant woman.
The government had made clear its intentions to vote down the legislation as it currently considers bringing forward its own measures to respond to the expert group report on the European Court of Human Rights ruling in the A, B and C versus Ireland case two years ago.
A total of 128 TDs voted last night with 101 voting against the bill and 27 voting in favour of it, leaving 38 TDs who did not vote, all for a variety of reasons which TheJournal.ie has been attempting to establish today and here is what we’ve found out.
Firstly, the Ceann Comhairle Seán Barrett, abstained from the vote in keeping with the mandate of his office to observe strict impartiality and to not participate or vote in any debates except in the event of a tie.
Of the government TDs – that is any TD from Fine Gael and the Labour Party who has not lost the whip – who did not vote it has been confirmed that they had permission to miss the vote from the whip’s office.
In most situations government ministers who missed the vote will have a pair on the opposition benches who will not vote in order to off-set the ministerial absence. This is known as ‘pairing’.
It could not be confirmed for definite if pairing was the reason for the absence of some Fianna Fáil TDs including Micheál Martin, Seán Fleming, Willie O’Dea, and Robert Troy.
However, a Fianna Fáil spokesperson said: “Fianna Fáil did not support Deputy Daly’s Bill because the party is currently studying the report of the Expert Group and will give a considered view on the appropriate way forward when the party has discussed the report. In common with all other Private Members Motions in Dáil Éireann, a number of deputies were unable to attend the vote because of other commitments.”
As for the rest, Fine Gael TD and Jobs Minister Richard Bruton was at an engagement with IDA Ireland and a client company, the Department of Jobs said.
The two Ministers of State from that department were also otherwise engaged with Labour TD Seán Sherlock granted a pairing by the chief whip. “The Minister has said that for the record he would have voted with the Government had he been in the Dáil,” the Department of Jobs said.
Fine Gael TD and Minister for Small Business, John Perry, was at the InterTradeIreland All Island Seedcorn Awards at the Titanic museum in Belfast.
Fellow Fine Gael TD and Minister of State Fergus O’Dowd was attending a conferences in Limerick and Dublin. He told us that he was paired for the day but was “supporting fully” the position of the government on the issue.
Fine Gael TD Catherine Byrne has been in hospital this week where she underwent surgery and she is currently recuperating for the next two weeks.
Her fellow Fine Gael TD and Junior Minister Ciarán Cannon is on an education mission to India from which he returns later this week.
Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Labour TD Joe Costello was speaking at an Irish Aid event to mark World Aids Day at the University of Limerick and was paired a spokesperson said.
Labour TD Anne Ferris is currently recovering from recent surgery and has not been in the Dáil for the past few weeks.
Fine Gael TD and party chairman Charlie Flanagan was at a “long-standing meeting” in his capacity as party chairman but said that he would have voted against the proposed legislation in anticipation of the government’s decision on introducing its own measures before the end of the year.
Independent TD Shane Ross was with his wife who had just left hospital following recent surgery.
Labour TD Dominic Hannigan was doing an interview with TV3 that was pre-recorded for a future edition of Midweek.
Fine Gael TD and Environment Minister Phil Hogan was on “official business” as was his fellow minister at the Department of Environment and Labour TD Jan O’Sullivan, the Department said.
Fine Gael TDs Tom Hayes and John O’Mahoney were on “private, government business” at the British Embassy in Dublin according to Hayes with Labour TD Colm Keaveney also joining them.
Taoiseach and Fine Gael TD Enda Kenny was not in the Dáil last night and does not normally vote on Private Members’ business, instead attending to government business on a Wednesday evening.
Only in cases where there is a no confidence motion might the Taoiseach vote on such matters.
Minister of State for European Affairs and Fine Gael TD Lucinda Creighton was attending an event with the Taoiseach, a spokesperson said.
Labour TD Michael McCarthy is in Mozambique with the Public Accounts Committee this week where he is joined by Fianna Fáil TD and PAC chairman John McGuinness and Fine Gael TD John Deasy.
Independent TD Finian McGrath was unable to vote having been ejected from the Dáil by the Ceann Comhairle during Leaders’ Questions yesterday.
McGrath said that he was told by the Ceann Comhairle that he was suspended for one-day, meaning he could not participate in last night’s debate. But McGrath said that his position on the X Case is that he favours legislation and regulations.
Fine Gael TD Olivia Mitchell said she was attending a constituency event she had committed to, planting a tree at the Bloomfield Nursing Home in Rathfarnham which was celebrating its 200th anniversary.
Mitchell said she was standing in for junior minister Kathleen Lynch who did vote in the Dáil last night and was listed to attend the event. Mitchell said she has already spoken about her position on the issue and favours legislation and regulations to deal with the X Case.
Denis Naughten, who lost the Fine Gael whip last year, had a family bereavement and could not attend the vote.
