Lithium and the History of Psychiatry

How — and why — did Prozac become the best-selling antidepressant of all time? 

As it is Mental Health Awareness Week, we are diving into this fascinating story that speaks to a greater shift in psychiatry and attitudes towards mental health since the invention of the first antidepressants in the 1950s. 

We’ll also look at how depression was treated before drugs, types of antidepressants, why Prozac was so revolutionary, and what its long-term impact of it has been. 

Today's guest is Dr. Mark L. Ruffalo - a psychotherapist in private practice in Tampa, Florida who teaches widely about the history of psychiatry.

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This episode was produced by Emily Whalley

The senior producer is Charlotte Long

Edited and mixed by Seyi Adaobi