FIDDAMAN BLOG: Book

Showing posts with label Book. Show all posts

Friday, September 13, 2024

My Two Books

NO OTHER MAN

The Evidence, However, Is Clear: The Seroxat Scandal

Bob Fiddaman

Thursday, July 07, 2016

The Pill That Steals Lives - A Review

Having received Katinka Newman's new book, 'The Pill That Steals Lives' through the post today I was contemplating on days/evenings when I could sit or lie down somewhere to read it. Much of my life is taken up with research, if not for me then for others. Then of course, France were playing Germany tonight in a semi-final (Euro 2016), a tournament that, for me at least, became insignificant when England were knocked out by Iceland.

So, no time like the present.

It's taken me five hours to read from start to finish a book that was written over the course of six weeks ~ it's a bit like slaving over a hot stove all day and serving up great food, only for it to be devoured in seconds.

'The Pill That Steals Lives' is great food.

Katinka "Tinks" Newman takes us on a personal journey that without explanation one would be left thinking, 'that poor woman who fell foul to depression, that poor woman had everything going for her then, Bam, she's struck down with a mental illness.' - Yup, I've been guilty in the past, before I became a writer and researcher of antidepressants, of throwing out words of sympathy to those less fortunate than me, those being struck down with a brain disorder - that was, of course, before I learned that the vast majority of brain disorders are merely marketing tools for the pharmaceutical industry.

Tinks was prescribed the antidepressant escitalopram, which is basically a modified version of citalopram, both manufactured and marketed in Europe by Danish pharmaceutical giant, Lundbeck.

Escitalopram is better known by it's brand names of Cipralex and/or Lexapro and is a class of antidepressant from the SSRI family.

Almost immediately after taking her first dose of escitalopram Tinks became distanced from reality - this was merely a pre-cursor of what lay in store for her. As in many cases I've read and heard over the years a bad reaction to one drug usually means another drug is added to the mix... and then another. In Tinks case she, at one point, was on five different psychiatric medications all because professionals failed to spot that her initial reaction to escitalopram (psychosis) was actually caused by the drug.

'The Pill That Steals Lives' is compelling reading, it gives us an insight into how we, as patients, face many battles when prescribed these types of drugs, more importantly how difficult it is to persuade prescribers and even our own family members that it may not be the 'illness' that is causing the bizarre behaviour - it may just be the drug. I have experienced this personally with my ex-wife who still, to this day, believes that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance - she was never really one for reading anything outside of celebrity gossip so any books or journals I recommended to her have been met with her steadfast belief that I don't know what I'm talking about.

Tinks account rang a lot of bells for me, it had me nodding my head in agreement and if she were in the same room as me right now I'd probably be high-fiving her for writing such a creative piece. At times Tinks uses humour in her writing, one has to use humour when we learn how we have been duped by medical professions and pharmaceutical companies - what else can we do except for go public with our experiences and add humour to what is, it has to be said, quite harrowing.

I like the style of Tinks writing, she has the knack of putting you there, right in the scene - her storyboard being there for all to see and with elements of a Carla Lane (The Liver Birds, Butterflies, Bread) style for the middle-classes.

I had to email Tinks in the early part of this evening - I just felt compelled to as I know, as a writer, how nice it feels when someone reads back something you have created. I won't go into detail about the line she writes in her book, sufficed to say it was written with a comedic touch and follows the end of her one year harrowing experience at the hands of a misguided psychiatrist.

I've got a lot of time for Katinka, we met a few years back when I introduced her to former GSK rep cum whistleblower Blair Hamrick. We met again a few months ago in London for lunch - I was in London on business and she spotted me lunch in a hideaway in Notting Hill.

I'm glad she did - Sometimes reading personal accounts I get the feeling that this is just another story, having met Tinks in person it becomes much more than that.

