Fort Hood shooter was taking "prescription drugs for depression and anxiety". SSRIs?

ProfessorT
It really frustrates me when people blame killing sprees on mental health. I am currently undergoing treatment for PTSD, adjustment disorder, depression and anxiety. These illnesses make me no different to the next person. The root cause is America's stance on guns. You rarely ever hear about this sort of thing happening anywhere else and the frequency of shooting sprees taking place in the US is truly scary. Please do not paint mental health with this brush.

edit on 3-4-2014 by ProfessorT because: (no reason given)

Thanks for posting that ProfessorT, I agree entirely. Most of the armchair doctors on this post haven't the slightest clue of what they are talking about.

Lets not make this thread a gun thing. We're talking about medication here.

I do agree that the ready availability of guns makes these sorts of problems worse by making it quite easy to wreak mass havoc (revenge, basically) if you were so minded, but this could be achieved with a knife, bomb etc.

The question here is why people experience a psychotic break - and whether anything can be done to prevent that happening.

All these shooters (all males too I think)...every freaking last one of them...either were taking or were recently taking or were weaning off (too fast in some cases) some type of medication for mental illness, depression, or anxiety. Every freaking time.

Hell, people, if this is a surprise to you, get your head out of the sand. But, I suppose we can't shout this too often or too loudly or only when it happens again.

The question is...why the hell aren't they and we still shouting about this a month after and DOING something about it. To me this is the far bigger issue than "gun control" in these types of horrific occurrences. Problem is they just let it fade away.

Until next time when we have this same conversation for a minute.

Paxil. That is a rough drug from what I was told.
I got prescribed it for anxiety, and was about to take em until a friend of mine discussed it with me and how it effected her. I decided it best to not take it after listening to her experience on it. I have anxiety attacks now and then, but that seemed like dropping a nuclear bomb on a mild annoyance...
Breathing exercises and maybe some over the counter sleep aids seem much better...I have been dealing with anxiety attacks for 10 years, that was the problem I said to doc, but I painted a bad picture. I meant that I occasionally get em..maybe once or twice a month..has been like that for 10 years roundabout...not like a daily thing...so, doc wasn't trying to lude me, honest misunderstanding (otherwise he would have simply given me a prescription for tranqs or something for a as needed basis).


I don't know about the rest, but ultimately it is messing with your brain, and something that works perfectly for one person and makes them calm and happy, may turn another into a machine or paranoid psychopath....not a science yet, so best to get educated before taking them. If you can't leave the house and are having panic attacks daily for an extended period..might be worth looking into, but otherwise...try natural techniques, practices, and low dose sedatives first.

I would just like to add that Ambein can be used to treat anxiety. It isn't common to be prescribed low doses for anxiety but it does happen. Especially for people who's anxiety gets worse in the evenings or they wake up in the middle of the night with anxiety.

~Lucidity
All these shooters (all males too I think)...every freaking last one of them...either were taking or were recently taking or were weaning off (too fast in some cases) some type of medication for mental illness, depression, or anxiety. Every freaking time.


I suppose the PTB were out of rubber rooms.
Meds are necessary in many cases. Please don't stereotype.
Thanks.

ProfessorT
It really frustrates me when people blame killing sprees on mental health. I am currently undergoing treatment for PTSD, adjustment disorder, depression and anxiety. These illnesses make me no different to the next person. The root cause is America's stance on guns. You rarely ever hear about this sort of thing happening anywhere else and the frequency of shooting sprees taking place in the US is truly scary. Please do not paint mental health with this brush.

edit on 3-4-2014 by ProfessorT because: (no reason given)

My apologies if you felt my comments about mental health painted all sufferers with a similar brush - that's not what I mean at all. It is entirely possible to deal with even very serious mental health issues through any combination of medication, therapy and personal development.

I'm simply suggesting that people who suffer poor mental health are uniformally responsible for events similar to those to which this thread refers. I simply don't believe that it's possible to commit such a horrible crime and suicide without very deeply sat problems. I'm certainly not suggesting that anyone with mental health issues is capable of violence like this.

As your experience suggests, most people can deal with such difficult things without even a hint of desperation - I'm simply suggesting that in extremely severe cases, improved care is the only real way forward.

