Posted by Viridis on June 21, 2003, at 15:04:19
In reply to Re: Why SSRI's can cause suicitiality-PS, posted by noa on June 20, 2003, at 19:54:43
I think it could also be general "activation" -- if someone has been paralyzed by depression and thinking suicidally, but has been unable to put together a coherent plan, then a sudden "jolt" from a new drug might give them the energy to follow through. Sad, especially if the AD would have worked out over time.
I suspect that a lot of doctors don't realize just how powerful some of these meds can be, or how strongly some people can react. That's one of the reasons it makes me uneasy to see GPs handing them out left and right. It's not that psychiatrists are perfect, but on average I'd guess that they'd be more alert to possible suicidal ideation, and more likely to provide a second med (e.g., benzo) to smooth the transition to ADs and calm the patient.
Overall, though, I'll bet that ADs have prevented many more suicides than they've caused (or enabled).
poster:Viridis
thread:235423
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030619/msgs/235880.html