Former housing minister and Labour TD Willie Penrose – who lost the party whip last year – said he was attending a funeral but said: “I don’t bother about private members any how. I haven’t voted in any private members’ bill for the last six or eight months. I don’t feel that I have to.”
He added that he would not be rushed into making up his mind about any abortion legislation and says he will come to an “informed decision” when he has fully digested the report of the expert group.
Education Minister and Labour TD Ruairí Quinn was “otherwise engaged”, a spokesperson said adding that Quinn had made his position on the issue clear and would have voted with the government had he been there.
Sinn Féin TD Peadar Tóibín was not in attendance despite the party imposing the whip on the motion which required TDs to vote in favour of it. It also meant that all TDs were expected to be in attendance for the vote.
Tóibín could not be reached for comment and his whereabouts last night are not known. A Sinn Féin spokesperson said that this would be “something the party will have to deal with” as he wasn’t on any other party business.
Independent TD Tom Fleming told TheJournal.ie on Friday that he was present in the Dáil for the debate on Wednesday and spoke but that he abstained on the vote.
He said: “I did not vote on the issue on this occasion but I will when it comes back in, when eventually there is a legislative proposal put forward by government subsequent to discussions with the Attorney General’s office and we get a comprehensive proposal.”
At the time of publication, independent deputy Noel Grealish did not return a request for comment.
TheJournal.ie could not confirm the reasons for the absence of Public Expenditure and Reform Minister Brendan Howlin at the time of publication.
Labour TD Derek Nolan could not be reached for comment and neither could Fine Gael TDs Tom Barry and Pat Breen.
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He’s a brilliant man for all he does for mental health.
Yeah a great guy plus the money he’ll make off the book, wonder which one is his real motive.
Does it really matter when he’s raising such good awareness?
Disgustingly cynical Trish.
Ah give over you begrudgers
Probably not and he is raising awareness around an issue that so many young people are struggling so he is to be commended in that regard however I’m tired of all these celebrities selling out via books, newspapers and interviews. He does profit from the book after all. There is a possibility that some of the profits are being donated to mental health organisations and if so then fair play to him. He is highlighting an important issue.
Youre “tired of”?? Are you for real? It doesnt matter WHO he is, god love you and you ever suffering life you have to put up with this. Disgusting attitude.
He has to eat Trish, won’t get his message out there on a 9 to 5. Just how many “celebrities selling out via books” have worn you out?
If celebrities selling books is having such a negative impact on your life, maybe you should change something. You’re doing life wrong.
Ye know jack shit about the man, he is great for highlighting this issue, crawl back under your rock, it’s people like you on this island that are toxic, always whinging and moaning. Go get your leg over or something.
Wow Trish ! Incredibly cynical comment. I genuinely think it’s one of the most cynical comments I’ve ever read.
You might perceive it as cynicism, I see it as a health dose of skepticism. As someone who personally knows the struggle of mental illness ( on medication since 16 and 4 periods of in- patient treatment in hospital) I’m wary of seeing a celebrity that I perceive ( perhaps wrongly) hijack the issue for financial gain. What I would like to know is if he penned the book himself or had a ghost writer? I’ve read countless of his interviews this week where he talks about “his book” if he didn’t write the words himself, that is in itself disingenuous. It might not matter to you but as someone who has felt the stigma of mental illness it really matters to me. He is a “celebrity” and the reaction he is going to get is clearly not what a young 18 year man is going to get off his friends. People are fickle when it comes to how they treat people and my worry is Bressie will be treated like a hero when the people who are suffering from mental illness will still be ridiculed and made little of.
Trish – you’re out in your own on this one. And do you even know what a ghost writers purpose is ?
I’ve always found Bressie to be very sincere! It is not a crime to make some money on his book the main thing he is helping to bring awareness of a horrible isolating illness! This is a good thing and he and others who talk about their experience help bring those suffering out from the cold! I wish him well
Antidepressants don’t work for everyone. They did work for me. As my doctor said, they are not a magic bullet but are intended to help you out of depression. I still have low days (sometimes weeks) but am no longer suicidal. I no longer see life as a pointless journey. No doubt, pharmaceutical companies are making a fortune off the back of people’s suffering but antidepressants have a place on the road to recovery. Also, the quote saying depression is a natural response to trauma is true but it ignores the depression that has no external cause. That is brain chemistry. Statements like “what have you to be depressed about” are ignorant and damaging.
There have been NO proof that the “chemical imbalance” theories are correct. That’s a fact. I’m not saying that depression isn’t real and that some suffer more than others, but the chemical imbalance nonsense is a myth. Please look it up for yourself, absolutely no evidence of it at all, not a single lab test. It’s the drug companies and paid off (and sometimes plainly gullible doctors) who sprout this stuff. Has no basis in reality, but is great for selling drugs.
