BBC Panorama June 19, 2023: The antidepressant story

[Faure]

Thanks to @Nicolas45140 for posting about this very interesting looking Panorama documentary due to broadcast on 19 June 2023 @8pm BST ☺️

 

The Antidepressant Story

 

In the UK, around one in seven now take an antidepressant. Globally they have made the pharmaceutical industry billions. When the current generation of drugs was launched 35 years ago, they promised a safe and effective treatment, free from the side effects of older medicines. But have they lived up to those claims?

While many people say they have benefited from taking them, Panorama reveals evidence of some companies trying to conceal concerns about their drugs, following patients who have suffered serious side effects as they continue their fight to be heard.

[Mamgu]

I've just heard this being talked about on Radio 4 and it sounds very interesting.  It was heartening to hear about coverage of the issues people like you and I are going through, perhaps I should send the link to my GP 😆

[BooBoo19]

Hello @Mamgu, I agree this is highlighting the problems. However, I do worry that they are still going to minimise the impact of the withdrawal symptoms which was its initial plan.  I am a member of Baylissa's group and gave my consent for my story and a conversation with Baylissa to be recorded for this purpose. However, the day of filming with Baylissa has been omitted as the focused has changed somewhat. I am 30 months from my last drug and still suffering so I for one really want to raise this so others do not have to experience such horrific symptoms. Further, the lack of knowledge and gaslighting in the medical profession is shocking.  I hope withdrawal will be highlighted but my husband will watch it and will let me know as I do not wished to be triggered given that I am in survival mode most of the time from a prescribed medication with no support from those who caused it.  Wishing you and us all a speedy recovery.

[jon1]

I just read about this on the BBC News website, fantastic to see they are dedicating a whole programme to it. The article doesn't seem to be pulling any punches about long-term withdrawal effects, or dishonesty of drug companies, so hopefully the documentary will take the same approach.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-65825012

[Faure]

I am considering contacting them about a follow up. I haven’t seen it yet but I think something looking at those of us who are tapering and what we have to do every week to get off these awful drugs would be very useful to add to the debate. 

[Erimus]

Good to see Horowitz, Healy and Moncrieff featuring on the programme. There will be a lot of people watching tonight wondering about what they’re taking and why. Nobody better than Panorama to get to the bottom of something like this.

 

Edit: Should’ve waited longer, great to see Adele appearing.

Edited June 19, 2023 by Erimus

[Dutchsarah]

So good to see all these experts. Let's hope it will help spread awareness. 

 

[jon1]

I thought that was brilliant, and so great to see it on prime time BBC.

 

There was no equivocation, and all of the appropriate voices were heard fully.

 

I’ve no doubt the BBC will get it in the neck from some quarters tomorrow, but that’s to be expected.

 

Oh, and we’re famous! 😁

[BooBoo19]

I agree, my husband watched it as i was worried it would trigger me.  He said it was very well produced, didn't tell us anything we did not really know from years of research but good to spread awareness.  I am glad The Royal College of Psychiatrists apologised to all of us who have suffered. My husband would have liked more on the brutal side effects he has witnessed aside from the sexual side effects to give more credence to those who have and continue to suffer.  The awareness and acknowledgment, although too little to late for some of us, is most welcome as the medical profession should  not be able to gaslight or say "I have never heard of withdrawal lasting that long' now as we have the evidence. 

[Mamgu]

3 minutes ago, BooBoo19 said:

I agree, my husband watched it as i was worried it would trigger me.  He said it was very well produced, didn't tell us anything we did not really know from years of research but good to spread awareness.  I am glad The Royal College of Psychiatrists apologised to all of us who have suffered. My husband would have liked more on the brutal side effects he has witnessed aside from the sexual side effects to give more credence to those who have and continue to suffer.  The awareness and acknowledgment, although too little to late for some of us, is most welcome as the medical profession should  not be able to gaslight or say "I have never heard of withdrawal lasting that long' now as we have the evidence. 

 

The apology was profound, it made me feel off-kilter (read: got teary). Another step in the right direction.