'The Pill That Steals Lives' is a warts and all account of how the system failed and stole the lives of not only Katinka but her family too. Her children, Lily and Oscar, are mentioned throughout and one cannot help but bond with them. I know from personal experience the guilt I felt as my children, who at the time were very young, watched me turn into an obese monster during my time on and withdrawing from Seroxat.

Katinka not only tells her personal story, she also, after picking herself up from a year of psychiatric abuse (because that's what it was) writes about how she stumbled across other stories then felt the need to research how other's had become violent on SSRI type medications.

Every doctor needs to read this book, lets face it, the majority of antidepressants are dished out by GP's these days - if only they knew what harm they were doing. I'd suggest that psychiatrists pick up a copy of this book, those who are pro-medication and don't believe in antidepressant induced psychosis - Tinks story, although extensive, is one of many in this book.

There's a terrible injustice going on when one stops and thinks about those incarcerated up and down the country in mental health units, those same people diagnosed with illnesses that have, in the main, been caused by the prescriber. Moreover, there's a terrible injustice for those that have been sent to prison for committing crimes whilst under the influence of these medications - locked away for years for carrying out acts that they did not know they were carrying out until after the event.

There's quite a twist in the tale of 'The Pill That Steals Lives' - I certainly didn't see it coming - that's the art of a terrific writer, of which Katinka Newman certainly is.

Watching Kramer vs Kramer will never be the same, for me at least :-)

I'll be meeting up once again with Katinka next week in London for her book launch. Many others mentioned in her book will be there too - there's going to be one hell of a group hug!

'The Pill That Steals Lives' is available in most book shops and also online at Amazon (UK) (USA)

Will you be filmed for a panorama programme next week on SSRI's and violence. If so please contact katinka.newman@gmail.com today.

Bob Fiddaman

More Info

http://www.thepillthatsteals.com/

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Book Update - No Other Man

I've uploaded the first 13 chapters of No Other Man online.

I'm quite happy with the first 13 but may go back at some stage to re-edit.

I'm up to 56,000 words and, hopefully, by September, will have reached my intended target of 80,000.

The one page prologue kind of sets the tone. I'll write a synopsis of the book once I've finished it.

Here's the first 13 chapters.

PDF

Bob Fiddaman

Literary Agents and/or Publishers can contact me via email.

Email Me

Monday, March 02, 2015

Update - No Other Man - Bob Fiddaman

Most will know that I have taken time out from all things Pharmafia to concentrate on writing a fictional novel. The whole writing/creating process has been therapeutic and I have now reached 40,000 words. It's nowhere near finished, most publishers these days are looking for a minimum of 80,000 words before they'd even consider reading a manuscript.

The story is not something that people would normally associate with Bob Fiddaman, the activist - this has been a challenge as I move away from GSK, death and birth defects.

I have created two strong characters so far (Don Williamson and Karen Crawford), the others I will build on over the coming months.

Don Williamson, a 50 year-old paralegal from the UK - he's recently been dumped by his girlfriend, Katy Johansson, 35, who lives in Östermalm, a large wealthy district in central Stockholm.

Karen Crawford, 40, is a famous American Model living in the UK. She hides a secret from her past, a secret that is very much part of the plot that centres around a poem penned by Don Williamson, some 13 years ago, in 2001.

Angie Jakobs, 41, a famous American TV psychic who is Karen Crawford's best friend. Angie lives in Sun Valley, Idaho, just two miles away from Karen Crawford's second home, a $6 million 1,000 acre ranch.

Lex Brampton, 43, lives in Pocatello, Idaho. For the past 17 years or so Brampton has kept an unhealthy interest in Karen Crawford. He was sent to a juvenile correctional facility at the age of 16, then, at 18, he saw out his sentence in a Lubbock correctional facility.

In 2001, after his wife told him she was having an affair and was moving out to live with Dan Pallet, Don Williamson turned to the stars in the night sky for comfort. Whilst looking at the stars a poem came to him. The poem contained a hidden code, only Don Williamson never knew it. The code would be broken on New Year's Eve 2014. It's a code that newly elected Pope John III has taken an avid interest in, only he does not know the whereabouts or content of the poem, only its existence.

