I Wouldn’t Give SSRIs to a Monkey. Here’s Why
February 8, 2026
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12:01Now PlayingI Wouldn’t Give SSRIs to a Monkey. Here’s Why
YouTube Description
as posted by the channelClick here if you need help quitting psychiatric medications
About 15 years ago, researchers did something that would never be allowed in humans.
They gave Prozac (fluoxetine) to baby monkeys and followed them for years.
Not because the monkeys were sick
Not because it was experimental medicine
But because scientists were worried about what SSRIs might do to the developing brain
In this video, Dr. Josef Witt-Doerring, board-certified psychiatrist and former FDA medical officer, breaks down what those studies actually found.
This wasn’t a fringe experiment.
It was conducted at major U.S. primate research centers and published in leading medical journals.
The monkeys received doses equivalent to what children are prescribed.
They were followed during treatment and long after the drug was stopped.
We’ll cover:
• Why monkeys were used as a model for children
• What happened to sleep, attention, emotional responses, and social behavior
• The brain changes that persisted long after Prozac was discontinued
• Why lack of “statistical significance” doesn’t mean lack of harm
• What these findings may mean for kids prescribed SSRIs today
This video is not anti-medication.
It’s pro-evidence, pro-informed consent, and pro-honest discussion about developmental risk.
If you or someone you love was prescribed antidepressants as a child, this is information you deserve to see.
I’m Dr. Josef Witt-Doerring, former FDA medical officer, and this is what the research actually shows.
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