A lot of these drugs also have a high level of Fluoride as an active ingredient that can be toxic over time and cause all kinds of side effects and illnesses. Of course this is a drug they prescribe for life so if you start taking it as a teen or early adult how long before the toxicity starts causing liver damage and all kinds of other issues that doctors don’t associate with the SSRI use.
Have they done studies on how nutritional deficiencies affect depression? So many nutrients that affect brain function are lacking in the SAD diet. Depression has so many root causes, a pill for an ill is not a road to cure
They deplete mitochondrial support nutrients and that leads to increased inflammation in the brain and body. Hippocampal damage is likely and Alzheimer's eventually.
That’s interesting. I was prescribed high doses of Depakote and Wellbutrin and when they started effecting my life I stopped taking them and a few years later I had a demyelinating lesion in my brain stem causing weakness and other symptoms. Fortunately it cleared up on its own. But I had also had 2 years of chronic mono so who knows what caused it? Also had a tetanus shot and other injections after being stuck with a dirty needle. Sadly I never questioned what I was getting or why it was necessary.
Thankfully one of the best things to come from the Rona scam is that it has waken people up to the vaccines dangers.
Thank you. You are very kind. I’ve had to deal with so many issues my entire life I have to believe that it’s karma and i must have been one ugly and mean SOB in my previous life that I’m paying for it now. Not sure if I’m kidding or not, but I’ve spent most of my life dealing with one type of pain and another….and I’m still dealing with it. The biggest reason why I’m okay with what I’ve dealt with is because I came very close to dying from a fractured skull and I didn’t and I’m not in a vegetative state. Like Brian said. "Always look on the bright side of life."
I just started a new book about how chronic pain seems to be a neuro-signaling issue - erroneous messaging, long after an initial problem was present - and it can be reversible with cognitive change rather than needing pain pills or surgery or something. The testamonials from other pain specialists say ~ Every physician needs to read this book. The book is called The Way out, by Alan Gordon, LCSW and Alon Ziv. Alan Gordon is the founder of the Pain Psychology Center. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0593086856
Yes I’ve seen it called chronic regional pain syndrome which I have in one leg. It was explained to me that after so many years of pain the nerves that aren’t supposed to report pain decide to join the party and start reporting it. I also suffer from neuropathy which so far has alluded any treatment.
I have tried cognitive therapy, but the pain interferes with it because it’s just so insidious. I saw a highly recommended behavioral therapist for it, but alas I got no relief. I have one more way of decreasing it and I had success with this device. I had sciatic pain for 10 years and one treatment with it alleviated it and it hasn’t come back in over 13 years.
I imagine it would cause brain damage with the floride alone, let alone the other toxic ingredients that numb your senses.
My sister has been on Prozac for decades and our functional MD says with long term use her brain has adapted and it would be extremely difficult to get her off the meds. She is overweight, in a toxic relationship (again) and still depressed. Lifestyle changes are hard when you don't feel well, but they are worth the effort 🙏❤
I have heard that a lot. "It is going to be very difficult for you to get off your meds as your body now needs them". Perhaps that should be told to the person before they start their meds? Also, and without question, it is a scare tactic. We have learned over the course of the last several years, our population is very receptive to scare tactics. If your friend is not taking care of herself, then no pill is ever going to help her.
It is sad that real help isn't being given. High dose niacin protocol really helped my serotonin need but you have to be consistent or you can crash, go too low. Or a sudden increase in niacin and you can go too high in serotonin.
Yes, the brain adaptation is a big problem. Getting a patient off them is a frustrating experience (for the patient) because their brain is used to receiving that med daily. Bless her heart that life is not easy right now either, which makes mood disorder so much more difficult. ❤️
"I am not a fan of SSRI’s, and since that study came out that I mentioned above, I have drastically changed my prescribing of that drug class."
I’m in no way suggesting anything, but before you read this study why did you think SSRIs worked? I immediately wondered what made doctors think they did before I read your statement. I had to consult with a psychiatrist in my pain clinic and after 15 minutes he decided that I was depressed and he recommended Abilify which is an anti psychotic…. Why that drug for my supposed depression? I already had bad side effects from other antidepressants years ago so I didn’t take it and told him I couldn’t handle the side effects. Such as suicidal ideation…yeah that was fun. And being thrown into a manic state.
