Prozac

The drug Prozac was introduced in 1987. By 1990, psychiatrists in the United States prescribed Prozac more often than any other drug. Five years later, its maker, Eli Lilly and Co., reported sales of over $2 billion. Originally designed as an anti-depressant, Prozac has since been used to combat obesity, shyness, obsessive-compulsive behavior, and even back pain. It improves mood, energy levels, optimism, and feelings of inadequacy. Not only has Prozac helped millions of people deal with their emotional and psychological problems, but it has changed their understanding of moods and personality.

Prozac is one of a group of "designer" drugs known as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs). These drugs work by increasing levels of the chemical serotonin (seh-reh-TOE-nin) in the brain. Older antidepressants are less specific. They change the balance of a number of brain chemicals in the hope that one of them will have the desired effect. In theory, this makes Prozac much safer and easier to monitor. In the early 1990s, however, Prozac was linked with a number of disturbing events. There were reports of people becoming violent or suicidal for the first time while taking Prozac. Several lawsuits tried and failed to link SSRIs with gun massacres and other violent acts. In 2001, Prozac is generally considered a safe and useful drug therapy. The safety of the drug has allowed some people who are not clinically depressed to indulge in "cosmetic pharmacology." In other words. they take Prozac simply to "improve" their personalities.

Aside from its impact on psychiatry, during the 1990s, Prozac became a symbol of the "stressed-out" nature of American life. More than any other medicine, it is seen as a cure for the stresses and strains of modern life. Perhaps the most significant side effect of Prozac has been on society itself. Critics fear that the use of Prozac as cosmetic pharmacology devalues the suffering involved in real mental illness. More positively, the widespread use of Prozac may also make society more tolerant and open about mental-health problems.

—Chris Routledge

For More Information

Appleton, William S. Prozac and the New Antidepressants: What YouNeed to Know About Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Luvox, Wellbutrin, Effexor, Serzone, Vestra, Celexa, St. John's Wort and Others. New York: Plume, 2000.

Prozac.com.http://www.prozac.com/ (accessed April 4, 2002).

Kramer, Peter. Listening to Prozac. New York: Viking, 1993.

National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. "Prozac." NAMI: The Nation's Voice on Mental Illness.http://www.nami.org/helpline/prozac.htm (accessed April 4, 2002).

Wurtzel, Elizabeth. Prozac Nation. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1994.