Having successfully weaned a young member of my family
off Paxil, and being a rabid Pittsburg Steelers fan
since I stood about four feet high, you can only
imagine my bag of mixed emotions upon learning Paxil
maker GlaxoSmithKline and Steelers legend Terry
Bradshaw have teamed up to pass dangerous lies into
the hands of the American people.
In a March 9th press release, GSK tells us "American
football hero takes to the road" to raise awareness
about depression and his success story since taking
Paxil CR. Furthermore, GSK goes on to say there has
been an "overwhelming response to his personal battle
with depression" prompting him to "reach out to
sufferers nationwide."
GSK are masters of deception and using Terry Bradshaw
as their newest propaganda tool is just more evidence
of their insistence that Paxil be in every American
home's medicine cabinet. No pity, just disgrace on
Terry Bradshaw as well because he is unwilling to tell
us how much money he is making as Paxil's stool
pigeon, I mean, spokesman.
What bothers me is GSK and Terry Bradshaw spread the
lie there's a social stigma attached to mental
illness, and that "an estimated 25 percent of American
adults will endure an anxiety disorder in their
lifetime." Also, another insidious lie: 19 million
adult males in America are clinically depressed.
Terry Bradshaw ought to know better. Ought to be able
to read Big Pharma's play book. First, market the
disease. Second, sell the drugs. But now there's
factor three to consider: nail down a bubbly,
light-hearted, gruff American HERO - to stick by the
drug (Paxil) for the long haul, especially through all
of Paxil's/GSK's past, present and upcoming
interceptions of high consequence.
It was just last year that several studies done in
Britian (home of GSK's headquarters) confirmed Paxil
should not be given to children under eighteen years
of age. Talk about muffing home field advantage!
Obviously, GSK and Terry Bradshaw are oblivious to the
fact much needed political reform found in the Child
Medication Safety Act is being pushed to the sideline.
I doubt GSK and #12 care that just last month scores
of parents whose own children "died" from taking Paxil
and other similar medications begged the FDA to not
throw them and their children's legacy into the turf.
Interestingly enough, if you read through the sales
pitches for Paxil, the costly depression awareness
campaign literature, and of course Terry Bradshaw's
own books, you won't find heroic stories or life
lessons. You will ultimately read through an endless
barrage of excuses for personal failings of
responsibility. You can only push "the personal is
political" envelope so far before it flies into the
air like a once great spiral thrown by a once great
football player - and man - Terry Bradshaw.
Terry Bradshaw and GSK should be ashamed of
themselves. Too bad they're not. They are now
positioning Paxil to be the drug of choice for
athletes of all ages. This is disgusting, though not
surprising, given the fact The National Alliance for
the Mentally Ill (NAMI) takes out large political
advertisements in the "sports" pages of our biggest
newspapers. Not a day goes by when we don't hear of
another hero athlete turned - mental health advocate.
What a country. What a bag of mixed emotions we all
must sort through.
Well, I've looked through my bag and here is what I've
come up with.
Terry Bradshaw is no longer a hero, let alone a man,
because he is selling Paxil for an undisclosed amount
of money knowing full well millions of men idolize
him, and that Paxil has brought suffering and death to
both adults and children.
The new heroes are in fact parents who wean their
children and loved ones off Paxil and other drugs -
standing as the real mental health advocates of today.
Terry Bradshaw and GSK as mental health advocates?
Sorry, game over.
Zizza is a freelance writer based in Atlanta who
writes frequently about mental health issues.
Email comments to him at:
tz777@yahoo.com
He serves as Vice President/Georgia of Parents for
Label and Drug Free Education and as an Advisor to the
Alliance to Stop Psychiatry's Influence in Religion
and Education. He also works to expose abuses in
Kaiser Permanente's Behavioral Health programs. Please
see:
http://www.ablechild.org
http://www.aspire.us
http://www.kaiserpapers.org/tonyz.html
