Dr. Healy discusses Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction (PSSD), caused by the discontinuation of SSRIs. He has been trying to get the media and FDA/EMA and other regulatory agencies to recognize and list PSSD as a known side effect, but has been met with staunch resistance, despite thousands upon thousands of patients reporting this problem. Throughout his 30 year journey of trying to illuminate the frequency and severity of this, he has been met with several responses, including that it isn't happening, then later recognition of PSSD but claims that it is caused by the patient's depression. (I don't know of any psychiatric disorder that causes your genitals to be numb...) He also talks about visual snow syndrome associated with SSRIs, and the risk of worsening addictions.
We then pivot to talk about his history of working on the original research on the serotonin reuptake system and the debunked serotonin theory of depression, which 'came from the marketing department of SmithKlineBeecham' and was deemed untrue by the creator of the SSRIs, Arvid Karlsen, before their FDA approval and popularization in the late 1980s and 1990s. It is crazy to me that these companies are able to get away with this and ostracize and demonize clinicians trying to sound the alarm and protect their patients, but this is the healthcare world we live in, and we're going to have to demand change for change to occur.
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