What happened in this episode?
Alex Clark interviews Danielle Gansky, who says she was first medicated for ADHD at age seven after a teacher raised concerns, and that clinicians subsequently added antidepressants, benzodiazepines, mood stabilisers and antipsychotics before she turned ten. Gansky alleges her parents were not given sufficient information to provide informed consent, and argues that long-term effects of antidepressants on the developing brain are not well studied.
Gansky describes persistent cognitive and emotional symptoms she attributes to long-term SSRI exposure and withdrawal, including memory lapses, difficulty reading and a reduced “inner dialogue”. She recounts being tapered off antidepressants over six weeks in her early twenties, which she says followed standard practice but precipitated a severe withdrawal crisis leaving her bedbound, in emergency departments, and later back on medication. She alleges multiple clinicians dismissed withdrawal as relapse or misdiagnosed it as a mood disorder, and says an antipsychotic trial caused a severe adverse reaction.
The conversation turns to post-SSRI sexual dysfunction (PSSD). Gansky claims there is no FDA label warning for potentially persistent sexual and emotional effects, and alleges a citizen petition seeking updated warnings went unanswered for years. She also says HHS and “SAMA” are convening a technical expert panel to develop tapering guidance and that she served on it. Clark adds her own views on informed consent and pregnancy while on SSRIs; these are presented as opinion rather than clinical guidance.
