I’m in Control of My Life
After three years on Prozac, I stopped taking it in 2001. The next few months were hard. I started to fall apart and I felt like the same depressed nervous wreck I was before. I was recommended at the Whitaker Wellness Institute to start taking extra B vitamins and four fish oil capsules daily, so I gave it a try. Now every day I take a few deep breaths along with my vitamins, and the combo works!
I have been off Prozac for over four years, and I feel normal and healthy and in control of my life.
— KCM, Glendale, CA*
Mood Lifted, Energy Returned
John was 48 years old and was going through major problems, both in his work and his personal life. He felt depressed, and with good reason. He described it as a “cloud” that he could almost physically feel. He was waking up early in the morning and could not get back to sleep. His energy level was so low that it was all he could do to muddle through the day, and his work, normally a source of pleasure for him, had become a burden. John knew his depression was related to the stresses in his personal and professional life, but that didn’t make it any easier to cope.
If John had gone to a conventional doctor, he would most likely have been put on Prozac, the world’s most popular antidepressant, and it might have brightened his outlook on life. However, Prozac has a plethora of negative side effects.
When John consulted me, we went right to my first choice for treating depression, the herb St. John’s wort. John was truly astounded by the effects of St. John’s wort. Within a very short time his mood lifted, his energy returned, and he could clearly see his way through his difficulties. Now, four months down the road, he is doing fine.
— from Health & Healing by Julian Whitaker, MD
Prozac-Induced Temper Tantrums
A patient of mine had been given Prozac by another physician without my knowledge. It helped for a while, but after two years she began having violent temper tantrums. One day, without provocation, she picked up a baseball bat and smashed the windshield of her car. Her terrified husband opened the door and wisely said, “You’d better see a doctor.”
I weaned her off Prozac and put her on natural agents for depression. She’s doing much, much better now.
— from Health & Healing by Julian Whitaker, MD
*Individual Results May Vary
