Hot Girl Pill Era: Deconstructing The Glamorization of SSRI Use

[@minepolz320]

I tried to cure depression got prescribed this SSRI shit , in the end it didn’t cure depression, but now I have PSSD, I can’t feel emotions and I’ve been in complete anhedonia for 4 years now, life has become unbearable, the only thing that helped me with depression is Maoi, they really help with depression, but now I have to live with PSSD and Anhedonia for the rest of my days my life is ruined just because was given SSRI for a week and then i cruised and mentally disabled Finasteride also cause very similar syndrome PFS/PSSD is real DANGER no treatment you will only be gaslighted during examinations and complaints

[@oskar417]

i think a lot of people take them because we live in a dystopia

[@WilliamWrigley-z5u]

I have depression and anxiety and other mental health issues. I wish I didn't have to take these medications but I don't have a choice. To abuse these drugs is like playing Russian roulette with your brain 🧠

[@Jill.Edwards]

You don't have to "abuse" psychotropic meds to play Russian Roulette with your brain. They are brain/body/mind altering drugs. Some people find the altered state they experience while taking psych drugs preferable to the emotions they felt beforehand...many do not. Psychotropics can cause dangerous iatrogenic effects especially when beginning, changing, or withdrawing (mania, psychosis, obsessive/addictive behaviors, akathisia, agitation, suicidality, homocidality, etc) which doctors misdiagnose as "bipolar" & "schizophrenia" and then subject the person to dangerous polypharmacy. Doctors are not trained to properly identify psych med withdrawal symptoms, nor are they trained in evidence-based tapering methods. Withdrawal syndromes are mislabeled as "relapse" & patients are told (or court-ordered) to stay on the drugs indefinitely/permanently. Unfortunately, people who report or research the harm caused by psychotropic drugs are labeled as "Stigmatizers," "Scientologists" "Anti-psychiatry," etc. This is simply a tactic created by the Psych/Pharm industry to silence injured patients and keep the dangers of psych meds hidden. Pharmaceutical companies manipulate data in clinical trials to hide deaths & adverse effects. And studies showing unfavorable results (lack of safty & efficacy) are often not published. Since doctors are not providing honest, accurate, comprehensive information about these drugs, injured patients & others must step in to do their job.

[@WilliamWrigley-z5u]

@Jill.Edwards I'm referring to the fact that some people seem to be misusing SSRI's as part of a " lifestyle " choice. BTW I appreciate and agree with your statement re psychotropic drugs but without them I would probably still be in psychosis

[@Iliketurtlezz]

@@Jill.Edwardsspot on. I assume you suffer from protracted withdrawal as well by your knowledge.

[@bigture]

this is a valid concern. I've seen some local soap drama with characters are reminding each other to take medications. it sound like an attempts to normalise pharmaceutical drug use

[@The_New_Abnormal_World_Order]

SSRIs can cause bipolar disorder and permanent sexual disfunction. They don't help in the long term and can be very difficult to get off of.

[@ignasmaciulis1095]

I completely support the idea that psychiatric medication should not be taken lightly or considered as a first option since it does not address the problem at the actual cause, merely numb away the symptoms. Where I'd like to disagree, though, is the claim that depression, anxiety and other mental health issues are caused by poor lifestyle choices. While it's certainly true that eating healthy, exercising and good sleep can and likely will help to improve your condition, I don't see them as the root cause of the problem. It is entirely plausible that a lack of initiative or willingness to care for your body is not the cause of depression, but rather it might itself be a symptom of underlying psychoemotional issues. In the same vein, it's popular to think that anxiety is caused by "bad thoughts" and "dysfunctional attitudes", while actually, saying that the racing thoughts and catastrophizing are reflective of some deeper problem is probably much closer to the truth. I think that relational and psychological components are far more important in causing mental health issues than lifestyle choices. Firstly, things like having a history of abuse and/or neglect in childhood (yes, emotional and verbal abuse counts just as well), low socioeconomic status, being socially isolated, or staying in relationships with narcissistic or otherwise antagonistic people have a huge impact on people's health, not just mentally, but physically as well. And these things (especially the first one) are much more common than people tend to realize. And secondly - the state of the world itself we are living in. It doesn't take long at all to see war, poverty, civil unrest, economic uncertainty, the irreversible devastation of the natural environment, unchecked interpersonal and international violence, and all other sorts of man-made nastiness. All of these factors can cause very strong anxiety and hopelessness if one refuses to keep their head in the sand.

[@jkc8407]

I have no idea why anyone would ever take unnecessary medications. I'm currently on Zoloft and Klonopin. I have a long h/x of depression and anxiety. Until my mother passed almost 6 years ago, I was resistent to taking anything that could change who I am. I was born in 1984, so this is really new to me. Antidepressants are not something to play with. Why they are calling these "hot girl pills" is beyond me. I fail to see the connection. Do these kids believe that taking medications like this will make them more attractive? If thats the case they only need to look at the side effects. I attend therapy 2 times a month and meet with my pyschiatrist every 3 months. I don't do social media. It's just too fake for me. I was definitely not depressed in my twenties! College was a blast! I also work as a therapist, so self care is very important to me. Light therapy is awesome by the way! Im subscripting now. You will help me with my own issues and perhaps introduce information i can apply to my own practice. Thank you!!!