Don and Karen are guided on their journey by angels, who in turn, are given daily instructions by Archangel Gabriel. Don and Karen's journey has been planned from their birth and it all comes to fruition as 2014 changes to 2015.

The plot (beginning, middle and end) was written over 6 nights, roughly 20,000 words. Since then I have revisited the manuscript and created a further 20,000 words. I hope to increase it over the coming months.

It's a story that has many twists and turns and one that is primarily about love, light and truth. The message, I guess, is to treat others as you wish to be treated and also to be aware of the signs around us that angels are leaving us.

The book is called 'No Other Man' and I hope to have it completed around September.

Bob Fiddaman.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Seroxat Book Goes Global

My book, 'The evidence, however, is clear...the Seroxat scandal' is now available in other countries.

Many book outlets are carrying the book. This will save you all on postage and packaging prices from the UK.

Here's the blurb for the book:

Bob Fiddaman was prescribed Seroxat due to depression that was, in essence, due to work related problems. What followed was a journey that took him through a tapering process of, what he believes to be, a highly addictive antidepressant. Following almost two years of withdrawal, Fiddaman's new battle with the manufacturer of the drug, GlaxoSmithKline and the UK's medicine regulator, the MHRA, took him on a more frustrating journey than he ever could have imagined. The name Bob Fiddaman has become synonymous throughout cyberspace. Google his name and you will find articles he has written, many of which have been republished by a vast army of fellow patient advocates. In his debut book, Fiddaman takes the bull by the horns and pulls no punches. Doctor's and patients alike will find Fiddaman's journey both tragic and informative, in particular the current stance of the UK regulator with regard to pregnancy and antidepressants. It may also make you stop and seriously reconsider the safety and efficacy of the medications you take.

Below is a list of countries you can order the book from. Here's a selection of readers comments:

"Exposing the corruption of pharmaceutical companies and regulators, Bobby shines a light down the path of consumer resistance and shows how ordinary people can wage extraordinary fights against the fraudulent activities of big pharma and the incompetence of regulatory bodies."

"What do you do after a bad experience with a prescription medication? In Bob's case you, you start by looking to see if others had the same reaction, but Bob didn't stop there, as the more he found out the more determined he became to do something about the situation."

"George Orwell's book was fictitious whereas Bob's is a frighteningly believable account of what really goes on behind closed doors, were a club culture, and imbalance of power remains with too much control in the hands of a few individuals."

'A rare and remarkably compelling insight and factual exploration into the underhand morals and ethics of pharmaceutical giant, GSK and the regulatory body that is 'supposed' to protect us, the MHRA."

"This book is extremely well written, compelling and difficult to put down."

"Bob is a man of integrity and honesty, and this book is living proof that he is not afraid to
stand up for what he believes is right."

"At last there is someone who is not afraid to tell it as it is, MHRA and Big Pharma beware Bob Fidaman is a stubborn tenacious man who is not going to go away, who will not be cowed by anyone or anything."

"For the very first time, a book has been published exploding the myths of anti-depressants and the corruption involved."

"For one man to stand alone and fight these very companies and the people that are suppose to protect us namely the MHRA, Mr Fiddaman you have my utmost respect."

"This is a 'must read' for anybody on Seroxat or any SSRi antidepressant, and also for anyone in the U.K. who are under the illusion that the MHRA will protect them from dangerous medication"

"I recommend this book for anyone who has personal experiences with antidepressants or depression for themselves or family members, or for more insight into drug regulation and consumer advocacy. The writing is excellent and refreshingly honest."

"The British may be known for "inventing" the first novel, and like the first novel, this reads smoothly, part epistolary, part fiction. But it's not fiction. This is a true story, which I sorely wish was fiction."

Here's a list of the countries and book stores.

**Please note that the book may only be available for purchase online at the following stores:

AUSTRALIA