 

Wishing you peace, BooBoo x

[Oaktree1]

Saw it tonight - it made my day. 

 

It was measured and well presented showing both sides of the story.

 

So great to see Adele Framer and Mark Horowitz calmly explaining their experience and other brave clinicians like Joanna Moncrieff and David Healy.  Fair dues to Wendy Burns as the former head of the Royal College of Psychiatrists - it takes real humility to apologise and to have finally recognised withdrawal - I think the UK is the first country in the world where a college of psychiatrists have done so.  

 

Since the programme aired I see from the activity that loads of new users have joined in the past few hours.

 

 

[Healingslowly]

This happened just now? Interesting.

[Katy398]

7 hours ago, Faure said:

 

I am considering contacting them about a follow up. I haven’t seen it yet but I think something looking at those of us who are tapering and what we have to do every week to get off these awful drugs would be very useful to add to the debate

 

This definitely needs a follow-up as there is also the protracted withdrawal  community.  Those of us with protracted DIND (psychiatric drug induced neurological dysfunction).  So many of us were fast tapered by GPs and left with long standing neurological dysfunction.

 

 

Can I ask is there anyone in the UK who can get this on YouTube or any other format for those of us outside the UK who cannot access the BBC? 

 

[Faure]

7 hours ago, Katy398 said:

Can I ask is there anyone in the UK who can get this on YouTube or any other format for those of us outside the UK who cannot access the BBC? 

Not that I know of. I’m sorry you are suffering protracted WD. I thought when watching it yesterday that they should visit those really suffering so others can see. It was great to see @Altostrata being interviewed. 
 

I really liked how attention was drawn to doctors denying symptoms of WD. So much of the programme spoke directly to my own experience. 

[jon1]

8 hours ago, Katy398 said:

This definitely needs a follow-up as there is also the protracted withdrawal  community.  Those of us with protracted DIND (psychiatric drug induced neurological dysfunction).  So many of us were fast tapered by GPs and left with long standing neurological dysfunction.

 

 

Can I ask is there anyone in the UK who can get this on YouTube or any other format for those of us outside the UK who cannot access the BBC? 

 

 

At this point, it's probably region locked to the UK (unless the BBC upload it to YouTube), but if you have a VPN you may be able to watch it on the BBC iPlayer website, which is their streaming service.

[Erimus]

I found myself watching much of it grinning ear to ear as all my own experiences were brought to light and validated through others on the programme. I can only hope those that sought to deny my (and others’) symptoms were watching as well, though I have doubt in that area. 
 

When Luke mentioned not being able to go outside for 3 years it struck a very deep chord with my personal experience the last 2.5 years.

Edited June 20, 2023 by Erimus

[jon1]

1 minute ago, Erimus said:

I found myself watching much of it grinning ear to ear as all my own experiences were brought to light and validated through others on the programme. I can only hope those that sought to deny my (and others) symptoms were watching as well, though I have doubt in that area. 
 

When Luke mentioned not being able to go outside for 3 years it struck a very deep chord with my personal experience the last 2.5 years.

 

So true.

 

One thing I've noticed in these shows is that the doctors who try to defend antidepressants always use the most extreme cases as if they're the most common. One of them did it in this too, saying the drugs 'saved lives'.

 

In some cases, that's absolutely true, but the vast majority of people who have been given these drugs aren't anywhere near that level, or the people given them off-label for pain relief. If 1 in 7 people in the UK (1 in 4 women) is suicidal, then we have a serious problem!

 

He also completely ignored the number of people that feel suicidal because of the withdrawal, who never have before.

[Katy398]

Wow it got onto YouTube very quickly!!!!



BBC: The Antidepressant Story youtube.com

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone

[Katy398]

Those out of the UK may want to watch it sooner rather than later as the BBC may take it down. 
 

 

[Catina7]

Just watched it.  Wow!  It's very validating to those who have suffered and continue to suffer.  Although not one of us truly wants to be here, it makes me proud to be a part of this online community. ❤️

[Doctorsrcrap]

I was amazed to see this on prime time UK TV. I was thrilled. Brilliant to see alto on there although personally I think she should have been on it more lol. 

