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The family of a young man who carried out a murder-suicide in Bray three weeks ago are understood to be concerned about his use of antidepressants and intend to raise the issue at the inquest into his death.
The Sunday Tribune has learned that members of Shane Clancy's family, from Dalkey in south Dublin, want to explore whether anti-depressants could have in any way influenced his behaviour on the night he murdered Sebastian Creane (22), at his home in Bray in Co Wicklow, before turning the knife on himself.
The Trinity College Dublin student also stabbed his former girlfriend Jennifer Hannigan and Creane's older brother Dylan in the attack. Both have recovered from their injuries.
A source close to the family said some members of the family plan to research antidepressants and speak to the appropriate experts about the medication as they are anxious to explore whether the pills could have influenced his behaviour. Family members believe the best place to raise these concerns will be at an inquest into the 22-year-old's death, which will be held at Wicklow Coroner's Court in several months' time.
The two men's inquests will be dealt with at the same hearing by Wicklow east coroner Cathal Louth. If permitted by the coroner, expert witnesses could be called to give evidence about the impact anti-depressants can have on a patient's behaviour.
Clancy started taking anti-depressant medication a week before the murder-suicide and had told friends that he did not like the way the drugs made him feel.
Last week, a psychiatrist claimed that the murder-suicide in Bray would not have happened if Clancy had not been taking anti-depressants.
Dr Michael Corry, who is an outspoken critic of anti-depressants, said: "If he was not on medication, he would not have done what he did. I would stake my career on that.
"His behaviour was out of character. He went from homicidal to suicidal. It's a Jekyll and Hyde situation." Corry was not involved in the medical treatment of the 22-year-old.
Other psychiatrists and GPs have since disagreed with Corry's assessment.
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Im delighted Ali Bracken has raised the issue of anti-depressants.I believe a discussion on this subject is long overdue. Back in the sixties I was diagnosed as a manic-depressive, now called bi-polar disorder, and was put on anti-depressants and tranquilisers,and told I must take these drugs for the forseeable future.After 5 years I was close to being a zombie. In deep crisis I took a decision to get off drugs.
Forty years later I lead a healthy and active life without drugs. I can say with absolute certaintity that had I followed the course they were outlining I would either be dead or a complete zombie by now.
It wasent easy to take the route I took, but it has certainly been rewarding. I am not the slightest bit surprised that ms Bracken was attacked so viciously by the medical profession,with the exception of the
courageous Dr. Corry. The medical profession, but overwhelmingly the psychiatric medical profession, works hand in glove with the multi-national drug companies to promote a view that any condition can be cured by drugs. The opposite case is more usually the result. First dependency and then addiction to these same drugs.
There is no simple cure for bi-polar disorder.But I have learned how to cope with it successfully for 40 years while holding down a responsible job.
There is no doubt that depression, stress and anxiety disorders can severly cripple anyone. But longterm prescribing of drugs for these problems is not doing anyone any favours. The opposite in fact is the case, because they will never learn how to cope with life and its myriad problems until they face those same problems without drugs.