The Black Cloud in Silver Linings Playbook: Pharma Product Placement in Film

Has the motion picture industry become the newest outlet for pharmaceutical product advertising? And as part of that promotion will the viewing audience understand that Seroquel, one of the most powerful mind-altering drugs in psychiatry’s arsenal, has been dubbed the pharmaceutical equivalent of a chemical lobotomy? The recently released Silver Linings Playbook, for example, in an apparent attempt to legitimize the alleged mental illness bipolar disorder, and also convince the audience that psychiatric medication is the necessary treatment, not only specifically mentions Seroquel but also provides a close up of the actual pill.

New mental disorders manual could have us all doped up

The new version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) will be out this May and has received a lot of criticism. Published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), the manual is the bible of who is not “normal” and has some kind of mental disorder that needs treatment.

Gun Control or Antidepressant Control?

Are antidepressants being prescribed too often and too much? Has the definition of clinical depression become too broad? And why are mass shootings now being linked to antidepressant use? The risk that antidepressants will ignite violent or self-destructive behavior has been the subject of renewed controversy.

After evidence that several gunmen involved in mass shootings were taking antidepressants during the time of their outburst, a number of threads have been appearing on the Web regarding this issue, but the media refuses to bring it up.