This is Traci Johnson a 19 years-old healthy volunteer for Cymbalta clinical trial for urinary incontinence in 2003. She hanged herself at Eli-Lylli's clinic in Indianapolis in February, 7, 2004. According to Wikipedia: "A suicide of 19-year-old Traci Johnson, a healthy volunteer in a duloxetine clinical pharmacology study, was highly publicized. For about a month she had been given high doses of duloxetine, and then she was switched to placebo. Four days after the switch, she hanged herself with her scarf from a shower rod in the bathroom of Lilly Laboratory for Clinical Research.[65][66] The New York Times article mentioned a withdrawal syndrome as a possible reason for this suicide."I always thought about changing the avatar but whenever I looked at this bright smile it gave me courage to keep going for it is not easy to deal with this subject and most of the friends I met because of this blog that are dealing with psych-drugs harms feel the same. I wish I did not know about it all but I cannot stop trying to raise awareness because these drugs are destroying lives.
Last year I did a post in February in Tracy Johnson's memory and I have already scheduled this year post but today morning I thought that it was not enough. So I though about dedicating this day to all those people who have their lives changed because of SSRI harm. I wrote an e-mail to some of my friends and this is the outcome of my idea with their inputs: February 7 - International Day in Memory of SSRI Fatalities
SSRI fatalities are those who have died violently due to homicide of suicide induced by SSRIs and now there are newborns that suffer heart malformations or any other teratogenic disturbance.I would also like to remember people that have their quality of life changed because of the use of SSRI as a teenager. Those who are not aware of these facts may be asking themselves why is it happening or even if it is true that a drug that has killed during clinical trial can be at the market. You just got your answer: "market".
We are talking about money and corruption is causing too much harm. I will change my picture next 7th February and leave Tracy Johnson in peace. I want to thank her for all these months she was here by my side. R.I.P. Tracy Johnson I want to thank my blog friends that helped me and encouraged me to keep going: Bob Fiddaman at Seroxat Sufferers Mark p.s. 2 at Psychiatric Survivor Matthew at It's quite an experience Susan at If you're going through hell keep going Needles to say that without them I would not be able to do it.
This is the Awareness Ribbon for the International Day in Memory of SSRI Fatalities created by Aloisio Congrejo, an italian Second Life artist that was kind enough to do it when I asked him. You can see some of his works at Flickr. Thank you very much Aloisio! Update: I just did an event at Bloggers Unite and I am waiting if they will accept it.