Hey remember when the Columbine massacre happened in 1997? It was one of the first school shootings and it took place after Prozac was released on the population. Now it seems that almost every school shooter has been on some type of antidepressant and other type drugs. A Midwestern Doc has written a lot of articles on this. Funny though how the corporate media has ignored it.
I love Midwestern Doc. He has done some amazing research on SSRI’s and the role they play in violent teenager incidents/shootings/etc. It was one of his articles I linked in my post actually! The points I listed in my post were the teenage shooting article written by Midwestern Doc, I agree with what his research has shown, there were a few points that I have not seen in that high of number which I addressed. Speaking of Columbine, I highly recommend reading the book by Sue Klebold, the mother of shooter Dylan Klebold. She discusses mental health a lot in her book, it is a great read! I couldn’t put it down when I started reading it. It is called “A Mother’s Reckoning”. Fun fact, I lived in Denver shortly after Columbine, and had a class with a youth pastor who lost one of her youth group members in the shooting. There is a fantastic video made about her called “She Said Yes”, and it was the story of the brave young woman who was asked if she believed in God with a gun in her face and she said yes, and one of the Columbine shooters shot her. I think that video is available on YouTube.
I am sorry you were the victim of “pharma guinea pig”. Throughout my training, we were taught that SSRI’s were the “gold standard” to treat depression and anxiety. I fully discovered SSRI’s were not great about 2 years into my practice. By that point, I had seen enough patients for a long enough period of time to have a large enough sample size of my own to see exactly what you mentioned above: trialed 3-4-5 SSRI’s, throw on Abilify (because it is FDA approved 🤮 for treatment resistant depression), and keep throwing more meds at it. I have been in the field so long that when I started out, abilify was still brand only and Trintellix had not even been invented yet lol. Several antipsychotics have gotten the FDA to approve them for “depression adjunct” treatment, namely Abilify, Rexulti, and Vraylar. The new drug Caplyta is going for FDA indication for depression as well. The only difference is that SSRI targets serotonin only, whereas antipsychotics target Serotonin and blockade Dopamine. That narrative to use those drugs is sold by pharma reps with FDA approval. The drug hound prescribers will throw them at any patient they choose to. :(
I do have some patients that have been successful on a low dose antidepressant. Those individuals probably do have a serotonin reuptake deficiency. But that number is low. When I see a patient who has been through numerous meds with no success, that is all you need to know as a provider to DO NOT “throw a med and hope it sticks”. More often than not, we have a significant trauma event, life and work stressors, etc. Things that we can tackle with a great therapist instead of a med. We have always been too quick to throw a med at something that alternative treatment can fix.
Patients come see me and I give them options, and one of the option is always a no medication option. I had one patient recently that did not need a med, and I sent them to therapy. They refused to pay their bill because “I didn’t do what I was supposed to and give them pills”.
Another path that has not been discussed is what is truly depression? We are so quick to slap a depression diagnosis on someone without assessing for what is behind it. Most people experience depression at one point or another for various reasons. But we have been quick to just throw an SSRI on without assessing why someone is depressed, how long does a depressive episode go on for, what triggered it, what symptoms do they associate as being depressed, etc.
So to answer your original question, I changed how I prescribed SSRI’s about 9-10 years ago, but after the study in 2022 came out with that kind of data, I have prescribed even less than I did before. So at this point, I don’t use them much at all. Prior to that study release in 2022, maybe 15% of my patients were on an SSRI, and now it is probably in the 5-10% range. And most of them on an SSRI came to me on that med already and do not want to stop taking it, which I respect. ❤️. If anyone wants to come off an SSRI, I 100% help them get off of it as comfortably as possible.
Thank you for your extended comment. I truly appreciate the time you took to respond to me. The doctor i saw wasn’t aware that I had taken antidepressants before nor did he ask much of my history, but just decided that I should try one of the newest drugs on the market. I’m guessing that a drug rep recently visited him and sung its praises. I saw that happen a lot through my years of being in medical practices.
This:
"Another path that has not been discussed is what is truly depression? We are so quick to slap a depression diagnosis on someone without assessing for what is behind it. …
and keep throwing more meds at them."
