ONE of the major problems associated with anti-depressant drugs are the side effects.

Psychiatric spin doctors work overtime in an attempt to play them down, but when one of the side effects is suicidal tendencies, you need to be really good to dress them up and convince the public to keep taking the pills.

A common psychiatric statement that attempts to ameliorate the public perception is the idea that benefits of the drugs outweigh the risks.

If, however, one of the side effects or risks relates to suicidal thoughts, it is hard to see how benefits could outweigh someone taking their own life.

Furthermore, calling suicidal thoughts a “side effect” is not entirely correct; they are an effect of anti-depressants.

Time after time, we read about individuals who have taken their own lives where, via media reports, the anti-depressant link is in full view.

When film director Tony Scott jumped to his death off a bridge, the post mortem examination found he had taken anti-depressants and sleeping pills.

The psychiatric spin doctors or psychiatrists themselves try their utmost to exonerate the drug in question, but there are now so many deaths linked to anti-depressant usage that it is difficult to miss the fact.

A report from the Office of National Statistics gave the number of deaths where anti-depressants were mentioned on death certificates.

There were 2,031 deaths in England and Wales between 2008 and 2012. That’s more than one death per day. It is of paramount importance that anyone who is prescribed this classification of drug is allowed to make a fully informed decision before taking them.

Brian Daniels National Spokesperson Citizens Commission on Human Rights (UK)