My fellow Americans, brace yourself for the first
annual Paxil Protest. Sponsored by the cutting edge
non-profit organization, SSRI Citizen, this long
overdue protest takes place September 26th through
September 28th, 2005, at 200 North 16th Street in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This is one of the many
key sites where Paxil's manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline
is stationed. Paxil is an extremely powerful and
dangerous antidepressant that has created havoc for
millions of people and their families worldwide. It's
worth noting that Paxil isn't even allowed to be given
to children under the age of 18 in GSK's home country
of Great Britian. Looks like the Brits get it. Right
here in America, our Food and Drug Administration,
(FDA), has a primarily toothless warning out there
about our children not taking Paxil unless they're at
least 18 years old.
On a personal level, I am both sympathetic and proud
of the work SSRI Citizen is doing on behalf of
individuals and their families. I am a stepfather who
was successful in weaning my stepdaughter off Paxil
over three years ago. While our relationship didn't
turn out the way I would have liked it to, it's an
undisputed fact she is better off not being a Paxil
user. I can say with confidence that if it were not
for her being weaned off this poison, she more than
likely would have wound up on multiple psychiatric
drugs. I suppose I should be grateful that
GlaxoSmithKline hasn't developed an antidepressant for
maligned stepfathers. Thank goodness the American
Psychiatric Association, (APA), hasn't invented a new
mental disorder for stepfathers called, YNMRD. That
is, "You're Not My Real Dad" syndrome. Who knows how
many stepfathers would be tempted to sign up for this
diagnosis and drug!
All kidding aside, I first met the founder of SSRI
Citizen, Rob Robinson, over the phone and via email
around this time last year. I am a huge Pittsburgh
Steelers fan, and I was delighted to learn he was
staging a protest against Mr. Paxil himself, former
Pittsburgh Steelers legend Terry Bradshaw. There were
a bunch of us ready to protest at The Fortwood Center
in Chattanooga, Tennessee where Terry Bradshaw would
be giving a fundraising speech that would certainly be
peppered with a push for Paxil. Can you believe this
former Pittsburgh Steelers legend actually weaseled
out of the speech months ahead of time because Rob
Robinson had simply gotten the word out that a
peaceful protest was planned?
Now, how will GSK react themselves to the protest on
September 26th? Certainly, Mr. Paxil won't be showing
his smug face. Rob Robinson's latest web site,
http://www.paxilprotest.com,
is a vast treasure trove
of crucial information concerning the dangers of Paxil
and the workings of GSK. Interestingly, Rob Robinson
is not after everyone at GSK. It's all about Paxil.
It's about a drug that has made billions and billions
of dollars, and damaged millions and millions of
lives.
So, what's the problem with Paxil? Here are just a
few quick things that come to mind. Again, spend even
fifteen minutes surfing around
http://www.paxilprotest.com
and you will be firing mad
that a drug like Paxil ever came into existence.
- GlaxoSmithKline knew even before Paxil was approved
that its drug could induce suicidal ideation,
dependence, and withdrawal.
- GlaxoSmithKline uses gritty American celebrities like
Terry Bradshaw to make Paxil look like a fit drug for
boys and men. After all, why use a legendary football
quarterback like Terry Bradshaw if you are not
targeting boys and men to become Paxil users?
- As a result of GlaxoSmithKline's hiding the truth
from the public, approximately 5,000 U.S. citizens
have filed suit against GSK for the oftentimes
excruciatingly painful, prolonged, sometimes
life-threatening withdrawal symptoms experienced when
stopping the drug.
- According to a lawsuit that was filed by New York
State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, "GSK engaged in
a concerted effort to withold negative information
concerning Paxil and misrepresented data concerning
Paxil's safety and efficacy when prescribed for
depression in children and adolescents.
- Paxil has impacted women as a class, as well as the
population of women who are pregnant or who have just
given birth to newborns.
You see, when GSK knows Paxil has made billions of
dollars and continues to bolster their bottom line,
they will stay in the game to devise a plethora of
reasons why just about everybody should be on Paxil
for some reason!
In my view, Philadelphia is an absolutely wonderful
city to have the Paxil Protest. Let us not forget
this is the home of the Liberty Bell. This is the
home of the red, white, and blue. This is the home of
Sylvester Stallone's cinematic hero, Rocky Balboa.
This is the home of the cheese steak hoagie. Put this
way, Philadelphia is the home of determination, sweat,
and the American spirit. The Paxil Protest deserves
to have thousands of Philadelphia residents, and
thousands and thousands of others, tell GSK: "We don't
need Paxil!"
After all, we survived 9/11. We have survived
hurricane Katrina. We continue to be the most
compassionate and strongest nation in the world trying
to help Katrina victims with the astounding dollar
figure of 200 billion that keeps bouncing around.
Hey, how does any charity we receive from other
countries impact this 200 billion dollar figure,
anyway? We're survivors and we thrive on the good
life. We don't need GSK filling our heads with
nonsense about Paxil being safe and good enough for
our football legends and our children.
Paxil is a daily hurricane for those individuals
prescribed this poison, as well as their families.
It's so easy these days to be prescribed an
antidepressant like Paxil. Yet, it's a proven fact it
takes very hard work to be lucky enough to come off it
at all. So many lives have been ruined by thinking
Paxil was the answer. A Paxil Protest is a perfect
beginning to the ending of GSK's poisoning of the
world with its prized cash cow. A prized cash cow
that ultimately grew into a deadly herd.
Zizza is a freelance writer based in the Atlanta area.
He writes frequently about mental health issues.
Zizza serves as Vice President for the State of Georgia
for the non-profit organization,
Parents For Label and Drug Free
Education.
Read Zizza's "Think Twice" column at:
http://www.ablechild.org/newsarchive.htm
