Millions of people take antidepressants each day, but a major new review of the data brings up some concerns with how the drugs are currently prescribed.
In fact, when taken over long periods for mild and moderate depression, antidepressants may be doing patients more harm than good, the review explains.
That’s not to say we shouldn’t use antidepressants at all – in many instances, they save lives and work well.
But the authors of the new review, which appears in the British Medical Journal’s Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin, suggest doctors should prescribe fewer antidepressants for shorter periods of time, and focus on people with severe depression.
In other cases, the evidence is unclear on how effective the drugs really are – and whether the benefits outweigh the side effects.
But wait, there’s more.
One of the big issues highlighted by the review is that most clinical trials only look at the efficacy of the drugs over a six- to 12-week study period. In the real world, however, people are prescribed antidepressants for years.
Good grief.
My mother told me this years ago. Stay away from the synthetics. The most common phrase in the medical field studying the brain is ‘we don’t know’. H
So it’s kinda like taking a vaccine.
Lotsa drugs ingested is bad.
Butter and bacon from the farm never hurt grandpa. He was 90 something.
Things are so effed up.
My take is history will not be kind to us. We lol at the 1300’s (I think) where they drilled a hole to relive headache pain pressure. TBH I’ve had a couple migraine it seems like a good idea.
The future will lol at our reaction to covid.
And our politically correct health care policies.
So don’t rely on drugs to help your depression. Use to get over the hump but ya gotta live your life.
No diff than using dope to get by Imho.
Me? I use more than recommended dose of Molsen products last couple years.
Sad isn’t it.
I’m a firm believer in the power of caffeine, nicotine, and ethyl alcohol. In moderation and safely ingested, of course.
That’s small ball these days. Go get your 6th booster shot and keep testing.
While I don’t disagree with the conclusions of the paper, it has to be noted that Fluvoxamine (sp?) is a cheap and effective Covid-19 treatment. Can’t have that now, can we?
99.7% survival rate. Vaxxes are not needed as they don’t work. Any treatment that does has been disputed by TPTB and they are all wrong. Ivermectin is extremely effective at treating the whu who flu, yet Canadians are refused this effective drug daily.
“…and whether the benefits outweigh the side effects.”
Anyone notice how benefits and side effects are usually discussed in isolation these days?
Still, Trust the Science(tm)
The benefits do not exist and the side effects are deadly.
As a user of fourteen (14) (and counting) different types of anti-depressants (of various types and classes – SSRI, SNRI, Tricyclic, etc) over the past two decades I agree. Results for me ranged from no noticeable effect (usually the most expensive ones), to minor annoying side-effects (with little-noticed benefits), to severely adverse (“call the cops, is he still alive in that dark house?”)
Moderate outdoor exercise was much more beneficial than any of these so-called treatments.
Modern electro-shock therapy also appears to be a much better option (if you can find it, then wait for years for an appointment).
Patients go for these things because after waiting 12-18 months for a referral to a hopelessly overworked psychiatrist (in Canada, anyway) one is willing to try anything.
As a general rule, strenuous exercise and lots of fresh air and sunlight will help the vast majority of mood disorders more than most pharmaceuticals. And they’re free.
There are still those with severe neurochemical imbalances who require drugs to function effectively, but that’s a very small subset.
Not to make light of people’s darkness, depression may be a sad reflection on a modern, first world lifestyle.
As Chris notes, exercise is a wonderful benefit. And getting outside, away from the urban concrete noisy dirty city is helpful for anyone’s sanity.
Agreed. While I understand that real depression can be a frightening and debilitating condition I wonder how many people are diagnosed with depression when in reality they’re just not happy in their lives. The few people I know that take antidepressants lives were somewhat in shambles before they became depressed.
Depression is a totally natural reaction to a shitty life.
Sometimes.
It’s when depression happens to happy, physically healthy people that the trouble starts. When there is no obvious trigger. I only wish I could point to something in my life as a cause.
Buddy, as one who suffers from chronic insomnia I once asked the family Dr. if anything could be done. He decided that I was suffering from mild depression. He gave me medication and said start with 75mg a day and after 3 weeks step up to 150mg a day. I should have stopped after 3 weeks as my sleep pattern did improve somewhat. I did not, as a result it took me 2 years to get off the shit.
I am surprised that the doctors are not giving antidepressants with the covid shots because that shit sure is depressing.
Like a lot of today’s major health issues, obesity, type 2 diabetes, etc, a lot can be accomplished for depression just with a healthy diet.
But, healthy diets and physical activity don’t make Big Pharma rich, and healthy, unprocessed foods don’t make Big Foods rich.
Our lying, upside-down “nutritional guidelines” are the largest unaddressed scandal in western history, IMO. They are not making us healthy, they are making us very sick.
But, but, but, it’s so easy take some soma and be happy….
…. all the problems will melt away as the spring snow.
As always, pfollow the money and other Pfauci like creatures.
I read a paper out of England that stated they were linked to early onslaught dementia in women. 60 percent of the females I known are on them, and have been long term. The healthcare industry seems to really push them on females?
Doctors react to problems with prescriptions. A problem calls for a solution which then results in another problem. It’s very unusual for doctors to grant ‘drug-free holidays’. You must look after your own needs and seek your own solutions. I think the last 2 years have shown how the experts have failed you, me and themselves.
The few people I know who suffer from depression say some of the medication is a God send that allows them the opportunity to at least function as a normal human being and the side effects be damned.
Don’t suffer from it personally and glad I don’t so I avoid judging those who do and am reminded of Dick Cavett’s response to an interviewer who asked him about the severity of his depression.
Mine was so bad…I could be laying on a couch with a permanent cure on a table five feet away and I wouldn’t be able to get off the couch to take it.
Not sure if he was being flippant…it’s hard to tell with Cavett sometimes.
Some people do get lucky and find a medication that works well. The rest of us flounder around.
It would not be overstatement to say that a depression will come to everyone’s life now and then, perhaps even those that consider themselves to be lucky go happy.
It is the way one deals with it.
If somebody dwells on it, it is very much analogous to a laser, “light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation”
it’s the bouncing of the idea back and forth in the mind that amplifies the feelings and the result is more of the same.
One treatment that by some would be considered cruel is a slap, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLgMFwStTHc .
One needs to get going by forcing oneself to do things, talking from experience.
One can understand the complete reduction of the last generations that have no experience of real, actual life.
They’ve been told over and over that the government will take care of them and they believe it, contrary to all available evidence.
Wait until they start talking about the correlation between weight gain and anti-depressants. There is one.
Causation we’re less sure of, because there’s no obvious mechanism at work, but correlation is strong. And as we all know, for Leftists a correlation is all you need to make it an iron law.
Ever notice the advertisements for these drugs all mention “suicidal thoughts” as a side effect.