It is actually an SSRI - Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor. It works by maintaining effective levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin, one of the substances whic h nerve cells use to communicate with each other. Prozac has enjoyed a popularity and notoriety unusual for a medication. The name has become a household word. Perhaps the answer lies in the sheer size of the group Prozac is able to treat - those who are troubled but not mentally ill.
Most people suffer in one way or another from minor anxieties, depressions and obsessions.
Prozac, with its minor side effects and multiple applications, may well be the precursor of a whole new generation of psychopharmacological drugs. These drugs will enable us to tinker with the psyche with greater and greater specificity, targeting indi vidual moods, traits, attitudes and emotions. For example, say that a person suffers from a fear of public speaking. A small pill in the morning before work might alleviate that problem - turning the nervous introvert into a vivacious extrovert in time fo r the big board meeting that afternoon. There is an entire host of such alterations that would enable individuals to function better within this society, achieving greater success in both personal and nonpersonal areas.