Seriously Alan go educate yourself
He did. And so did many of us injured by these drugs. Not forgetting the placebo effect that comes when taking a drug. It is not possible to measure neurotransmitter levels in the brain of a live human so claims that anti-depressants “rebalance brain neurotransmitter levels” is fraud. The public have been duped. Time for mainstream Psychiatry to come clean about their delusion.
Keep the flag flying Bressie, even more so after the interview with Helen O Driscoll on the Late Late Show last night,on how her Son battled so much with mental illness and the devastating outcome for her and her family.
Just went back to listen to the interview. The assumption being that the drugs are the cure not one of the potential causes and triggers. As I remember my brain ‘spinning out of control’ on the “anti-depressant” Citalopram 7 years ago. I was put on it for anxiety. Luckily I didn’t harm anyone but now I know that sometimes people have harmed others. Withdrawal from the drug is also a difficult time if not stopped correctly. I was taken off the drug ‘cold turkey’ but our mental “health” system. A nightmare time.
Donal Schell case ~ Paxil / Seroxat is one of the most dangerous of them all. He was only on the drug 2 days ~
http://www.baumhedlundlaw.com/drug-injury-press-releases/paxil-maker-held-liable-in-murder-suicide.php
Lessons from Charleville ~
https://leoniefennell.wordpress.com/2015/08/22/jonathan-odriscoll-paddy-and-thomas-charleville-murdersuicide/
Leonie Fennell’s son Shane was on the same drug as me. Citalopram back in 2009.
Some honest experts in this field include Psychopharmacologist and Psychiatrist Prof David Healy and Psychiatrist Dr Peter Breggin.
There can be increased risk of suicidal thinking in Jonathan O’Driscoll’s age group. Hence the black box warning on these drugs in the US for 18 to 24 year olds. Also NOT suitable for children as I think of Jake McGill who was 14 ~
http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/InformationbyDrugClass/UCM096273
Reach out if in distress. Samaritans Tel : 116 123
PS I went into mania / ‘Psychosis’ thanks to the anti-depressant. Psychosis is a temporary loss of touch will reality. Most people do not harm others in this state.
The majority of people in mental distress do not harm others and are no more dangerous than the rest of society, unless psychotropic drugs or alcohol is involved. Or when withdrawal from these drugs is not managed correctly.
Mental disorders are neither necessary nor sufficient causes of violence ~ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1525086/
In the overall scheme of things, people who suffer mental health issues are more likely to be victims of violence than perpetators ~ http://depts.washington.edu/mhreport/facts_violence.php
PS While I think Helen O’Driscoll is an amazing lady, been in front of a live studio audience, considering the stress and trauma she has already been through not so long ago, seemed a little insensitive. Being on TV has it’s own stresses. As long as she was comfortable with it. a pre-recording may have been a little bit less stressful.
Sadly it looks like Jonathan O’Driscoll never got the correct Psychological and therapeutic help that he needed to help him deal with his issues. It was plastered over with mind altering drugs, with tragic consequences.
“a postmortem revealed no evidence of medication in his system”.
From listening to other mother’s eg Maria Bradshaw mother of Toran Henry ( a 17 yr old who took his own life on Prozac in New Zealand) sometimes the tests do not show up the drug.
“My son’s first two toxicology tests showed no Prozac in his blood while the 3rd showed it was present. The difference? The first two tests were the cheapest available and actually not able to detect the drug below fatal levels. The third, more sensitive test was far more expensive and therefore not used by our authorities” Maria Bradshaw
If Jonathan O’Driscoll did stop the drugs before this tragedy that can lead to akathisia. A severe inner restlessness. Something I have experienced and it’s a pretty unbearable experience. One of the experts in this area is forensic Psychiatrist Yolande Lucire. Some people also have difficulty metabolizing the drugs.
Aine it’s probably time to pipe down on this. U know very little on this case. Akathisia results in constant shuffling around, with an inability to keep still. A common side effect for neuroleptics (which decrease dopamine) but also a symptom of Parkinson’s disease (where there is a deficiency of dopamine in a particular region of the brain).
Akathisia is not aggression and making fly away remarks like that instil fear & propagate misinformation.
U don’t know what that lads history with recreational drugs was, if there was a predisposition to a psychotic break. U kno relatively little about his childhood. And actually none of u know or ever will, what was going on in his mind that day.
we all know your position on psychopharmaceuticals, but your attempts to blame them for everything are unfounded. Many people can’t actually function without some pharmaceutical intervention. They can’t stay down, or up, or lucid. They can’t sleep enough, stop compulsions or eat.
If medication can help 5%, it’s better than nothing.
fair play Mary , it needed to be said .
I have two members of my family (that I know of ) that cannot function without their medications .
As West Cork Lad said a few weeks ago to Áine on the ‘Batman cinema shooter article’ – ” You cannot super impose your own experience to others.”
