New findings have come to light about the increased risk of suicide and violent behavior in adolescents who take this popular antidepressant.

An interesting article on the subject appeared in the New York Times last week. Here is a thought provoking quote from the article: “Fourteen years ago, a leading drug maker published a study showing that the antidepressant Paxil was safe and effective for teenagers. On Wednesday, a major medical journal posted a new analysis of the same data concluding that the opposite is true.”

This finding is not too surprising because it’s part of a much larger problem in medicine. At the moment, retractions of articles appearing in medical journals are at an all time high. There have been increasing reports of fraud by drug companies and the scientists employed by them, and some researchers claim that less than half of a sample of psychology papers are valid.

Many people are becoming increasingly skeptical about claims made by pharmaceutical companies, and with good reason. There are many benefits of modern medicine, and countless lives have been saved or improved.

However, all drugs do have side effects, and some of them can be devastating. Depression can be a serious disease and every sufferer deserves safe and effective treatment. Sometimes prescription medication is necessary, and at other times diet and lifestyle changes can be just as effective. Please do not discontinue any medication without professional medical supervision.

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