I make it no secret that I do not believe in medication that is specifically created to combat mental disorders such as Depression, Anxiety, Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. I feel that ingesting drugs that are designed to alter the chemicals in the brain is an area that we do not know enough about, and therefore - should not toy with until we do. But apparently, the world as a whole does not agree with me, considering that in 2003 - a remarkable eleven million prescriptions were written for these types of drugs, which are commonly referred to as "Antidepressants."

In addition to the dangers of altering the chemical properties of our brains, these drugs also produce some very serious side effects that could be potentially harmful to those who take these drugs. For example, the drug Zoloft, which is designed to, according to the drug's website, "help correct the chemical imbalance of Serotonin in the brain," boasts such side effects as upset stomach, trouble sleeping, diarrhea, dry mouth, sexual side effects, feeling unusually sleepy or tired, tremor, indigestion, sweating, feeling agitated, and decreased appetite. With side effects like that, how is Zoloft an "Anti" depressant? If I took Zoloft and suffered even a few of those side effects - you can bet I would become depressed very fast.

But of all the side effects that could result from taking these types of drugs, The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) Psychopharmacology Group released a report yesterday stating that these types of drugs - which include Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Luvox, Celxa, Lexapro, Wellbutrin, Effexor, Serzone, and Remeron, and are known in the medical community as "Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors," or "SSRIs" - could cause a patient to commit suicide.

Suicide.

Responding to the report, FDA Medical Policy Chief Dr. Robert Temple said, of the FDA's findings, "We think this is good advice, whether the drugs increase the risk or not...In either case, you really need to pay attention."

Now I have heard everything.

I am astonished that the FDA would allow drugs that not only cause hideous side effects - but now may cause a person to commit suicide - to be approved for distribution in the United States of America. It's bad enough that we do not know enough about the human brain to even attempt to alter its chemical balance - but its worse that we try and do that with drugs that cause more problems than they are supposed to solve.

I have suffered from depression a few times in my life - the most recent and most difficult being this time last year - but never once thought of asking my doctor for one of those pills. Besides the fact that I do not want to chemically alter my brain - I would rather be depressed than be a sweaty, sleepless, sexless, agitated man who has diarrhea and dry mouth...

...and wants to kill himself.