I wish you luck in overcoming your person demons. It's just sad that others don't have your mental strength and positive outlook on their problems.

SaturnFX
Paxil. That is a rough drug from what I was told.
I got prescribed it for anxiety, and was about to take em until a friend of mine discussed it with me and how it effected her. I decided it best to not take it after listening to her experience on it.

Good idea. One should always listen to a friend for medical advice and investment advice. That's one reason we have lots of manic depressive and broke peasant friends.

All the shooters wore pants. Therefore, pants must be the cause of mass shootings!

SSRI's are just an easy scapegoat. Due to the sheer number of people taking these drugs, I'm surprised we don't have several mass shootings daily, but we don't.

SSRI's have helped many people over the decades. Sometimes...just sometimes people aren't right in the head and even taking medication can't fix that.

reply to post by MystikMushroom


We all know the effects of wearing pants but we do not know if these drugs can be opening a part of the brain that allows influence from other forces that are unseen and not widely understood. Someone with strong mental abilities could search until he found a person that matches a certain set of cirumstances necessary to perform actions. Certain chemicals could condition ones brain leaving them open to unseen influences.

SSRI's are here to stay, along with a few other antipsychotics that have similar results. The reason being: they negatively effect less than 1/5th of a percent of those who take them. I am not justifying them, as I am against them too. Only giving the reasoning.

If you take away SSRI's, then you have to then make available inpatient beds to handle the folks who would be affected. SSRI's, and the others i referenced, are what has caused the mental health beds to be vacated, and then replaced with the criminally insane. Take them away, and you have the domino effect that will be very expensive (since they won't change laws to release prisoners, like pot dealers).

The real problem here isn't the SSRI's. They are just a bandaid in the case of this person. In this persons case, the problem is we broke his mind by making needless war.

Cynic
Good idea. One should always listen to a friend for medical advice and investment advice. That's one reason we have lots of manic depressive and broke peasant friends.

Not sure if that was sarcasm or not, but it actually is a good idea.
A person whom has been diagnosed depressed or anxious that basically needed just a break from work and a vacation being given drugs that ultimately broke them down way more than they were to begin with, etc...

Listening to the friend made me hold off for a bit and do some research on the drug itself, not from the pharmaceutical companies, but from people that actually took it. Its side effects, bad cases, and highly addictive quality made it not worth taking it even if I had none of the really negative side effects.

As far as listening to investment advice from friends..the only people that are worth listening to are either the people whom made a lot of money, or lost a lot of money..both sides are worth hearing out.

As far as who my friends are, I tend to judge them based on who they are as a person and not some labels put on. I have friends whom are bipolar, and frankly, they are far more calm than several so called normal people.

As far as peasants...erm...not sure what you mean. I think if your suggesting that people with any mental disorder is less than you, then you are truly a gigantic scumbag whom I wouldn't want to know. I probably got that wrong though and misunderstood. It would be like a person with no teeth laughing at someone who had a chipped tooth.

For me its not just about the meds. Yes, SSRIs have helped many. [so does therapy and medication management].
For me its more about the lack of care available to those that have psychotic breakdowns or are prone to them.
They know its happening, go to seek care and its just not there until something drastic happens.

Or your the parent of someone who refuses meds, therapy, etc and nothing can be done until 'they do something' or attempt to.
Then, its a 72 hour hold maximum while a bed is found. At the ER.
We have 2 hospitals in our state. Lucky to be nearest the ER that can handle psych. emergencies...2 beds only
I thought I was the only one out there until reading comments from MANY parents of young adults who have regular episodes and they are at wits end trying to prevent tragedies.

Mass killings make the news, but what about all those local ones that don't.
'teen kills parent,_____, ____. Was off meds, etc.'

And no, not saying every single person suffering from PSTD, Depression, etc is going to kill or become psychotic. Nor am I saying that SSRIs are solely to blame, BUT I will say that we have a broken system when a person does have a crisis.

MystikMushroom
All the shooters wore pants. Therefore, pants must be the cause of mass shootings!

SSRI's are just an easy scapegoat. Due to the sheer number of people taking these drugs, I'm surprised we don't have several mass shootings daily, but we don't.

