Health Dialogues: Lifestyle Drugs

AirTalk takes a look at a particular class of lifestyle drugs selective seratonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs). These drugs, which include Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft, and others, are more prescribed now than ever before, and are no longer prescribed exclusively by psychiatrists for depression. Now general practitioners, gynecologists, and other doctors are prescribing them for a variety of ailments, including addiction, shyness and PMS. How safe are SSRIs, and are they an effective treatment for depression and easy and safe way to dramatically improve one's "lifestyle?" Larry Mantle speaks with Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the Center on Neuroscience at George Washington University, Dr. Fred Goodwin; psychiatrist and clinical instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Joe Glenmullen; and Lauren Slater, author of Prozac Diary (Penguin USA).