The Drugs Don't Work

Oct. 27 2008, Published 7:07 a.m. ET

If you're popping Paxil or guzzling Wellbutrin and you still feel sad, cheer up: It's not you, it's the drugs! "The effectiveness of a dozen popular antidepressants has been exaggerated by selective publication of favorable results, according to a review of unpublished data submitted to the Food and Drug Administration," the Wall Street Journal reports on a New England Journal of Medicine study. Turns out the pharmaceutical companies are only publishing the studies showing that their happy pills work, which has resulted in "doctors and patients getting a distorted view of how well" the drugs really function. So if you are one of those unlucky souls for whom antidepressants offer no relief, you can at least console yourself with the fact that you're right, life really is that bad. Also, pharmaceutical companies are evil.