SSRI's have helped many people over the decades. Sometimes...just sometimes people aren't right in the head and even taking medication can't fix that.

You would totally have a point, if a listed side effect of SSRI's wasn't "homocidal rage"

Just sayin'

I have no problem with people being prescribed those medications they can be very helpful to people however doctors psychiatrists and the like are not diagnosing people in earnest 9 out of 10 times when prescribing them.

If someone is bipolar it can manifest as depression and some SSRIs can cause them to go into what is called rapid cycling where their moods flip drastically many times within an hour but for the duration of their waking hours until they have been off the medication for at least a month.

The reason it takes so long is because it usually takes a few weeks of taking the medication for it to even start working by changing your brain chemistry. Tell me that wouldn't drive you insane. I am speaking from experience.

I imagine that isn't the only instance where there are adverse effects if misdiagnosed with the wrong thing and medicated for it.

reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan


Please point me to a medical website that lists a named SSRI medication that lists 'homicidal rage' as a rare side-effect.

No such thing exists, and you know it.

Deny Ignorance indeed.

KingIcarus

ProfessorT
It really frustrates me when people blame killing sprees on mental health. I am currently undergoing treatment for PTSD, adjustment disorder, depression and anxiety. These illnesses make me no different to the next person. The root cause is America's stance on guns. You rarely ever hear about this sort of thing happening anywhere else and the frequency of shooting sprees taking place in the US is truly scary. Please do not paint mental health with this brush.

edit on 3-4-2014 by ProfessorT because: (no reason given)

My apologies if you felt my comments about mental health painted all sufferers with a similar brush - that's not what I mean at all. It is entirely possible to deal with even very serious mental health issues through any combination of medication, therapy and personal development.

I'm simply suggesting that people who suffer poor mental health are uniformally responsible for events similar to those to which this thread refers. I simply don't believe that it's possible to commit such a horrible crime and suicide without very deeply sat problems. I'm certainly not suggesting that anyone with mental health issues is capable of violence like this.

As your experience suggests, most people can deal with such difficult things without even a hint of desperation - I'm simply suggesting that in extremely severe cases, improved care is the only real way forward.

I wish you luck in overcoming your person demons. It's just sad that others don't have your mental strength and positive outlook on their problems.

Actually, it should be me apologising for not directing my post at the thread creator. Your post was neutral, not conforming to the general opinion about the causes of gun violence which I wholeheartedly welcome.

I try to look at things positively now. 'Try' being the keyword. I've be given a second chance at life. The medication I am on is pretty much keeping me where I need to be as well as my team of doctors. Hopefully I will be starting CBT soon.

Anyways...I digress.

I'm not going to totally discount that the mental health issues that the soldier was suffering with were a factor but additionally if there were adequate gun laws in place he wouldn't of been able to buy firearms. I get that American's are really passionate about the 2nd Amendment but gun laws do need to be introduced.

Mianeye

haven123
Prescription drugs are the root cause of spree killings.

But wait, these drugs are used in every country, but only in the US they are causing killing spree's

Seriuosly ATS that really dosn't make sense

You guy's are trying way to hard to blame the drugs...

edit on 3-4-2014 by Mianeye because: (no reason given)

china has stabbings other country's have there methods

Its funny how EVERYONE, esp in HERE, claim that SSRI's are causing these widespread shooting sprees.
I said it before, I'll say it again

I've been on all the major SSRI's over the last 20+ years (prozac, paxil, zoloft, wellbutrin, depakote, Lithium) and NEVER ONCE thought about picking up a gun and shooting anyone.
Guess what? thousands of people take the SAME TYPES OF MEDS, EVERYDAY.
So, if these meds are the ROOT CAUSE, why arent there dozens of shooting sprees everyday, if these meds are the cause?
I will tell you
ITS NOT THE MEDS!!!!!
Its the people THEMSELVES
About time people take responsibility for their actions and blame the real cause: the person themselves are somehow predisposed to do this

Yet again, nice try pointing your fingers at meds
Try again

reply to post by HomerinNC


I am NOT pointing fingers at the meds. I am pointing to a broken system that cannot deal with people that have breakdowns until AFTER they do something and by then it is usually too late.