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Approved in the early 90s, and once hailed as a “game changer”, the research as finally coming out that they barely work better than a placebo with many more side effects and withdrawal symptoms
Quote:
By 2015, Dr. Turner had left the agency for academia. He conducted a review of the publication status of 74 studies involving 12 antidepressant agents with 12,564 patients and found that the drugs beat the placebo in only 51 percent of the studies in the FDA files—an outcome that was not reflected in the published medical literature at the time. Of 33 studies that had negative or questionable results, 22 were never published and 11 were published in a way that falsely conveyed a positive outcome, wrote Dr. Turner in the New England Journal of Medicine. Even though half of the trial had failed, 94 percent of the published trials reported positive trial results. The full scope of this disconnect has only recently come into public view.
I really question any drug that alters brain chemistry and I hate SSRIs most of all. Everyone I've known that was on one had significant side effects. I'm sure someone will come along to this thread and be like "I've been on them successfully for 20 years with no ill effects" and good for them, but I discourage people from taking them. Therapy and learning good coping mechanisms while leaving your brain alone is much, much better in my opinion.
A slightly different topic, but we put kids on way to many brain chemistry altering drugs these days. I know a young man who, like many young men in this modern age had depression and moodiness and was put on SSRIs. He also loooooves THC vaping. I really fear that as he hits middle age he'll end up a raving paranoid loon, and I wonder how many more out there are like him...time bombs waiting to go off.
I tend to agree with the OP. I heard someone who has a lot of knowledge on the subject say that we are still in the dark ages when it comes to mental heath treatment.
One thing I will add, the human body can take a lot of punishment. We are way more resilient than many people realize.
As far as the long term effects, who knows? 30+ years ago they warned us about the "Crack babies". No one knows for certain.
These medications function by retaining serotonin in the brain resulting in a decrease in depressive symptoms. These symptoms can be mild or fatal in the event of suicide. For decades mental illness and depressive disorders were framed as a problem with the individual and patients were often shunned, exposed to a variety of terrible treatments to "remove" the cause. Religious "exorcisms" of demons, brain "surgeries" and a variety of witch doctor "cures" existed and were common.
Throughout this time the American Medical Assn posited that depression was an illness and this viewpoint was substantiated by research which revealed that maintaining a higher level of serotonin in the human brain worked well to alleviate severe symptoms of depression. They were and are a game changer.
All medications have side effects and some are mild and can be severe. If one is depressed, these can be highly effective. A poster here cited education, coping mechanisms and talking therapy as helpful. They are correct and with or without the medication, these efforts can alleviate many symptoms and In doing so give the person coping skills and strengthening of the person themselves. These, and all other medications should not be taken in the absence of talk therapy in my viewpoint.
Bear in mind also that these medications can take up to eight weeks to begin working. If you are in trouble, crying, loss of interest in daily activities which used to make you happy, or lack of sleep or appetite you should speak with someone now. Depression is a very serious illness and must be handled quickly and without delay.
These medications function by retaining serotonin in the brain resulting in a decrease in depressive symptoms. These symptoms can be mild or fatal in the event of suicide. For decades mental illness and depressive disorders were framed as a problem with the individual and patients were often shunned, exposed to a variety of terrible treatments to "remove" the cause. Religious "exorcisms" of demons, brain "surgeries" and a variety of witch doctor "cures" existed and were common.
Throughout this time the American Medical Assn posited that depression was an illness and this viewpoint was substantiated by research which revealed that maintaining a higher level of serotonin in the human brain worked well to alleviate severe symptoms of depression. They were and are a game changer.
All medications have side effects and some are mild and can be severe. If one is depressed, these can be highly effective. A poster here cited education, coping mechanisms and talking therapy as helpful. They are correct and with or without the medication, these efforts can alleviate many symptoms and In doing so give the person coping skills and strengthening of the person themselves. These, and all other medications should not be taken in the absence of talk therapy in my viewpoint.
Bear in mind also that these medications can take up to eight weeks to begin working. If you are in trouble, crying, loss of interest in daily activities which used to make you happy, or lack of sleep or appetite you should speak with someone now. Depression is a very serious illness and must be handled quickly and without delay.
Zero evidence that low serotonin causes depression.
Researchers have found no clear evidence that serotonin levels or activity cause depression, according to a review of prior research published in Molecular Psychiatry.
The findings suggest that depression is most likely not caused by a chemical imbalance, calling into question how antidepressants work and what they do, according to the study authors. Most antidepressants are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which were believed to work by correcting low serotonin levels. According to the study, there is no other accepted pharmacological mechanism by which antidepressants affect symptoms of depression.
If you are in trouble, crying, loss of interest in daily activities which used to make you happy, or lack of sleep or appetite you should speak with someone now.
If you're a man in your 50s or older with the above symptoms, I'd get a testosterone level test before I saw the shrink.
If you're a man in your 50s or older with the above symptoms, I'd get a testosterone level test before I saw the shrink.
In combination that would be appropriate.
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