I recently read some rather depressing medical news – and that is that antidepressants don’t work. What’s worse is that we have all been conned by the FDA and the pharmaceutical industry telling us how much they DO work. We all know what a common problem depression is in mental health care.
It is well on its way to becoming the main cause of long-term disability in the U.S. I was even more baffled when I read how the drug companies are selectively publishing studies that just show the benefits of anti-depressants and not the truth – the studies that show that they don’t work.
No wonder these antidepressants have climbed to the second leading class of all drugs sold in America.
The world has a bit of a warped view when it comes to antidepressants and anxiety medications. What do the studies actually say? That if you take a placebo – a sugar pill – that you have an 80% likelihood of improvement. Now we have this huge problem where we have millions of people ‘clinically’ depressed with no proper treatment plan, and the problem gets worse every year many times leading to a state of depersonalization .
We need to understand what depression really is; a label.
It tells us that you have lost all interest and joy in the many activities of your day, combined with a low mood and sadness most of the time. Sleeping is difficult, you feel hopeless, and you have a difficult time making decisions.
This makes sense, but what about the cause of all these symptoms? Is it simply just a matter of brain chemistry or is it your lifestyle?
Anxiety disorders are not problems with a one size fits all solution. We must understand the reasons for anxiety disorders based on the patterns each individual is running.
If the statistics say that 1 in 10 people are currently on some form of an antidepressants and that the intake of these drugs has tripled in the last decade, it just tells me one thing; That there is a group of people sitting around right now making more money than you can imagine, laughing at us all the way to the bank. What’s becoming more obvious to me is that we are only getting the evidence that the drug companies want us to have and that doctors and patients are getting more and more deceived by the day.
This leads to millions of confused people taking antidepressants, suffering further, and getting poorer.
Our trust in science has sadly come to an end, and what is making us sick is also making us more depressed. This is important. I have a friend named Carol and she suffered from anxiety and depression for years, going from drug to drug trying to find a cure. Eventually she found out that the underlying cause of all of her problems was food allergies. That’s right, FOOD ALLERGIES.
That was the cause of her long struggle with anxiety and depression. When she took care of the food allergies her depression went away, she lost weight and got her life back. Now she feels and looks amazing and has thrown all of the pills she was taking away. This is just one single case. Many other cases have shown that when heavy metals such as Mercury are detoxified from our blood, that depression was lifted as a result.
What does this tell us all in the end? It tells us that we must fix the cause of the problem, not try to manage the problem itself with antidepressants and anxiety medications.
*Please understand that this post on antidepressants and anxiety medications was solely my opinion on the subject. I want too hear what you have to say! Please comment below in the comment section.
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I’ve been on medication for anxiety and depression for almost my entire life, I’ve managed up until recently to have a career, be self sufficient, perform, be an artist, have relationships. Recently events that I had no control over hit me like a brick and I suffered a nervous breakdown. I wish with my whole heart and soul I could be medication free but the anxiety was so bad I stopped eating. I have my CBC tested every month. I wish I could go into detail about what it’s been like. But instead I’ll just say that for me, therevdoesntvseem to be an affordable alternative. I would live to be able to,pack me and my cat up and go to a posh clinic to detox. I actually did go off my meds and ended up in the hospital… I’m still functioning, performing, going to school in the hopes of starting a new career, practicing self care and spending a lot of time in nature. I don’t know if my case can be solved by going back and discovering that my family was a typical 50’s 60’s dysfunctional family or if the serotonin levels are off. I think that those of us that suffer with these issues are all individual. I wish I could say that I have a food allergy that would explain all the therapy and medications I’ve been on since I was 16. I am now 59. I go to the gym every day, I sing in a band, I do henna tattoos. I don’t sit at home curled up in the fetal position, I take yoga twice a week. Perhaps when I’m really old and absolutely facing death I can be content with a little smoke and the drugs can get shoved into the drawer with the scores of old drugs that didn’t work. I would love to be free, I just don’t see how that is possible…..
I have found many natural ways to relieve anxiety and depression symptoms and only resort to meds if it is really bad. I don’t like the way the meds make me feel and I know that on the meds, I am not me. But it does let me work and do the things that I need to do. Exercise works best for me and it helps me avoid having to take meds every day. I would much rather go the gym anyway! 🙂
Exercise certainly releases the good chemical in our body, and definitely can help with anxiety so you’re on the right track Francis.
I used xanax my whole life and i feel better.
So do you really think that in severe cases of depression and other mental health illnesses like say Schizophrenia, that pharma drugs offer no benefit? because I find that hard to believe.
Are they being over prescribed? Absolutely. Are they exaggerating their benefits, their safety and everything in between, again absolutely, but what about when a person is so bad, that they have no choice. When they feel so bad that they’d rather die than continue feeling like that.
What about when someone has schizophrenia and they’re being tortured by voices in their head, telling them they’re ugly, worthless, whatever. Are you suggesting regular exercise and some magnesium can cure these people, because I do not think so. I think in moderate cases you would be right, but there is many people who are just so miserable that they have no choice other than to numb the pain.
The article does not in anyway negate the need for antidepressants etc for severe cases of mental/emotional health problems or otherwise. There is most definitely a time and place for them, and I would work closely with your local professionals on a targeted plan for a more fulfilling life.
I’ve tossed all my SSRI’s and esp. Klonopin in the garbage. The two together almost destroyed my career and ended my marriage….We shall see what the futures shall hold but at least I’ve got my mind back…
Sending good vibes David.
My blood pressure was REALLY out of control to the
Point that I ended up in the ER with loss of vision in my left eye. After various tests the only culprit the doctors could find for the BP was anxiety. I reluctantly agreed to try non addictive anxiety meds. (Old school original chill pill) i still have anxiety but my level is between a 2 to 5 instead of a 10. I feel bad about taking meds, but it is helping my BP. Will this hinder my recovery. ?
Most definitely not, so much clarity can be tapped into when we can lessen our anxiety levels and find some inner peace.