Mind altering drugs a common link to most mass killings... including the FL shooter

Back years ago, I had to take Prozac and Xanax for a while. It probably saved my life. Many others have been helped and saved by these medications as well. The problem with these meds, guns, cars, and any other inanimate object comes down to personal responsibility. Whether the responsibility falls on the individual or the caretaker of someone who is mentally diminished, somewhere there is a failure of personal responsibility aided occasionally by a depraved heart when these objects are used as tools to turn deadly. We need to examine THESE causations as a society if we really want to cut back on the killings.

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These are some of the most severely disturbed individuals, so obviously they were on drugs that attempt to minimize the disturbance. And tens of millions of people take psychotropic drugs and don't commit mass murder.

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As much as I disagree with you buckeye, you are spot on here! Well said!

I think this is an interesting topic for discussion. You’re not the one to lead it.

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What did we ever do prior to the mass medicating? Was there mass shootings like we have now?

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Yes there were mass shootings and they were and are rare events.

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10 million kids on it? 10 million undeveloped minds on a drug a that 4% will develop mania from?

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I don't even know what study the 4% is coming from, but I wasn't talking about a specific drug or a specific age. I'm just saying that tens of millions of people have taken psychotropic medications, and obviously antidepressants are among the most common and SSRI's are the most common antidepressant.

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Again, we had these weapons for a long time. Yet we have not had the killings at this rate

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Yeah. "Killings" were actually much higher in the previous decades.

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The guns did not grow legs, walk out the door, hail an uber to the local school and shoot it up.

A person did.

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That's what I was implying, but that it was also similarly applicable to your drugs argument.

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Back years ago, I had to take Prozac and Xanax for a while.

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For a while vs age, length of time, and other factors should be the focus.

The maker is saying that 1 in 25 will have major issues.

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The problem with these meds, guns, cars, and any other inanimate object comes down to personal responsibility. Whether the responsibility falls on the individual or the caretaker of someone who is mentally diminished, somewhere there is a failure of personal responsibility aided occasionally by a depraved heart when these objects are used as tools to turn deadly. We need to examine THESE causations as a society if we really want to cut back on the killings.

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I will say it again. Something changed from a time when students took guns to school on a gun rack in their truck without issues to a time where kids are become mass murders.

These drugs are a common denominator.

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The maker is saying that 1 in 25 will have major issues.

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You don’t understand how adverse events are reported.

I read an article yesterday that analyzed journals of people who were severely depressed, committed suicide and/or murder suicide.

One commonality was a lack of empathy. These people focused almost solely on themselves and how everything affected them. What's possible, chronically depressed people and deranged killers are likely to share some of the same traits and take meds.

Meds are probably not the cause, but an attempt at a solution.

Speaking of mind altering drugs, there are studies that show very small doses of LSD to be beneficial for those suffering depression. Micro-dosing is what it is called, and it's a small enough amount that most people don't experience the hallucinogenic effects.

There's some thought out there as well that psychedelic mushrooms could have the same benefits. I do know in college when I used to eat mushrooms, I was always in a really good mood for a few days afterwards.

SSRI’s are being handed out like candy to kids, along with ADHD medications.

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Recently, there has been some concern that the use of antidepressant medications themselves may induce suicidal behavior in youths. Following a thorough and comprehensive review of all the available published and unpublished controlled clinical trials of antidepressants in children and adolescents, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a public warning in October 2004 about an increased risk of suicidal thoughts or behavior (suicidality) in children and adolescents treated with SSRI antidepressant medications. In 2006, an advisory committee to the FDA recommended that the agency extend the warning to include young adults up to age 25.

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What else do the shooters have in common? Youth. Nearly all are under 25 years old when they snap.

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no completed suicides occurred among nearly 2,200 children treated with SSRI medications. However, about 4 percent of those taking SSRI medications experienced suicidal thinking or behavior, including actual suicide attempts—twice the rate of those taking placebo, or sugar pills.

In response, the FDA adopted a "black box" label warning indicating that antidepressants may increase the risk of suicidal thinking and behavior in some children and adolescents with MDD. A black-box warning is the most serious type of warning in prescription drug labeling.

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4% of kids out of 2,200 exhibited signs of suicide or attempted suicide. Now expand that number to the millions of kids who are now on these drugs and 4% because an epidemic of potentially suicidal kids. All it takes is 1 or 2 kids, with evil in thier hearts, to act on their suicidal thoughts and take people they blame for their situation (family, classmates, and school admins) out with them.

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The warning also notes that children and adolescents taking SSRI medications should be closely monitored for any worsening in depression, emergence of suicidal thinking or behavior, or unusual changes in behavior, such as sleeplessness, agitation, or withdrawal from normal social situations. Close monitoring is especially important during the first four weeks of treatment. SSRI medications usually have few side effects in children and adolescents, but for unknown reasons, they may trigger agitation and abnormal behavior in certain individuals.

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Parents or guardians need to do a better job of engaging with their kids, especially if they are depressed. Letting them sit in front of a computer all day, alone, is not good parenting. You are not their friend, be the parent. Help them find joy in their lives by being involved, don’t just throw pills down their throats and think the problem is solved. If you are there for them, you will notice if the depression is worsening or getting better.

NIMH