TMJ 'dysfunction' - Health implications

“La maladie imaginaire

If press coverage is anything to go by, Americans started to get Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) about three years ago. In 1997-98 the condition was referred to about 50 times in the nation's media. But a year later things suddenly got sadder. In 1999 there were more than a billion references to it in the US press.

According to the international Herald Tribune the increase in stories was not spurred by medical developments but was part of a campaign - coordinated by Cahn & Wolfe, a New York Public relations agency. The strategy included pitches to newspapers, radio, TV and testimonials from advocates and doctors claiming that SAD was America's third most common mental disorder with over 10m sufferers; only depression and alcoholism claim more victims. Paxil is the only FDA-approved medication for the treatment of 'Social Anxiety Disorder,' was the caring sharing marketing message. But the plug for the drug was no accident. Cahn & Wolfe was working at the behest of SmithKline Beecham, now known as Glaxo SmithKline.

Whilst aggressive campaigns such as this one raise the concern that pharmaceutical companies are seeking new disorders for existing drugs. They also generate an artificial and increasing need for pharmaceutical inventions amongst huge proportions of people who had not until then 'realised' they needed help. What's more, the expensive campaign paid off. In the crowded anti-depressant market, Glaxo SmithKline's 2000 annual report claims that Paxil became the No 1 in the US selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor market for new retail prescriptions in 2000.”
SAD people, happy Glaxo SmithKline

When Glaxo was outed on this scandal they went very quite for a while. All reference to Social Anxiety Disorder was removed. It however re emerged as "Seasonal Affective Disorder"

Very SAD people and even happier Glaxo