WHY LIVE? –
Sept. 14, 2024 – Rebekah Kane went on SSRIs aged 15 for OCD. After her first pill, “complete genital numbing and loss of libido” set in. It never went away. The numbing seeped into every area of her life – she lost the ability to cry, to care about friends, to feel joy, motivation, anger.
“I don’t have a zest for life anymore because something’s happened in my brain where I just don’t get any joy. It’s a complete destruction of the self, everything that makes us human and not robots. It’s hell on earth. You’re basically dead.”
When Prozac entered the market in 1988 – the first of a string of blockbuster SSRIs – it was hailed as a miracle drug. Deemed as effective as other antidepressants, but with fewer, milder side-effects, SSRIs are still considered safe drugs. Initially intended to treat depression, their remit has expanded, now commonly prescribed for bulimia, bereavement, insomnia, OCD, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic pain and bipolar.
