Are antidepressant addictive?

Are antidepressant addictive?
Steven felt he was living proof that Paxil was addicting. “I’m hooked on Paxil! I am a
Steven had stopped 20 mg per day of Paxil a few days Yes, antidepressants such as Paxil can create both ago. Just a few months earlier, he had stopped smoking dependence and addiction. Patients such as Steven can cigarettes cold turkey, after having been a 1-to-2-pack-a- become dependent, where stopping the drug abruptly day smoker for 19 years. Given his willpower in the face of causes a debilitating withdrawal reaction. And they can nicotine withdrawal, Steven assumed that he would have become addicted, developing a tolerance to no trouble going off Paxil even if he did experience antidepressants and the need for higher and higher doses withdrawal. He was wrong! He experienced debilitating for effectiveness. As they have become less expensive dizziness and headaches and felt “trapped” on his living with the expiration of patents, antidepressant abuse has room couch, unable to get up and even walk around the become more common among high school and college room. He also experienced severe aches and pains in his students. In the New York magazine cover article muscles and joints. He was totally drained of energy. His “Generation Rx: Pop, Snort, Parachute,” the author doctor had warned Steven about withdrawal and had interviewed more than 50 teenagers, many of whom stole suggested tapering. Steven did not believe how bad it the antidepressants they were abusing from their parents’ could get, and how desperate he could get for a drug. medicine cabinets. The “pills are more addictive than Are Antidepressants Addictive or Habit Forming?
Antidepressant sales amounted to $13.5 billion last year Over the past decade, pharmaceutical companies and compared to $8.9 billion spent on psychotherapies. And psychiatrists who are strong drug proponents have that Rx figure excludes the accompanying medication adamantly denied that antidepressants are addicting or management and office visit charges of the MDs. How habit forming. As antidepressant withdrawal began to much of this spending is a result of patient addiction? How come to the attention of doctors and patients in the mid- well informed are new patients about the potential for 1990s, Eli Lilly, the manufacturer of Prozac, paid for a antidepressant withdrawal and dependence? How much group of psychiatric experts to meet and discuss the influence have the pharmaceutical companies had on the growing concern about this side effect. One of the main prescribing patterns of antidepressants and the knowledge outcomes of that meeting was the decision that the term base, or lack thereof, among antidepressant users? With “withdrawal” should not be used for antidepressants. this class of drugs, there is great opportunity for improved Instead, the group proposed that “antidepressant training of physicians and education of patients, leading to discontinuation syndrome” replace “withdrawal” to avoid healthier outcomes and reduced spending than what we the association with addiction. This kind of industry are experiencing among our insured populations today. behavior contributes to the challenges of getting honest, Proactive programs can be designed to identify these reliable information about antidepressant withdrawal, opportunities and achieve these outcomes. Next month, dependence and addiction in the hands of patients and we will address what health plans can do to address this An advertisement used to run on television which presented the wonderful benefits of Paxil treatment and concluded with a statement that “Paxil is not habit-forming.” Steven felt he was living proof that Paxil was addicting. “I’m hooked on Paxil! I am a Paxil junkie!” Could he really be addicted to Paxil? The Behavioral Health Advisor is a monthly publication by Steve Melek, designed to Stephen P. Melek, F.S.A., MAAA
bring interesting and informative behavioral health topics to the forefront. Melek is a leading professional in combining actuarial expertise with behavioral health knowledge. He consults on effective integration of medical and behavioral healthcare, efficiency in delivery and successful health outcomes, predictive modeling, and collaborative research with other disciplines.
June 2007
milliman.com

Source: http://publications.milliman.com/periodicals/bha/pdfs/are-antidepressants-addictive-BH06-29-07.pdf