Depressed? www.save.org can help

A comment and series of emails has led me to do some research on SAVE (Suicide Awareness Voices Of Education).

The comment was left by a 'Bob Anderson' under the post 'Documenting Seroxat : An Epic Medical Scandal' from the 'GSK - Licence to (K)ill' blog.

'Bob Anderson' and the author of the blog continued to converse via email. It became apparent that 'Bob Anderson' was all for use of antidepressants and took umbarage to the post 'Documenting Seroxat : An Epic Medical Scandal'. However, he was civil enough and even pointed the author of the blog to www.save.org.

I found it strange that 'Bob' used the word 'paxil' as part of his email address so am unsure whether or not this person actually exists. Maybe after reading this he will contact me either by leaving a comment or by email (Top right hand corner of blog)

Anyway... About SAVE

Mission, Goals and History

The mission of SAVE is to prevent suicide through public awareness and education, reduce stigma and serve as a resource to those touched by suicide. Brain illnesses such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or other mood or anxiety disorders, when left untreated, unfortunately may also result in suicide.

The brain as an organ can get sick, just like other organs in the body. SAVE is committed to educating the general public about depressive brain illnesses, the symptoms, possible causes and the need for professional assessment and treatment. By educating the general public about these illnesses, treatment is encouraged, and the stigma associated with suicide and brain illnesses is reduced or removed.

SAVE even have a Depression Checklist

It's normal to feel some of the following symptoms from time to time, but experiencing several or more for more than two or three weeks may indicate the presence of depression or another depressive illness. Remember, you must seek a professional for an accurate diagnosis of depression. This checklist is provided only as a tool to help you talk with your doctor or treatment provider about your concerns and develop an action plan for successful recovery.

I feel sad.
I feel like crying a lot.
I'm bored.
I feel alone.
I don't really feel sad, just "empty".
I don't have confidence in myself.
I don't like myself.
I often feel scared, but I don't know why.
I feel mad, like I could just explode!
I feel guilty.
I can't concentrate.
I have a hard time remembering things.
I don't want to make decisions - it's too much work.
I feel like I'm in a fog.
I'm so tired, no matter how much I sleep.
I'm frustrated with everything and everybody.
I don’t have fun anymore.
I feel helpless.
I'm always getting into trouble.
I'm restless and jittery.
I can’t sit still.I feel nervous.
I feel disorganized, like my head is spinning.
I feel self-conscious.
I can't think straight.
My brain doesn't seem to work.
I feel ugly.
I don’t feel like talking anymore - I just don’t have anything to say.
I feel my life has no direction.
I feel life isn’t worth living.
I consume alcohol/take drugs regularly.
My whole body feels slowed down - my speech, my walk, and my movements.
I don't want to go out with friends anymore.
I don't feel like taking care of my appearance.
Occasionally, my heart pounds, I can't catch my breath, and I feel tingly.
My vision feels strange and I feel I might pass out. The feeling passes in seconds, but I'm afraid it will happen again.
Sometimes I feel like I'm losing it.
I feel "different" from everyone else.
I smile, but inside I'm miserable.
I have difficulty falling asleep or I awaken between 1 A.M. and 5 A.M. and then I can't get back to sleep.
My appetite has diminished - food tastes so bland.
My appetite has increased - I feel I could eat all the time.
My weight has increased/decreased.
I have headaches.
I have stomach aches.
My arms and legs hurt.
I feel nauseous.
I'm dizzy.
Sometimes my vision seems blurred or slow.
I'm clumsy.
My neck hurts.

Sounds like some sort of advertising campaign for a miracle pharmaceutical pill doesn't it?

There's more...

SAVE also highlight 'Major symptoms of depression'

Not all people with depression will show all symptoms or have them to the same degree. If a person has four or more symptoms, for more than two weeks, consult a doctor or mental health professional right away. While the symptoms specified for all groups below generally characterize major depression, there are other disorders with similar characteristics including: bipolar illness, anxiety disorder, or attention deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity.

In Adults
Persistent sad or "empty" mood.
Feeling hopeless, helpless, worthless, pessimistic and/or guilty.
Substance abuse.
Fatigue or loss of interest in ordinary activities, including sex.
Disturbances in eating and sleeping patterns.
Irritability, increased crying, anxiety or panic attacks.
Difficulty concentrating, remembering or making decisions.
Thoughts of suicide; suicide plans or attempts.
Persistent physical symptoms or pains that do not respond to treatment.

In Infants
It’s important to understand what constitutes normal development in infants, children and adolescents vs. what may be signs of a depressive illness.

Unresponsive when talked to or touched, never smile or cry, or may cry often being difficult to soothe.
Failure to gain weight (not due to other medical illness).
Unmotivated in play.
Restless, oversensitive to noise or touch.
Problems with eating or sleeping.
Digestive disorders (constipation/diarrhea).

