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Why the constant trashing of antidepressants is absurd

#11
Magical Realist Offline
I can with certainty testify that antidepressants have alleviated my depressive disorder substantially for around 16 years now. How would they be working if all they do is increase the amount of neurotransmitters like serotonin and norepinephren in the brain? They wouldn't. The fact that antidepressants do indeed work overall is evidence that there is a depletion of serotonin and/or norepinephren in the brains of depressed patients. Then there's this:


"There’s been an array of controversy surrounding antidepressants over the past decades, ranging from concerns about their effectiveness to fears that overprescription is turning us into a “Prozac Nation”.

A massive new study in The Lancet has sought to put these debates to rest. An international team led by the University of Oxford in the UK has carried out a huge meta-analysis of almost 120,000 people and their experiences using 21 of the most commonly prescribed antidepressants.

Their verdict: antidepressants work.

“This rigorous study confirms that antidepressants have an important place in the treatment of depression,” commented Dr James Warner, a psychiatrist at Imperial College London who was not directly involved in the study.

“Depression causes misery to countless thousands every year and this study adds to the existing evidence that effective treatments are available. This study also adds clarity about how effective and how well tolerated all the common antidepressants are, and should help clinicians and patients in treatment choices.”

Their analysis considered a drug “effective” if it reduced depression symptoms by 50 percent or more. All 21 antidepressants were shown to be more effective than placebos after 8 weeks. That said, some drugs were found to be more effective than others. The most effective were agomelatine, amitriptyline, escitalopram, mirtazapine, paroxetine, venlafaxine, and vortioxetine. Like most medications, these drugs are all sold under several different brand names.

Depression is a very common experience. Over 300 million people are currently living with depression and that figure is on the rise. Just like any problem with your health, mental or physical, it's perfectly OK to reach for help and there are plenty of treatments available, among which are antidepressants.

Antidepressants are among the most commonly prescribed medications in the Western world. There are numerous different forms that work in different ways, however, they all revolve around the idea of increasing levels of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and noradrenaline. While this research has been widely praised, others have been quick to remind people that antidepressants are not necessarily a one-size-fits-all solution, with many other effective treatments still available.

“This is good quality research and the conclusions are backed up by solid data," added Professor Allan Young, of King’s College London’s Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience. "However, we should be aware that these findings only apply to major depressive disorder and are calculated from group data so individual patients may differ significantly in their responses.

“A lot of 'antidepressants' are used for other disorders (such as anxiety or OCD) or off-label (where the drug is prescribed for something other than the original condition for which it was officially approved) and this evidence does not apply in these instances.”---- https://www.iflscience.com/health-and-me...ants-work/
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#12
Leigha Offline
I think that they do work, MR...totally agree. But, it's just a word of caution to not become reliant on them without exploring other potential options that could also ''work.'' (in tandem with meds)
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#13
Magical Realist Offline
(Jul 13, 2019 08:02 PM)Leigha Wrote: I think that they do work, MR...totally agree. But, it's just a word of caution to not become reliant on them without exploring other potential options that could also ''work.'' (in tandem with meds)

I'm not saying they should be relied on alone to alleviate the symptoms of depression. Talk therapy can also help. In my case moving to Portland Oregon after I left the Navy helped as well as does my peculiar brand of non-theistic spirituality. But we should never discourage anyone with depression from at least giving medications a try first. It IS a relatively quick fix but one that may very well work for them as they did for me.
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#14
Syne Offline
(Jul 13, 2019 07:47 PM)Leigha Wrote:
(Jul 13, 2019 07:40 PM)Syne Wrote:
(Jul 13, 2019 07:31 PM)Leigha Wrote: Hmm...Idk about that ^^

It's been proven that many cases of depression have to do with neutrotransmitter issues, and seratonin levels being depleted.

"have to do with" does not prove "caused by". Two things can be correlated without either causing the other.

True, but that's why I also stated that prescription drugs should be considered as part of a broader picture of health and wellness. Many doctors are lazy though, and patients are little more than cattle being shuffled in and out, ten minutes to discuss symptoms, and then a script is offered.

Many doctors are just drug dealers incognito.  Dodgy

Not to say I have a mistrust of the medical industry, but it thrives on pushing drugs to patients. I remember when I had a bout of insomnia a few years ago, and it was largely due to stress from work. The doctor didn't ask me any questions...ANY. I simply shared that I had been struggling with sleep for a few months, and boom...a script was given to me for a sleep aid. No questions. I don't think that scenario is an anomaly, sadly.

Many MDs prescribe anti-depressants without any specialized training in diagnosing mental disorders. Any activity that earns more money from repeat business is not interested in actual remedies, whether it's doctors or police (who generally only get more funding if there is more crime). Perverse incentives.

People have to start asking themselves....why are reports of depression increasing, and why was there never such a thing at one time?

It's lifestyle, not just biology.
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