How true.
My own experience ? There is a Yale study which shows that I am far from alone. The link between SSRIs and mania / psychosis. I didn’t become violent on the drugs but it was a possibility eg the Donal Schell case above but there are so many examples I have lost track. There is also the David Crespi case in the US which is one of the saddest I’ve come across. No more than the O’Driscoll case. David Crespi was experiencing akathisia on a cocktail of drugs. He is now in prison. His wife Kim is an activist in the area. She managed to see the TRUTH of the situation. As does his other children. Their tragedy even featured in “The Darkside of a Pill” on TG4.
It’s not me that is saying it. It’s top world experts eg Prof David Healy ~
Psychotropic Drugs and Violence ~ https://vimeo.com/67245935
Again the attempt to silence those who speak out on this. Been told to “pipe down”. I know as much as anyone else on the Jonathan O’Driscoll case from listening to his mother. I never claimed to be an expert on his background. That would have taken the work of a trained therapist. Seems like he never got the therapy he needed.
As for Akathisia I have experienced it 1st hand. That pretty much makes me quite knowledgeable on it considering I have been through it !
I have also listened to experts speak about it eg forensic Psychiatrist Yolande Lucire.
Adverse Reactions to Psychiatric Drugs: Yolande Lucire ~
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEoSs6Yo0DA
Dr Peter Breggin and Prof David Healy also talks about this drug induced condition.
Family members don’t always fully comprehend the drugging regime. If someone has been on the drugs long term the chances are that they will need to continue. As they have become so dependent on them. But there is also a good possibility that their underlying difficulties were never addressed correctly in the first place.
There are many working in the Psychiatric industry that would probably like me to be silent. You have to remember it was ye that created me in ye’re drug fueled dens. Pretending to help. When you brought nothing but misery to my life. Pay back time. But even if I didn’t exist the growing network of Psychiatric survivors and some family members who can see through the system is getting larger by the day.
The tragic Crespi case ~ http://www.crespifamilyhope.org/our-journey/horror/
“Akathisia has two sides, or faces: outer, objective restlessness and inner, subjective agitation. The outer, visible restlessness caused by akathisia particularly affects the legs and may be mild, moderate, or severe. In mild cases, patients find it difficult to sit or stand comfortably. They may adjust their posture frequently, shifting their weight from one foot to the other while standing, or crossing and uncrossing their legs white sitting. In moderate cases, patients are more visibly jittery and fidgety, tapping their feet on the floor or pacing. In severe cases, patients are visibly agitated, find it difficult to sit still, and are driven to pace back and forth. (Page 66, The Antidepressant Solution.)
“Akathisia can be extremely dangerous, especially in patients who have not been warned about the side effect and mistake it for a worsening of their psychiatric condition. Akathisia can trigger panic reactions in patients, increase paranoia, and drive patients to suicide and violence.” (Page 66, The Antidepressant Solution)
Joseph Glenmullen MD ~
A graduate of Harvard Medical School, I am a Clinical Instructor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, on the staff of the Harvard Law School Health Services, and in private practice in Harvard Square. I am Board Certified in Psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. I am the author of two books on the side effects of antidepressants: Prozac Backlash (Simon & Schuster, 2000) and The Antidepressant Solution (Simon & Schuster, 2005).
In the last four years, I have given expert testimony in over two dozen state and federal cases regarding the side effects of psychiatric medications.
Citalopram and piradel working for me, I’d rather big business had these than not as the repercussions of not bring on the meds doesn’t warrant thinking of
Not everyone feels damaged by Citalopram (in fact I was on it for 3 years before the obvious damage kicked in) but in the latest statistics from the UK as the % of prescriptions go up year on year, “The majority of SSRI deaths involve the drug Citalopram” ~
Statistical bulletin: Deaths related to drug poisoning in England and Wales, 2014 registrations
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/subnational-health3/deaths-related-to-drug-poisoning/england-and-wales—2014/deaths-related-to-drug-poisoning-in-england-and-wales–2014-registrations.html?format=print
When you say “piradel” I assume you mean Priadel / Lithium.
Yeah there is a study by Yale. There are also thousands upon thousands of studies showing marked benefit from drugs. I can’t actually believe I’m arguing this, because I’m not a pharma-phile per se. But you are insistent that ur way is the right way, and that is not correct.
Your way is the right way *for you*. There are many people who don’t need therapy. Who’s issue is primarily pharmacological. I think most medication interventions are ameliorated by therapy, but you can’t talk someone down from an extreme high.
I too have experienced akathisia and it is unpleasant. I have been agitated on medication, my inhibitions lowered, my appetite increased, electric shock feelings.
But also (and I am not on meds now) I can recognise over the years, that there was fear and panic beyond any logical control and reasoning and without medication (which was administered involuntarily in an acute setting), I would have caused fatal damage to myself. Without it, I would not have survived abuse going on in my teenage years.