In Children
In children, depressive illnesses/anxiety may be disguised as, or presented as, school phobia or school avoidance, social phobia or social avoidance, excessive separation anxiety, running away, obsessions, compulsions, or everyday rituals, such as having to go to bed at the exact time each night for fear something bad may happen. Chronic illnesses may be present also since depression weakens the immune system. Other signs include persistent unhappiness, negativity, complaining, chronic boredom, no initiative.

Uncontrollable anger with aggressive or destructive behavior, possibly hitting themselves or others, kicking or self-biting or head banging.
Harming animals.
Continual disobedience.
Easily frustrated, frequent crying, low self-esteem, overly sensitive.
Inability to pay attention, remember, or make decisions, easily distracted, mind goes blank.
Energy fluctuations from lethargic to frenzied activity, with periods of normalcy.
Eating or sleeping problems.
Bedwetting, constipation, diarrhea.
Impulsiveness, accident-prone.
Chronic worry & fear, clingy, panic attacks.
Extreme self-consciousness.
Slowed speech & body movements.
Disorganized speech - hard to follow when telling you a story, etc.
Physical symptoms such as dizziness, headaches, stomachaches, arms or legs ache, nail-biting, pulling out hair or eyelashes. (ruling out other medical causes)
Suicidal talk or attempts.

Hmmm, they seemed to have covered 'growing pains' to me but hey I'm not a doctor.

Next

In Adolescents
Depressive illnesses/anxiety may be disguised as, or presented as, eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia, drug/alcohol abuse, sexual promiscuity, risk-taking behavior such as reckless driving, unprotected sex, carelessness when walking across busy streets, on bridges or cliffs. There may be social isolation, running away, constant disobedience, getting into trouble with the law, physical or sexual assaults against others, obnoxious behavior, failure to care about appearance/hygiene, no sense of self or of values/morals, difficulty cultivating relationships, inability to establish/stick with occupational/educational goals.

Physical symptoms such as dizziness, headaches, stomachaches, neck aches, arms or legs hurt due to muscle tension, digestive disorders. (ruling out other medical causes)
Persistent unhappiness, negativity, irritability.
Uncontrollable anger or outbursts of rage.
Overly self-critical, unwarranted guilt, low self-esteem.
Inability to concentrate, think straight, remember, or make decisions, possibly resulting in refusal to study in school or an inability (due to depression or attention deficit disorder) to do schoolwork.
Slowed or hesitant speech or body movements, or restlessness (anxiety).
Loss of interest in once pleasurable activities.
Low energy, chronic fatigue, sluggishness.
Change in appetite, noticeable weight loss or weight gain, or abnormal eating patterns.
Chronic worry, excessive fear.
Preoccupation with death themes in literature, music, drawings, speaking of death repeatedly, fascination with guns/knives.
Suicidal thoughts, plans, or attempts.

This list reads like a diary of an adolescent already on SSRi's doesn't it?

SAVE also have a Q&A section on their webpage.

Can depressive illnesses be treated?

Yes. There are various ways to treat depressive illnesses depending on the type of illness, the severity, and the age of the person being treated. A person suffering with depression should not try to manage the illness on their own. Knowing and recognizing the signs of depressive illness helps avoid needless suffering available through treatment. Depression is a condition like diabetes or high blood pressure that can be effectively managed with the help of mental health professionals including medical doctors, registered nurses, psychologists and therapists, social workers, clergy, family members, and community support.

They seem to have covered every base there but...

...On a seperate page SAVE claim:

Antidepressant Medication
Medication used to correct a chemical imbalance or chemical disruption in a person's brain. Antidepressants are available with a prescription from a medical doctor. Treatment with an anti-depressant should not be undertaken or discontinued without a doctor's supervision.

Hasn't it already been established that there is no scientific proof of a chemical imbalance?

Now to the nuts and bolts of SAVE:

SAVE’s 4th Annual Golf Classic on September 10, 2001, raised $33,000 to pro-vide depression awareness and suicide pre-vention education. SAVE would like to thank our sponsors for helping make this year’s event a huge success:

Tournament Sponsor
GlaxoSmithKline

Hmmm, interesting!

SAVE have a Board of Reference providing input for SAVE’s programs and educational material to ensure scientific and medical accuracy.

Some of the members on this Board of Reference are:

Charles Schulz, MD, Chair Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, Chair

What SAVE don't tell you is:
Schulz served as a consultant for AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly and Company, and has served as a speaker for AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals. He has received grant support from Abbott Laboratories, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly and Company, and Janssen Pharmaceutica Products. (HERE)

Joseph Bebchuk, M.D. Park Nicollet Clinic

What SAVE don't tell you is:
Park Nicollet Institute recognizes our supporters and collaborators from industry, foundations and the community for their generous contributions to research and education.
Abbott Laboratories Inc.
AstraZeneca
Bayer Pharmaceuticals
GlaxoSmithKline
The list is endless and can be viewed HERE

Jan Fawcett, M.D.

What SAVE don't tell you is:
In response to the announcements by the regulatory agencies, the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP), which designated a Task Force in the early 1990’s to review the SSRI trial data, and subsequently published an position paper saying SSRI’s were not linked to suicide, appointed a new Task Force in September 2003, to study the matter again.