I agree there should be a follow up because it felt like they were just dipping their toes into the subject bit so good to see it starting to break through into the mainstream. 

Personally I didn't care for the apology by Wendy. Saying sorry but isn't really an apology. 

Well done @Altostrata for getting to speak up and flying thr flag for all of us. 

[Momiki]

5 hours ago, Katy398 said:

Those out of the UK may want to watch it sooner rather than later as the BBC may take it down. 
 

 

 

Thank you!! I was bumped out it was location-restricted on the BBC website and didn't have much luck with free VPNs yet. Paying 10 euros for a 1-month VPN subscription for just one video felt very expensive. I've downloaded it from Youtube, so at least it's safe on my hard drive.

[ChelseaMorning]

It meant a lot to me to hear about what I've gone through being validated, hearing about it being spoken by others and discussed by experts. I just kept shouting 'yes!' at the screen every time someone described the same thing that I experienced, it's amazing what a difference it makes to see and hear someone say it out loud. Watching this programme makes me feel able to be more open and talk about what I've gone through with others, finally I can say that I experienced antidepressant withdrawal and have something to back it up.

 

I would have liked them to explain more clearly the range and severity of withdrawal symptoms, and the impact of protracted withdrawal. It definitely needs a follow up programme to go in a little deeper. This is something that I think GPs aren't currently aware of and able to recognise, at least from my own experience.

 

As a result of this programme I came across two interesting things on the BBC panorama twitter comments. A list of useful resources for withdrawal and a survey in response to the programme to improve services for antidepressant withdrawal. https://leap4pdd.org/resources-for-individuals/

[BooBoo19]

Hello all, I agree with all that has been said, what is disappointing is they have known this for over 20 years and have done very little about it.  I gave up after 4 months with my GP and have just continued with support from this forum and others.  I have completed the survey and I hope many others do.  The one and only helpline in the UK that was fantastic has lost its funding, which is surprising given the size of the problem.  I get most upset that if I was on a street drug (which I have never taken) I would have received much more support from professionals and most probably have been healed much sooner with proper rehabilitation. It is hard to stay positive when experiencing such awful symptoms, but we must all stay strong and spread the word.

[Altostrata]

If you wish to comment to the BBC, https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact/complaints/make-a-complaint/#/Complaint

 

Suggest your message start with saying something nice about the effort before explaining your criticisms.

[AprilShowers]

I haven't seen it but will try to for the apology alone, one of the things that has hurt me the most was in the complete overwhelm of symptoms the GP and psychiatrist shrugged in my face and had I not found this amazing forum (and thank you to all of you who make it so) I don't think I would have survived antidepressants at all. 

[Katy398]

On 6/20/2023 at 4:25 PM, Faure said:

I really liked how attention was drawn to doctors denying symptoms of WD. So much of the programme spoke directly to my own experience. 

Me too. 
I’m sorry you are here too. I saw it during the brief timeframe that it was on YouTube now trying to work out how to share to others outside UK. 
Take care K 🙏

[Katy398]

13 hours ago, AprilShowers said:

one of the things that has hurt me the most was in the complete overwhelm of symptoms the GP and psychiatrist shrugged in my face and had I not found this amazing forum (and thank you to all of you who make it so) I don't think I would have survived antidepressants at all

Absolutely this is the one thing for me that made the journey so traumatic. 

[Combitone]

I'll be honest, I have mixed feelings about watching this, because I was in touch with the producers since January trying to work out how I could contribute, including video calls and even meeting in person, though it pretty much went nowhere, and we lost touch in April. I thought it a shame at the time, and I eventually let the disappointment go.

However, they then reached out through Altostrata in June to solicit a reading of one of my posts, which I went out of my way to supply. Didn't make the programme, no fee was offered, a whole bunch of my time was wasted, and considering I work in a similar business, I asked to do the LinkedIn connection thing to salvage something from this whole palaver, and got roundly ignored. I'm thoroughly tired of my own struggle basically being invisible, so it very much left a sour taste.

