Alarming evidence of long-term antidepressant side effects. Must watch

Professor David Healy, Medicating Normal, explains the emerging findings of permanent sexual disfunction. Watch the clip

With antidepressants prescribed to most DVA patients with PTSD, and Australian children as young as 12 now being prescribed long-term antidepressants for depression, what will this mean for our future?

Antidepressant medications have long been prescribed to help Australians and DVA penitents to manage mental health conditions, providing relief to many. However, a growing body of evidence is raising concerns about the potential long-term side effects associated with these drugs. Recent studies have highlighted an alarming issue – the possibility of permanent sexual dysfunction as a result of prolonged antidepressant use.

Antidepressants play a crucial role in treating conditions like depression and anxiety, affecting millions of Australians. Data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reveals that approximately one in five Australians are taking mental health medications, and 75% are taking antidepressants. These drugs can offer significant short term relief from the debilitating symptoms of mental health disorders.

While antidepressants have proven effective for many individuals, emerging evidence suggests that these medications might come with unforeseen consequences. Recent studies have pointed and a number of disturbing side effect – one being permanent sexual dysfunction. The use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a common class of antidepressants, has been linked to persistent issues such as loss of sensation, decreased libido, difficulty in arousal, and even an inability to achieve orgasm.

Professor of Psychiatry David Healy writing in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, said problems may begin after only a few doses and leave someone affected for life, or a relatively mild dysfunction can worsen dramatically when the person stops treatment.

There is hope on the horizon for Australians, with emerging evidence and modern neuro science, we are on the verge of a paradigm shift in mental health. Endocannabinoid system therapies hold some of that hope as we learn new ways to repair and heal rather than suppress and hide traumas.