It certainly isn’t the cure for me, but it brought the distress down to a degree where I could stay alive. U can do shag all therapy if you are dead.
If you benefit from the drugs then good for you. That doesn’t mean that anyone who questions the link between these drugs and violence & highlights the knowledge that is out there on this should be forced into silence. There have been too many tragedies. Swept under the the carpet and scapegoat term “mental illness”. These are mind altering Psychotropic drugs. When used ethically they can help. When overused or not managed correctly (eg the withdrawal process) they can harm.
“The ethical use of psychotropic drugs is perhaps the single most important aspect of
Psychiatric care that requires urgent attention” Dr Phil Thomas. We do NOT have ethical use of these drugs. To try to cover up the damage done by Citalopram I was put on various drugs ~ Zyprexa, Seroquel, Lithium, Lamictal, Rivotril, sleeping pills, Xanax etc etc 9 foolscap pages listing them all. Over a 3.5 year period. I was on these drugs at far too high a dose and for too long.
Not forgetting the cost of these drugs and the cost of disabling me. Before that I had a number of
good careers and was a productive member of society. I had studied hard and worked hard.
Take Zyprexa / Olanzapine for example. I know that it can help some people calm down as it is a major tranquilizer. And that short term usage benefited me in my last episode 3 years ago, as I withdrew from everything. I had been on it long term and at 10 mg. I also had a 3 month manic / ‘psychotic’ episode on the drugs as they fueled my symptoms when used long term. I am now free of these symptoms for a number of years.
20 people died in the trials for Zyprexa / Olanzapine, it causes diabetes and rapid weight gain. As well as damage to the brain / brain shrinkage. “significant reduction in brain volume that affects both gray and white matter”. That comes from a study funded by the maker Lilly ! I first learned this from honest doctors Psychiatrists Joanna Moncrieff and Peter Breggin.
{ Do not stop or change prescribed psychoactive drugs without talking to a good doctor, due to the dangers of withdrawal }
Inquest of Teresa Mullaney ( who was a retired nurse on Effexor and Zyprexa ) ~ https://leoniefennell.wordpress.com/2014/02/28/teresa-mullaney-dr-desmond-moran-effexor-zeprexa-death/
Interview with Peter Gøtzsche (co-founder of the respected Cochrane Collaboration, where doctors are supposed to go for evidence based medicine) ~ 4 mins in he speaks about Zyprexa / Olanzapine ~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIIQVll7DYY
Slán. I have other things to do.
PS Thousands of studies but funded by who ? Be sure to check any conflicts of interest. Which sometimes are hidden. Psychiatrists have even gone into court as experts in murder trials without declaring conflicts of interests.
There are “buckloads of research funding” coming from pharma and too close a link between pharma and Psychiatry. Affecting the outcome of some studies. 69 % of the taskforce involved in writing the DSM-5 (Psychiatric ‘bible’) had links to pharma.
Here is just one example of these ethically challenged doctors.
“Dr. Charles Nemeroff.
A renowned chairman of Psychiatry at Emory University, Nemeroff was a proponent for drugs sold by GlaxoSmithKline, such as the antidepressant Paxil (Seroxat). While earning hundreds of thousands of dollars jetting around the country and giving talks about Paxil to doctors at fancy restaurants, Nemeroff also managed a multi-million dollar grant from the NIH to research drugs under development by Glaxo”
fair play to bressie for puttin it all out there hes really using his celebrity to push this taboo topic it needs to be discussed and hes a great role model. hats off to him.
While I commend Bressie for bringing awareness to mental health and depression. It concerns me that he doesn’t seem to have an in depth knowledge about depression, and in particular the bio-psychiatry medical model (and the pharmaceutical industry which it supports). If he is asking people to seek help he should also make them aware that for the majority of public patients they will be prescribed SSRI drugs as first line ‘treatments’ Bressie says he doesn’t take them himself, but even if this is the case, most who seek help will be offered them before talk therapy. The mental health system in Ireland relies on medications because proper therapy supports are dire, and often people are left languishing on waiting lists for months of not years. They say that SSRI anti depressants are ‘useful’ in conjunction with psychotherapy yet most people (in the public health system) will not be given psycho-therapy in conjunction with SSRI’s so how useful are they? and what about side effects? and withdrawals? these are important questions, and it’s all very well advocating for people to get help for depression, but when the reality is all they will be offered is dodgy SSRI drugs, which could make them worse- then Bressie should be warning them of that!…
http://www.my1000hours.com/introduction-to-medication-prof-jim-lucey
https://truthman30.wordpress.com/2015/09/05/a-personal-message-to-bressie/
SSRI’s are only one of many meds offered to people who are seeking help for mental health issues. They aren’t all “dodgy”, side effects are rare and usually subside within a few weeks, which is usually something that most people, given their situation, can deal with if it means it can start them on a path to recovery. Therapy helps in conjunction with the drugs, and medication won’t be applicable to everyone. You can take a “one method fixes all” stance when it comes to mental health treatments.
