Taking Away My Antidepressant (and yours) Won’t ‘Make America Healthy Again

You may be sick of it, but we need to keep talking about Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the damage he is unleashing as Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). This one is personal.

This time, he formed a bureaucratic commission “to assess the prevalence of and threat posed by the prescription of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, stimulants…”. Making sure medications are safe and effective is a core tenant of medical science, but I don’t believe that is what RFK Jr. is planning. And also, this happens long before any medication hits the market.

RFK Jr. has suggested that antidepressants are to blame for mass shootings, that they cause more harm than good, and that eliminating them would somehow make America healthier. But his claims aren’t just misleading—they’re unfounded and stupid. Put another way, he is lying to us. And now Donald Trump has given him free reign over American healthcare with one of his many recent executive orders.

As someone whose life has been saved by an antidepressant medication and as a medical professional who has prescribed these medications, I’m beyond the point of being concerned.

For more than 21 million Americans like myself, antidepressants aren’t a luxury; they’re a necessity. Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide, and untreated mental illness is a major contributor to suicide. Restricting or banning antidepressant medications such as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) would be catastrophic, leaving countless Americans without a critical lifeline (by the way, did y’all hear about the massive cuts DOGE made to the National Suicide Hotline this week?). Imagine if we took insulin away from diabetics or inhalers from asthmatics—I believe that’s comparable to the level of harm we’re talking about here.

For myself, I’m at a point in my life where I feel truly fantastic. I feel absolutely zero shame in admitting that part of the equation aiding my journey to happiness has been a once-daily pill to help calibrate my neurotransmitters. In fact, I think that is so cool, mostly because I’m a nerd and think science is dope.

I have more than a handful of friends and family who feel the exact same way, and I don’t think Donald Trump, RFK Jr. or anyone at HHS wants to see us after they’ve abruptly pulled the rug out from under us by quite literally taking away our serotonin.

Truly I hate that we have to talk about this. I am deeply frustrated that RFK Jr. peddles conspiracies, blames gun violence on mental health, ignores scientific literature, and is poised to sabotage modern American healthcare on all fronts. Maybe it’s the brainworm, maybe it’s delusion, maybe it’s all for the grift. No matter the reason, it’s reckless and dangerous.

Is there hope? Can we fight back?

The answer has to be yes. The frontline of this fight is likely going to involve protecting kids. In classic Republican fashion, all indications point to restricting SSRIs for kids as their first target. RFK Jr. has voiced concerns that antidepressants are “more addictive than heroin” for children and that they are responsible for school shootings. Both of these claims are false in every sense of the word.

We need pediatricians everywhere talking to legislators, amplifying and supporting the few competent medical professionals in Congress (shoutout to pediatrician Kim Schrier of Washington’s 8th District), and demanding that our professional organizations actually use their muscle to fight back… and I mean more than releasing statements about being “concerned” or “alarmed”. We’re doctors, not Susan Collins.

We also in-turn need overwhelming support from the public. We need patients to testify and to call their reps. We need human bodies to fill rooms and take up space at protests. We need people to run for office on healthcare issues. We need people to vote like their healthcare depends on it. Because it does.

I’m not saying calling a handful of reps will turn the tide. I’m not saying you need to vote harder (something that often irks me in Democratic messaging). But I am saying that we all need to fight back. And this will take a wide variety of actions, statements, and protests . I guarantee it’s worth our time and energy to fight back on this one.

If you or a loved one are struggling with depression, anxiety, or suicidality, please use these resources to seek support:

• 988 Suicide + Crisis Lifeline

• Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860

• The Trevor Project: 866-488-7386

• Teen Line: 310-855-4673

• LGBT National Youth Talkline: 1-800-246-7743

• Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741