The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released public health advisories saying that antidepressant intake can aggravate suicidal attempts. However, in April 2006, the family of a New Mexico woman sued GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for withholding safety information that contributed to her suicide. The Albuquerque Journal recently published about Los Lunas jury granted $3.02 Million to the family of the victim as compensation for the unjustified damage that Paxil had caused them.
Depression and Suicide
Most patients who are put into therapy after attempting suicide say that they did it because they were “trying to escape from a situation that seemed impossible to deal with or to get relief from really bad thoughts or feelings.” In other words, they were suffering from depression.
Depression is considered a disorder of the brain. Its causes vary, from the genetic, environmental, and psychological to biochemical, like alcohol and drug intake. People suffering from depression may have the feelings of worthlessness, guilt, regret, helplessness, hopelessness and self-hatred. Insomnia and oversleeping are also most common among depressed individuals. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the criteria for depression include fatigue, migraines, digestive problems, social withdrawal, and reduced sex drive. In extreme depression cases, unpleasant hallucinations, psychosis, memory loss, poor concentration and suicide include the symptoms.
Researchers say that suicide is now considered an object of multidisciplinary study, with psychology, psychiatry, sociology and anthropology. Important insights of suicide are provided by each branch of study.
Antidepressants and Suicide
Taking antidepressant and talk therapy are the known treatments for depression. Yet antidepressants like Paxil, which is supposed to cure depression, increases the risk of suicide attempts according to clinical findings. The FDA already released various warnings in its Paxil advisories.
Paxil Settlement
So, those who have been taking Paxil should immediately consult their healthcare expert if doubts concerning its effect on health and state of mind come up. Presently, a number of Paxil lawsuit is now being filed against its manufacturer GSK. Affected patients aim to receive a financial compensation from the company. To know more about Paxil lawsuits, seeking legal advice is suggested.
References:
• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_depressive_disorder
• nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/depression.html
• webmd.com/depression/news/20070502/new-antidepressant-suicide-warning
• mcmanweb.com/FDA_suicide.htm
• washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/13/AR2006121300452.html
• naturalnews.com/019342.html
