The many ads out there and selective researchers have always suggested that many of the drugs for depression work. However, it is depressing to learn that most chemical treatments for this malady hardly work. Well, some do work, but afterward depression sets in again. Your doctor probably told you that you are depressed because there is a chemical imbalance in your brain, and increasing serotonin levels would help correct the situation. Sometimes, even trying a lot of medication, it's hard to stay positive. You may wonder why you are still suffering from depression, even after taking medication. Here are reasons drugs can't be effective against depression:
You are likely to suffer a depression if you read the help guide analyzing the relationship between medication and the chemical imbalance that causes depression. The author states that it is not clear whether you can use drugs to correct the chemical imbalance that occasions depression. Television ads and pharmaceutical marketing may lull you into a false sense of security.
Granted, antidepressant drugs contain serotonin, which they pump into your brain. However, serotonin shortage isn't the culprit behind the malady, much like aspirin cures headaches but its shortage doesn't precipitate problems.
So far, no research conclusively links chemical imbalances to depression. Mental health researchers point to the host of physiological factors, such as immune system suppression, nutritional deficiencies, inflammation and shrinking brain cells, that contribute to depression. Moreover, there are many social and psychological factors causing depression. Medical treatments can never be able to address such problems.
Medication can save lives in cases of severe depression. However, a growing body of research reveals that few people manage to become symptom-free after antidepressant treatment. There are those who, on the other hand, grow worse. Also, many of those who initially respond positively to medication often relapse back into depression, even as they religiously stick to their prescriptions.
Studies further show that medication for moderate depression can’t be more effective than placebos. Researchers argue that most of the benefits of anti-depression medication are exaggerated. Perhaps, a stark situation can be seen in a report by the CDC which indicates that one out of ten Americans are no antidepressants but still, the rate of people being diagnosed with the ailments increases by 20% every year. Such findings serve to cast doubts on the efficacy of the medication.
So, what are the causes of depression? According to an article by Dr. Kelly Brogan, the serotonin theory is yet to achieve the threshold we need for verification of scientific research. Dr. Brogan attributes the serotonin theory to pharmaceutical companies out to make quick bucks by having people fall for their serotonin products.
Depression is not a sickness but a symptom. According to the cytokine theory, depression is the way your body responds to various irregularities, most of which have the relationship with chemical balances. You, consequently, need to address the cause of the abnormalities, rather than turning the heat on the anomalies.
Findings published in the New England Journal of Medicine suggest that drug companies release only the outcomes of research that support the use of antidepressants. Mark Hyman, MD, writing for the Huffington Post, explains that deliberately misleading publications work to distort your view of antidepressants, falsely believing that they do work.
Many studies don't favor the use of drugs to treat depression. Most researchers can't pinpoint the benefits of using drugs. In fact, only 60% of people taking drugs experience any improvement in their symptoms. 80% of depression patients get better by taking a placebo rather than an antidepressant.
Why is there such a widespread fraud over the efficacy of antidepressants? Well, no law would force drug companies to publish all the findings of their research. Researchers taking a critical look at all the research conducted on antidepressants and reporting their results in The New England Journal of Medicine made depressing observations.
After digging into FDA databases, calling many researchers and invoking the Freedom of Information Act to scrutinize hidden information, they discovered that only 14 out 36 negative findings on antidepressants saw the light of day. However, 37 out 38 positive results were published in various journals and databases. They further observe that the negative findings were framed as if they were positive.
The implication is that drug companies twist negative results to fool the entire public. The ineffectiveness of antidepressants is not the only culprit in the hoax. Some drug firms go to the extent of paying or arm-twisting hired researchers to conceal negative findings. Such incidents have cast scientific studies of poor light.
There is no denying that antidepressants work, but they don't adequately address the problem of depression. Many of the people on medication often relapse back into depression, while a few even try to commit suicide. Furthermore, most of the information available on the efficacy of drugs is deliberately misleading so as to drive sales of pharmaceutical products. It is important’ therefore, to address the root causes of depression and the rest will take care of itself.
Matthew Snider is a writer, a personal development junkie and a regular blogger at Self Development Secrets. Matt, with his one quarter Asian descent, did not start out as a writer, but he says, “the love for a subject is the most important aspect of writing. The readers want to read something written by someone who understands them.”