That’s what the prescribers tell you and the brochures in their surgeries. That anti-depressants “rebalance brain neurotransmitters”. Has anyone out there had a neurotransmitter test before they were prescribed these drugs? And after ?
An honest medical doctor should be able to tell you it is NOT possible to measure brain neurotransmitter levels in a live person. Sadly this is one of the biggest delusions in modern medicine. And the public continue to be misled through various channels. Including some mental health charities and their brochures.
Book by Harvard Professor Irving Kirsch ~
The Emperor’s New Drugs: Exploding the Antidepressant Myth ~
http://www.amazon.com/The-Emperors-New-Drugs-Antidepressant/dp/0465022006
As these drug prescriptions rise every year, in this billion dollar industry, to quote an honest medical doctor from his recent book on the subject of this delusion “Medical knowledge should be open to public scrutiny”.
Some of us blindly listened to our doctors when it came to Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / SSRIs / anti-depressants and similar drugs. We allowed our brain and it’s mechanisms to be messed with. We have paid a heavy price. But at least we are still alive. Unlike many others ~
No one should stop or change these drugs without talking to a good doctor, due to withdrawal.
Antidepressants and the Placebo Effect: The Emperor’s New Drugs by Irving Kirsch, Ph.D. (Harvard Professor ) ~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ_EixhrFaw
The hiding of negative trials on these drugs. Presentation by Psychiatrist and Psychopharmacologist Prof David Healy. See 6 mins into this presentation ~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3YB59EKMKw
Time for Irish people to start asking questions and not to blinding accept was is effectively an excellent marketing campaign. But one that lacks an honest Scientific basis.
Adverse and side effects are not so rare. It can also be quite difficult to get off these drugs once started. A database of registered side effects on drugs ~ http://www.rxisk.org
These drugs can also lead to mania and even ‘Psychosis’ in some ~
Yale study ~ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11235925
The person can then end up quickly labelled “Bipolar” / Manic Depression and on even stronger drugs. Manic Depression used to be a rare condition. Now it’s become a lot more common. The mass prescribing of anti-depressants is one of the causes of this explosion in diagnosis. As well as some changes in criteria in the DSM. Diagnostic and Statistics Manual. Not forgetting that 69 % of the taskforce involved in writing the latest Psychiatric bible DSM-5 had links to the pharma industry. Big business.
With their bulging pockets human suffering caused seems to be of little concern.
The SSRI’s are all dodgy, and those that can tolerate the side effects are the exception rather than the rule- particularly for long term users. They don’t subside within a few weeks either, that’s bollocks. It’s what the drug companies say, because they have been playing down the side effects for years, as have psychiatrists because it’s in their interest to keep people drugged, and compliant. Indeed, you cannot take a ‘one method fixes all’ stance, but unfortunately, in Ireland, if you seek help for any kin dof mental health problem, you will be offered these drugs as first line treatment and most doctors con’t inform about the risks,. If Bressie is advocating for people to get help, then he is encouraging them into that quagmire where the first line treatment they will be offered when they seek help is medication, all I am saying is he has a duty to warn people that that is the situation they will find themselves in, that’s the reality- let’s not sugar coat it..
It was barbiturates in the 50′s, then they were classed as evil due to addiction and overdosages, then came the miracle first benzo in the 60′s, diazepam, which was handed out like candy and earned the name ‘Mothers little helper’, now they’re the devil due to dependency, withdrawal effects and overdosages (hard to overdose on benzos alone, but combined with opiates/alcohol it’s a different story), so now big pharma focuses on SSRI or SNRI medication, (all to do with patents), once they run out they will already have a new miracle replacement ready. There’s trials on mice using Ketamine as a new anti-depressant therapy. It’s all about the $$
Who’s Bressie?
Somebody who wants to do something about mental health.
No idea. And even if I did I’m getting sick of people using catch-all terms like depression. Depression is serious and not simply a down day here and there. Sooner we start dismantling useless terminology like this the better.
He’s a montrose celebrity, a nobody in the grand scheme of things.
who’s anybody in the grand scheme of things? what is the grand scheme of things?
Depression: An Emotion not a Disease ~ by Dr Michael Corry and Dr Aine Tubridy ~
“Depression is an emotion, just like fear, anger or love. It is the imprint felt after a stressful or traumatic experience. Depression is natural. It is not a disease process reflecting a change in brain chemistry. The sick brain model of depression is a hideous and terrifying concept, as it turns us into cogs in a machine where, if we find the going difficult and want to disengage, we are prescribed an emotional painkiller and advised to carry on regardless. Chemically-induced slavery has arrived. This book offers hope and understanding, and effective ways to create a new identity”
http://www.amazon.com/Depression-An-Emotion-not-Disease/dp/1856354792
Sadly Dr Corry and Aine Tubridy are no longer with us but their knowledge and spirit lives on.
