Mother's Little Helpers

The explosion of mood and behavior-altering prescription drugs that began in the 1950s reflects the 10-20-30 pattern described by Dr. Glenmullen. The wonder drugs of the 50s were overwhelmingly promoted to women, through advertisements claiming these new drugs were "happiness pills," "mental laxatives," "pacifiers for the frustrated and frenetic," and "peace of mind drugs [Kandall, 1996]."

For women overwhelmed and exhausted with running a household and raising children, physicians readily prescribed the "minor" tranquilizers such as Miltown, Librium and Valium, as well as amphetamines and barbiturates. Nicknamed "mother's little helpers," these drugs were touted as a panacea for women's woes. As their popularity soared, these drugs, like the SSRIs of today, were quickly absorbed into pop culture. The 1966, Rolling Stones song "Mother's Little Helper" pays tribute to this phenomenon.

At the time, the pharmaceutical companies assured the public that these new "minor" tranquilizers were safe and non-habit forming. However, by the time it was recognized that these drugs created dependency, it is estimated that between 200,000 and 500,000 people were addicted. Other serious side effects were also discovered [Kennedy, 1999].

Until the arrival of Prozac, Valium was the largest-selling pharmaceutical drug in history.