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Depression Since Prozac: An Argument For Authenticity

Russell Helms*

Many science writers think that taking drugs such as Prozac for depression betrays one’s authenticity. This paper belies that notion, promoting the benefits of SSRIs, namely for the relief of depressive symptoms, which leads to a fuller and more meaningful life. Critics of Prozac and the SSRIs, such as Charles Barber, Carl Elliot, Nassir Ghaemi, and David Healy, decry the loss of sadness as a vital organ to one’s authenticity. This organic authenticity it seems is the primary indicator that one is following his or her “true self.” I argue that an unmedicated self, while suffering from depression, is not the true self and that rather the “true self” is that person who has been lifted from depression by medications such as Prozac, which leads to a more meaningful and productive life. As the number one cause of disability worldwide, according to the World Health Organization, the pharmacologic treatment of depression deserves respect and an open mind to those interventions that have been proven to work.