They’ll be telling you it’s a disease next.Oh wait…treatment centres and 12 step groups already are…..
The most common “illness” in the country ??
Since no true biomarkers have been found that is not based on Scientific fact. What the purpose of masses of people going around thinking they are mentally ill ? Who benefits from that ? There are many vested interests. The “mental illness” industry is big business. While I’m sure Bressie has his heart in the right place, I hope he is not just been used to suck more people onto the drugs. The biomedical model is still the main route of treatment.
William Glasser MD is an internationally recognized Psychiatrist who is best known as the author of Reality Therapy, a method of Psychotherapy he created in 1965 and that is now taught all over the world. Like many of the older generation he was trained properly in Psychology and therapy.
“William Glasser describes in ‘Warning: Psychiatry Can Be Hazardous to Your Mental Health’ the sea change that has taken place in the treatment of mental health in the last few years. Millions of patients are now routinely being given prescriptions for a wide range of drugs including Ritalin, Prosac, Zoloft and related drugs which can be harmful to the brain. A previous generation of patients would have had a course of Psychotherapy without brain–damaging chemicals. Glasser explains the wide implications of this radical change in treatment”
http://www.amazon.com/Warning-Psychiatry-Hazardous-Mental-Health/dp/006053866X
Anyone on such drugs should discuss this with their doctor and not make any changes without good medical advice, due to withdrawal.
Be sure to reach out and get help if in distress. The Samaritans are a good backup service 116 123 but some talk therapy and lifestyle changes may also be needed to truly address any emotional distress.
Depression is not an emotion. Depression is an illness that kills people. It is not ‘natural’. Insomnia, loss of appetite, loss of ability to interact, to concentrate. These are not ‘natural’. It is not ‘natural’ to have thoughts of hurting oneself. Or to act out on those thoughts. In fact it goes directly *against* nature to do that.
Certainly not all psychopharmacological interventions are helpful. And there is mass overprescribing of neuroleptic and sedatives which serve to lower mood and motivation.
But your argument is nonsense. I saw Dr aine tubridy for a while. I was on medication when I saw her. I suffered with crippling panic and her intervention was ‘chakra healing’. I know she was a medical doctor but illinformed attitudes like yours tend (imo) to prolong the suffering of people under the guise that it’s all ‘just a natural feeling’. Enough people in this country have lost sons, daughters, parents, siblings and friends to suicide. Don’t patronise us all.
Never “marry” a Russian psychiatrist.
Don’t really get the down thumbs; everything in your comment both relevant and true. Still never found out who exactly Bressie is.
You could try Googling maybe? Just an idea.
As someone that suffers from ‘Depression’ and who has been seriously misled by the Psychopharmalogical approach, t I’ve experienced the insomnia, loss of appetite etc etc Even in the past week or two as there was an anniversary of a traumatic event and certain people had cut themselves off from me.
I took the “illness” approach for a number of years. I ended up in bed most of the time with no quality of life. Completely disempowered by the approach taken by the doctors I attended at the time. And highly sedated by their drugs.
I now take a different approach. It’s up to me to do the work. I have started to see an experienced therapist again and am looking into getting more therapy. I’ve also tackled lifestyle and diet. Long term anti-depressant and other drugs I was put on has left it’s legacy. Anti-depressants can turn mild, moderate depression into a more chronic condition. This was pointed out by medical journalist Robert Whitaker in his book “Anatomy of an Epidemic”.
I know of many people who have lost a son or family member. Emotional distress can have many consequences. Sadly including suicide. Things do get better. But sadly at the time some people find it hard to stay with their pain and to reach out. The drugs prescribed can also be a factor. Hence the black box warning in the US for younger people.
Aine Tubridy’s book and CD on Panic was quite helpful to me “When Panic Attacks”. I have had chakra / Reiki work done in the past that has also helped. As part of a holistic approach to healing.
Luckily her website is still there and maintained to show her approach to Panic and anxiety.
http://wellbeingfoundation.com/panic-and-anxiety.html
That’s it ya just gotta pull yaself up by ya boot straps.
@Daffy
Bressie (35 next month), is a good looking Irish musician and former Westmeath Gaelic footballer and Leinster Rugby player. Breslin found success as the lead singer, guitarist and songwriter with pop band The Blizzards, as a co-writer and producer with XIX Entertainment and as a solo artist. He was the winning coach on the first and third seasons of The Voice of Ireland
To “pull yaself up by ya boot straps” you need supportive people around you and sometimes a supportive person to guide you (eg therapist and at least one good friend to turn to. Or Samaritans).
