A Better Day

Yesterday felt pretty good – finally letting out what was going on. Thanks to everyone who expressed their support and shared advice. Again, much appreciated. Anyway, now that I’m feeling prolific again, I wanted to talk a little bit about the documentary. Other than the physical and mental anguish, the experience has been incredible – I’ve met some amazing people and learned things that I still can’t believe are true (but are!) So far, we have over 100 hours of raw footage. We’ve interviewed experts, doctors, victims and survivors – we’ve talked to people who say antidepressants have saved their lives and people who say antidepressants have ruined their lives. It’s obvious that this is not a clear-cut issue - but something I’m sure we all can agree on is that we don’t have all the facts - and when human lives are at stake, this is not an option. Here are some recent highlights of the project…


Image filmed by Darren LaZarre.

While attending the FDA hearings in Washington, I was lucky enough to sit down with noted psychiatrist David Healy. Dr. Healy is the author of a number of books and articles that are critical of the pharmaceutical industry’s influence on medicine and academia. He’s a fascinating guy who really knows what he’s talking about. He’s also not shy about expressing his opinion that SSRIs can lead to suicide. Made for a great interview.


Image filmed by Darren LaZarre.

I have to say, interviewing Gwen Olsen, author of the book “Confessions of an Rx Drug Pusher” turned out to be one of the most surprising interviews of the project so far. Gwen spent fifteen years as a sales rep in the pharmaceutical industry working for health care giants such as Johnson & Johnson and Bristol-Myers Squibb. During our interview, she was extremely candid about her experience as a drug rep. Her story really sheds light on how the system works - behind-the-scenes. It also reveals a lot about how drugs, like antidepressants, have become so widely prescribed by medical professionals. Gwen also talked openly about the events that lead to the tragic death of her niece two years ago. It was a powerful interview and one I will not soon forget.



Image filmed by Ryan F. Corcoran.

Get into a discussion about the chemical imbalance theory with Jonathan Leo and I’m betting you’ll lose every time. Dr. Leo is a professor of anatomy who has written a number of articles exposing the flaws in the chemical imbalance theory as it relates to depression, schizophrenia and ADHD.

Along with the interviews, I am still documenting my own experiences (ad nauseam) as I continue to try to beat this thing and find a healthy and reasonable balance in my life. The plan is to start editing very soon – I would probably have already started, but as I said yesterday, I think my journey is far from over. It’s hard to tell a story when you don’t know how it ends.