[BooBoo19]

Dear all, I followed the link Altostrata added re making a complaint to the BBC of which I have now submitted one.  It was a positive complaint, thanking them for the documentary but also acknowledging that they have only skimmed the service.  My husband was disappointed that a focus of the documentary was very much on the sexual side effects (equally important) but as I said to him there are no words (in my opinion) in the English language that could portray the pure horror of the withdrawal.  I do not want this to happen to other innocent people and will therefore advocate in anyway I can.  I have respectfully requested they undertake a follow up that focuses on the thousands of us suffering, while highlighting this was caused by the medical professionals and then ignored us or even worse gaslighted us. I as  others have lost friends who did not believe me that a prescribed drug could do this, I suppose I would have been one of those people once, but this documentary has now validated us on prime time television in the UK, what better than an apology (given half hearted apology) from the President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. May I also take this opportunity to recommend an interview with Peter Eliasberg on 'You Tube' on his withdrawal experience as it is so eloquently described and he is getting better.  With videos like Peter's, Baylissa's site and the success stories from this Forum is what has kept me going and at times alive.  Please can I ask you when you recover , and you will to write a success story to give those following hope, I surely will.  Speedy recovery to you all.

[Erimus]

I think it would be good to see a programme orientated on 4-5 people in withdrawal, following them over a period of 1-3 years, with updates every 3 months or so. 

[Altostrata]

@Combitone the producers had more than 90 hours of interviews and regret not having the time to include the recordings as well as other material.

 

[Combitone]

23 hours ago, Altostrata said:

@Combitone the producers had more than 90 hours of interviews and regret not having the time to include the recordings as well as other material.

 

 

Not the point I'm making. I attempted to contact them numerous times after the first round of conversations didn't lead anywhere, and after no response I let it go. My objection is that they shouldn't then reach out indirectly through a proxy unless they're serious about not wasting my time further. I'm perfectly within my rights to be irritated by it.

[LostInCanada]

This is the link for the transcript of the program for those of us that can’t watch it….the transcript follows the article.

https://verenigingafbouwmedicatie.nl/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Y670a_ADs_2_million_taking_them_for_5_yrs_or_more_BBC_19-06-2023.pdf

[Katy398]

This is another link I’ve found that can be viewed outside the UK. It can be downloaded through ClipGrab. Not sure how long it will remain active though. 
 

https://rumble.com/v2wlt7g-the-antidepressant-story-bbc-panorama-documentary.html

[Happy2Heal]

On 6/20/2023 at 4:35 AM, jon1 said:

One thing I've noticed in these shows is that the doctors who try to defend antidepressants always use the most extreme cases as if they're the most common. One of them did it in this too, saying the drugs 'saved lives'.

 

I noticed this too and was very angry

 

they don't mention the Black Box warning on the drugs about the suicide risk, shame on them for leaving that out

 

I also felt my blood pressure go up when someone - I will have to re watch it- I forget who it was, mentioned the sexual side effects being rare, I think/HOPE they were talking about the PSSD!

but in any case it should not be surprising to anyone that these drugs cause sexual side effects since as early 1990s, they were being used to TREAT SEX OFFENDERS because up to 66% of patients taking them experienced loss of libido and other sexual side effects such as ED and inability to orgasm.

 

why no one was concerned that any of these side effects could cause long term or permanent damage all comes down to greed, unfortunately. 

 

but I know that Big Pharma has a lot of money and political power, so I suppose they have to be careful what they say or the push back may cause the message to be buried completely

 

as it has been again and again

I can remember when Prozac was first unleashed on the public, and all the books written about it

There were people raising alarm back then about the side effects and unwanted consequences of these drugs.

 

I found the fella who said that in the mental health field the same mistakes are made over and over again to be quite refreshing in his honesty- I just wish he'd said it a bit louder and with some degree of anger and/or profound regret for the real life misery these mistakes have caused tens of thousands of people