I’ve had the ‘imaginary elephant sitting on your chest’ days where you feel like you cannot move. On those days you have to particularly kind to yourself,. The development of self-awareness over time has helped. Having a daily maintenance plan in place can help and also what to do if a person feels they are slipping. There is also a WRAP App.
Wellness Recovery Action Plan ~ http://mentalhealthrecovery.com/wrap-is/
@enforcer Hope you’re being ironic
Are other countries going around claiming that a large % of the population are ‘mentally ill’ eg the Germans or French ? I doubt it ! Belittling ourselves instead of recognizing our strengths. Yes. Some people struggle. But that doesn’t mean we are diseased.
Don’t care enough to Google.
@mary excellent post. I watched an interview with Bressie on Ireland AM and he genuinely wants to help. He’s a man of great integrity in my opinion. The only thing I would disagree on is that addiction (classified as a disease by WHO) is more prevalent than depression. Smoking, gambling and alcohol for example.
Spike Milligan had awful trouble with depression… And the smallest of things could cause it especially some one being cruel to him…
Just finished reading a new book about Depression by a medical doctor and Psychotherapist. As this book points out, considering it is not possible to measure neurotransmitters in the brain of a live human, not sure how much longer that drug companies and prescribers can continue to mislead people about pills fixing ‘chemical imbalances’ in the brain or “rebalancing brain neurotransmitters”. This lie has been costly and damaging for many of us.
“Depression Delusion, Volume One: The Myth of the Brain Chemical Imbalance” ~
Even an article that I’ve read last week in the Irish Times compared the use of anti-depressants to using a ‘blunt hammer’.
“Researchers looking to develop treatments beyond ‘blunt hammer’ of antidepressants”. I’ve felt the effect of this blunt hammer on my life for the last number of years due to the damage caused to my health. And so has many others.
Paul’s recovery from antidepressants ~ https://vimeo.com/81584778 ( From Recovery stories on the Council for Evidence Based Psychiatry webpage)
The amount of red thumbs you’ve received for stating nothing but facts shows that people don’t want to know the truth, they just believe what comforts them. It’s pathetic. There is no chemical imbalance. FACT.
With so many vested interests and so much brainwashing over the decades the red thumbs are just a reflection of that. Time for the tide to turn. The battle is on.
Every time I see or hear that talentless omadan I get depressed .
Denise’s understanding of Talentless;
- inter county GAA player
- Ireland rugby u20 player
- Leinster rugby professional
- 1st class honors degree
- 4 double platinum selling albums
-Countless works for charities such as LARC and cycle against suicide
My understanding of Denise
- Omadon
Haha. Great response Declan.
Declan well he wont need loo paper when your around so.
Everytime I see the name ‘Denise Friary’ I get depressed by her negativity before I even scan her comment
Yes because I never leave the house without a roll of loo paper.. Or jacks roll as we call it down my way
I do wonder the reason why so many Irish drink so much is to mask their depression ?
I clicked on the article thinking I was going to learn some of the things we shouldn’t say to a person suffering with depression and I read two things , I guess he tells us the rest of the things in his new book that he wants us to buy .
It’s in the 2nd video about 1 minute in. A bit on it.
thanks Aine I’ll have a look at it .
Bressie, i’d love to believe you, but i don’t believe you had it ‘that’ bad if ya know what I mean.
Raising awareness? We’re aware. This whole raising awareness is code word for ‘seeking attention’
Give us a story from a non-celebrity to raise awareness because I can tell you from experience, those suffering will relate to it much easier.
Here here!
stigma attached to mental health is a joke in this country my son was stillborn and i was told by a shrink i should just get on with it as i didnt bond with him…. and be happy ive another child.
No Relation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xB3VNOuERlM
Seriously, I just discovered them…
But if the one above doesn’t cheer you up— try this first verse of this one…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tk37yeY94_4
I think Niall Breslin is doing good work but he will wear himself out running around trying to convince us all that “it’s ok” to have mental issues and to talk about them. Meanwhile, most of the people I know already acknowledge that they have serious issues, be they mental health or otherwise. I agree that often people should be less harsh on others but neither that in itself or talking about it, will solve the core issues. Such as, the fact is that we reflect ourselves onto the world. I don’t think there are any easy solutions to this interlacing or that one person should be expected to solve these issues.
I hope he takes good care of himself too….something we all need to do.
I think Niall Breslin is doing good work but he will wear himself running around trying to convince us all that “it’s ok” to have mental issues and to talk about them. Also, most of the people I know already acknowledge that they have serious issues, be they mental health or otherwise. I agree that, often, people should be less harsh on others but neither easing that itself, or talking about it, will solve the core issues. We reflect ourselves onto the world. I think there are no easy solutions to this interlacing.
have your say