The Citizens Commission on Human Rights International (CCHR) is calling for an urgent investigation into the approval and ongoing marketing of antidepressants. This plea comes as evidence mounts linking these medications to serious side effects, particularly persistent sexual dysfunction. More than 45 million Americans use antidepressants annually, including approximately 1.6 million adolescents aged 13 to 17.
CCHR’s concerns center around long-standing reports of severe side effects that patients were often not adequately warned about. These include not only sexual dysfunction but also emotional numbing, suicidality, violence, and psychosis. Psychiatrist Dr. Josef Witt-Doering, a former medical officer with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has highlighted that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) can lead to significant cognitive impairment and profound sexual dysfunction, often described as leaving individuals “essentially lobotomized.”
Recent studies further confirm these alarming findings. A retrospective chart review presented at the 26th Annual Fall Scientific Meeting of the Sexual Medicine Society of North America examined 43 young men, with an average age of 27.6, who were diagnosed with post-SSRI sexual dysfunction (PSSD). None had sexual dysfunction before using antidepressants, yet 89% of them exhibited abnormal sensory nerve testing, indicating nerve dysfunction that persisted for over six months after discontinuation of the medication.
These results challenge the previously held belief that sexual side effects from antidepressants are temporary. Dr. Witt-Doering remarked that once PSSD symptoms appear, they can last for years or even be permanent. He emphasized the inadequacies of the medical community in recognizing this condition, which has been acknowledged by major health authorities yet remains underreported.
The FDA has been aware of the potential damage associated with these medications for decades. As early as 1991, researchers noted that serotonin reuptake inhibitors could reduce genital sensation. In 2000, Dr. Joseph Glenmullen warned in his book, “Prozac Backlash,” that SSRIs could cause sexual dysfunction in up to 60% of users and lead to what he termed a “chemical lobotomy.” Despite the FDA’s acknowledgment in 2011 that sexual dysfunction linked to fluoxetine might persist after stopping the drug, no boxed warning was issued to alert patients.
In 2018, a group of 22 international experts, led by psychopharmacologist Dr. David Healy, petitioned the FDA to require prominent warnings regarding the sexual side effects of SSRIs and SNRIs. They presented evidence that reduced genital sensitivity could occur rapidly and last for extended periods, sometimes indefinitely. Unfortunately, the FDA did not act on this request.
CCHR raises concerns regarding the potential conflict of interest within the FDA, noting that a significant portion of its drug-approval budget comes from industry user fees. In fact, user fees for human drugs accounted for approximately 65% of the agency’s total budget, amounting to around $656 million. Critics argue that this funding model jeopardizes patient safety.
The scale of harm associated with antidepressants is underscored by multiple studies. A review in 2022 published in Psychology Today reported that 40% to 65% of antidepressant users experience sexual dysfunction, with nearly four in ten describing their symptoms as intolerable. A 2023 study in the Annals of General Psychiatry classified PSSD as a “well-documented side effect” with the potential for indefinite persistence.
The risks extend beyond adults. An estimated 9% to 10% of pregnant women in the U.S. use antidepressants, often without sufficient informed consent regarding complications for the fetus. Studies have linked prenatal exposure to SSRIs with altered sensory processing, disrupted neurodevelopment, and increased risks of autism and cardiac defects.
CCHR’s investigations across 32 states revealed that over 920,000 children aged 0 to 17 were prescribed antidepressants under Medicaid in 2023, including 25,000 children aged five or younger. In December, an expert working group advising the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency concluded that patient information about antidepressants must more clearly communicate the risks of suicidal behavior and persistent sexual dysfunction.
CCHR is questioning why these drugs remain on the market without the strongest possible warnings. They attribute this regulatory inaction to misleading marketing practices and the prioritization of global antidepressant sales, which exceed $22 billion annually, over patient safety.
Jan Eastgate, president of CCHR International, stated, “From pre-birth to adulthood, millions are exposed to drugs capable of inducing emotional blunting, suicidality, and potentially permanent sexual injury without adequate warning, while sanctioned by the FDA and driven by the psychiatric-pharmaceutical industry. They must be held accountable.”
CCHR, established in 1969 by the Church of Scientology and Dr. Thomas Szasz, is urging individuals who have been harmed by antidepressants to seek legal recourse for failure to warn and damage. They are demanding an independent investigation into FDA approval and labeling decisions, asserting that harmful psychotropic drugs should be removed from the market. Reports of harm or abuse can be submitted through CCHR’s reporting system.
For more information, visit CCHR’s official website.