This Task Force was made up of many of the same authors whose published papers were under attack for being fraudulent and included Dr John Mann, Dr Graham Emslie, Dr Karen Wagner, Dr Neal Ryan, Dr Andrew Leon, Dr Fredrick Goodwin, Dr David Shaffer, Dr Beardslee, Dr Jan Fawcett, Dr Herbert Meltzer and Dr Ross Baldessarini. (SOURCE)

SAVE also fail to mention the following about Jan Fawcett:

Professor of Psychiatry, University of New Mexico; ACNPIndustry Affiliations:
• Consultant: Abbott Laboratories, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly and Company, Forest Laboratories, Janssen Pharmaceutica, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck & Co. Inc., Pfizer, Inc., Pharmacia & Upjohn, Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories
• Speaker's Bureau: Abbott Laboratories, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly and Company, Pfizer/Roerig, Pharmacia, GlaxoSmithKline, Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories• Grants/Research Support: National Institute of Mental Health, Abbott Laboratories, Astra Zeneca Pharmaceuticals, Bristol-Myers Squibb, GlaxoSmithKline, Eli Lilly and Company, Organon, Pfizer, Inc., Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories.

Next on the board is...

Frederick K. Goodwin, M.D.

What SAVE Don't tell you is:
An article in SLATE by Shannon Brownlee and Jeanne Lenzer also focuses on prominent doctors who exploit their medical license as stealth marketers. A prominent case is psychiatrist Dr. Frederick Goodwin, former head of the National Institute of Mental Health, who was the architect of the controversial "violence initiative" targeting inner city minority boys whose behavior, Dr. Goodwin sought to contain with powerful psychotropic drugs. The concept is not unlike the Soviet "solution" to containing political dissidents with psychotropic drugs.

When Dr. Goodwin compared inner city youths to monkeys in the wild, he was forced to resign whereupon he went on to a hugely profitable career as a pharmaceutical consultant. (SOURCE)

SAVE also conveniently forget to mention the following about Goodwin:

Research Professor of Psychiatry and Director, Psychopharmacology Research Center, George Washington University; Former Director of the National Institute of Mental Health; ACNPIndustry Affiliations:
• Consultant: Glaxo, Lilly, Pfizer, Bristol Myers Squibb, Solvay. Elan, Novartis• Speakers Bureau: Bristol Myers Squibb, Solvay, Glaxo, Pfizer, Janssen, Lilly, AstraZeneca, Grants/Research Support: Abbott Laboratories, Glaxo, Solvay, Janssen, Pfizer, Lilly, Forest, Sanofi.

• Participated in a consensus panel for child and adolescent bipolar disorder funded by: Abbott, Brystol-Myers Squibb, GlaxoSmithKline, INC Research, Janssen, Johnson & Johnson, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, and Solvay.

Kay Redfield Jamison, Ph.D

What SAVE don't tell you is:
Interesting article here

The suicide rate for adolescents aged 15 to 19 appears to have declined in the last few years, said Jamison. "One reason may be that physicians are recognizing depression earlier and prescribing antidepressants."

Eric Larson, M.D.

What SAVE don't tell you is:
Teens and Antidepressants

"If I had a child or a relative who needed an antidepressant, I would want them to take this medication under good supervision. I would be concerned if my child or relative did not have access to antidepressants, if they needed them."


Charles B. Nemeroff, M.D., Ph.D.

What SAVE don't tell you is:
In an article published online in Neuropsychopharmacology, a journal at which Nemeroff is the editor, the following occurred:

1) A sizable authorship switch
2) Failure to disclose conflicts of interest
3) Bobbing and weaving on data analyses

According to some sources, Nemeroff was part of the effort to get David Healy ousted from his position at the Univeristy of Toronto. It's a long story, worth reading about here and here.

David Shaffer, MD
Professor of Child Psychiatry, and Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics,Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons; Director, Division of Child Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute.

What SAVE don't tell you is:

Industry Affiliations:

•Consultant: Hoffman la Roche, Wyeth (expert trial witness)
•Consultant: GlaxoSmithKline (on the matter of paroxetine (Paxil) and adolescent suicide)
•Participated in a consensus panel for child and adolescent bipolar disorder funded by: Abbott, Brystol-Myers Squibb, GlaxoSmithKline, INC Research, Janssen, Johnson & Johnson, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, and Solvay.

According to the New York Times, "Shaffer...sent a letter at Pfizer's request to the British drug agency, [saying] he had concluded that there was insufficient data to restrict the use of in adolescents." SEE ARTICLE HERE


Obviously, depression is a serious illness but one that needs to be addressed by people without ties to the Pharma industry.

The above named, as you can see, have ties and are used by SAVE to provide input into their programs.

Maybe 'Bob Anderson' is unaware of this?

As always, you are invited to leave comments.

Fid

Read the new book, The Evidence, However, Is Clear...The Seroxat Scandal

By Bob Fiddaman

ISBN: 978-1-84991-120-7
CHIPMUNKA PUBLISHING

AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE


PAPERBACK COMING SOON