Remember the “Zoloft defense“?

Now some people are making what I call the “Prozac excuse,” blaming the Northern Illinois University shooting on the fact that the gunman recently stopped taking that antidepressant (an SSRI).

But experts tell the Chicago Tribune that that idea is flawed.

They emphasize that going off antidepressants can be difficult and should be done only under a doctor’s supervision. However, if done properly, medication can usually be stopped safely, with little risk to others. (It’s not known whether the gunman stopped taking Prozac on his own.)

Dr. Emil Coccaro of the University of Chicago Medical Center points out that the gunman’s actions were well-planned and not impulsive, unlike the irrational behavior that can happen in people predisposed to it who abruptly end their medication.

As the death of actor Heath Ledger showed, prescription drugs are not things to be used lightly. Better communication between patients and doctors about what medicines people are taking — and the best way to stop taking them — is crucial to prevent more tragedies.

But instead of condemning those with mental illness, as so many message-board posters are doing, let’s show the same compassion that we would show to someone taking medicine for a physical illness.