[@sammillerscience]

I appreciate your vulernability in sharing your story & journey to help others

[@juraviel]

we went from stigmatization to glamorization? i dont really see it that way

[@sammillerscience]

its fairly rampant on tiktok, there are generational differences in viewpoints of the medications & the medical conditions associated

[@audreymarsh1827]

Do u have sources for any of this ? Taking meds is still stigmatized more than glorified

[@sammillerscience]

glamorization happens on social media, not systematic reviews of literature or randomized controlled trials. The drugs themselves are studied in that setting but culture does not always work that way. Any drug related insights are based off of: Singh B, Olds T, Curtis R, et alEffectiveness of physical activity interventions for improving depression, anxiety and distress: an overview of systematic reviewsBritish Journal of Sports Medicine 2023;57:1203-1209. Mesas, A. E. The impact of the Mediterranean diet on alleviating depressive symptoms in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutrition Reviews. doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuad176 Geoffroy PA, Schroder CM, Reynaud E, Bourgin P. Efficacy of light therapy versus antidepressant drugs, and of the combination versus monotherapy, in major depressive episodes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Med Rev. 2019 Dec;48:101213. doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2019.101213. Epub 2019 Sep 18. PMID: 31600678. Campisi SC, Zasowski C, Shah S, Shah A, Bradley-Ridout G, Korczak DJ, Szatmari P. Assessing the Evidence of Micronutrients on Depression among Children and Adolescents: An Evidence Gap Map. Adv Nutr. 2020 Jul 1;11(4):908-927. doi: 10.1093/advances/nmaa021. PMID: 32193537; PMCID: PMC7360446. Wani AL, Bhat SA, Ara A. Omega-3 fatty acids and the treatment of depression: a review of scientific evidence. Integr Med Res. 2015 Sep;4(3):132-141. doi: 10.1016/j.imr.2015.07.003. Epub 2015 Jul 15. PMID: 28664119; PMCID: PMC5481805. Eby GA, Eby KL. Rapid recovery from major depression using magnesium treatment. Med Hypotheses. 2006;67(2):362-70. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2006.01.047. Epub 2006 Mar 20. PMID: 16542786.

[@Perodigdug]

Sources?

[@sammillerscience]

For popularization simply look at tik tok and the merch being sold. For studies: Singh B, Olds T, Curtis R, et alEffectiveness of physical activity interventions for improving depression, anxiety and distress: an overview of systematic reviewsBritish Journal of Sports Medicine 2023;57:1203-1209. Mesas, A. E. The impact of the Mediterranean diet on alleviating depressive symptoms in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutrition Reviews. doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuad176 Geoffroy PA, Schroder CM, Reynaud E, Bourgin P. Efficacy of light therapy versus antidepressant drugs, and of the combination versus monotherapy, in major depressive episodes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Med Rev. 2019 Dec;48:101213. doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2019.101213. Epub 2019 Sep 18. PMID: 31600678. Campisi SC, Zasowski C, Shah S, Shah A, Bradley-Ridout G, Korczak DJ, Szatmari P. Assessing the Evidence of Micronutrients on Depression among Children and Adolescents: An Evidence Gap Map. Adv Nutr. 2020 Jul 1;11(4):908-927. doi: 10.1093/advances/nmaa021. PMID: 32193537; PMCID: PMC7360446. Wani AL, Bhat SA, Ara A. Omega-3 fatty acids and the treatment of depression: a review of scientific evidence. Integr Med Res. 2015 Sep;4(3):132-141. doi: 10.1016/j.imr.2015.07.003. Epub 2015 Jul 15. PMID: 28664119; PMCID: PMC5481805. Eby GA, Eby KL. Rapid recovery from major depression using magnesium treatment. Med Hypotheses. 2006;67(2):362-70. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2006.01.047. Epub 2006 Mar 20. PMID: 16542786.

[@kek22219]

The sources have nothing to do with SSRI abuse. Imagine being this desperate for views you're drawing your content from TikTok and trying to pass it off as fact.

[@trueblue450]

We have Andrew Huberman at home ahh

[@sammillerscience]

not really, but thanks I guess? Fairly different humans other than some overlapping content areas

[@kek22219]

I would love to see your source... I highly doubt people are abusing substances like SSRI when there is no rec value from them... Smells like bs

[@The_New_Abnormal_World_Order]

Actually I recently dated someone who abused SSRIs. The drug made him crazy and he enjoyed the effect even though it clearly wasn't good for him and he wasn't being honest with his DR.

[@sammillerscience]

I am only the messenger, nor do I wish for this to be the case, I've shared references in the comments for the data shared in the episode. I don't control tik tok or the narratives that take place on the platform, I'm simply bringing awareness to an issue related to the health of a generation

[@kek22219]

Lol what effects? Again sounds like crap. SSRIs have very little if any rec value. So whatever effect they were getting was a placebo especially if they have correct dop and serotonin regulation.

[@kek22219]

No you're just pushing a narrative that isn't true for views. Considering I've checked the comments I don't see any sources you're likely taking crap. As a former drug addict, I've been around basically all groups of users and never once witness a SSRI abuser lol... Anti psychotic drugs like seroquel sure but not ADs or SSRIs... maybe don't believe everything on TikTok...

[@kek22219]

I found your "source" where exactly does if say anything about SSRI abuse?