No pill can resolve people’s life problems without talk therapy being included. I was lucky to find 2 excellent therapists who worked with me on mine and I will always be grateful for them. And I ‘recovered' without any meds after taking myself off them. I don’t recommend the way I did it though.
Weren’t the problems with SSRIs known to Pfizer before the FDA approved them, but they kept it hidden from doctors and especially the people who got prescribed them? And even after the FDA found out about it they have done nothing to inform us?
Kudos.
"So at this point, I don’t use them much at all."
I will look into the book and video. Yes that young lady was very courageous in answering the question.
I am old enough to remember when you went to a head doctor, and he would counsel you on how to moderate your feelings (lots of times he would blame your issues on your parents, rightfully or wrongly). But, I guess it was easier to blame someone else than your own self. But now-a-days, it is so much easier for the Doctor, JUST TO HAND OUT SSRI'S LIKE CANDY. That I truly believe - makes you worse-. The Psychs today are doing a pathetic job and they are causing this explosion in mental illness.
And the schools who tell parents their kid needs to see psych for meds, and therapists who say that therapy will go better if they are on meds, etc etc. TIkTok encouraging meds. I don’t think the “mental health stigma” mantra was an accident. They have pushed people into mental health that are experiencing a situational difficulty, and want them to believe it is permanent.
I am by no means an expert at depression. I think everybody fights it at some point in time. I am a huge believer in NOT solving your problems with a pill. Having said that, the 2 components that are most effective for me are: 1. Cardiovascular Exercise. 2. Accomplishment. As far as Cardio, I am not talking about a 1 mile walk and a HR < 100. I am talking about elevating your HR into the 130's or more for 30 minutes a day, at least 4 days a week. As you get in better shape, you will become addicted to the effects this has on your brain and will increase your exercise and notice that days you skip exercise you become fatigued (I know counter intuitive). I have done Cardio for 25 years now, every day in some form. A sense of accomplishment should start when you get out of bed in the morning. Make your bed, that is a great start. But set goals and accomplish said goals. That goes a long way. Helping others is another great anti-depressant. Diet is another, fresh fruits and vegetables. A well balanced diet helps your exercise too. I have seen many taking pills for the depression and unfortunately, I have never seen a pill help, in fact usually it makes things worse and then the person becomes addicted. Of course, that should not surprise any read of this fine stack as that is part of the big pharma business model.
I agree with his list!!! I copied the portion of psychiatry he listed and I will share my thoughts on that (I 90% agree with what he wrote, he makes great points across the board in many areas). I could probably write a post just from his list to be honest, he hits on many topics we have discussed on here (statins in particular). So thank you for sharing this, and below is the psych portion he wrote about, I will share the facts I know.
Third, psychiatry. It’s pretty well impossible to think of any medical speciality which has done so little good and so much harm as psychiatry. Psychiatrists are about as scientific and as reliable as horse race tipsters and nowhere near as colourful. ( I agree that across the board, psych has done a crap job. There are some of us good guys out there, who do read research and try to suss out what is junk science and try to do what is right and best for our patients, who aren’t pill shills and on the pharma money take. I make ZERO dollars from pharma. I refuse to. Just like any profession, there are good and bad. I tell every patient I see that my first role to them is to keep them safe and do no harm, and that guides whatever we decide TOGETHER to help them on their mental health journey.)
The idiots practicing this speciality dish out addictive drugs which don’t work, (yes, there are addictive drugs given out in psych, but it isn’t psych alone. Most of my new patients needing refills of Adderall or Xanax were not originally started on it by psych, they were started on it by primary care providers and pediatricians. So there is plenty of blame to go around there for who gives out the most addictive meds. Not excusing psych, but they are not exclusively the ones who dole those out and/or start the addictive meds. In psych, it is amphetamines and benzodiazepines. The opiate crisis tragedy is a great example of this, and psych was not the ones leading that horrific train derailment.)
and offer surgical operations such as frontal lobotomies (NOONE does Lobotomies any longer, it was a horrid horrific barbaric catastrophe when it was done and never ever everrrrr should have been done. This is not a practice any longer and has not been as long as I have been in psych.)
ECT treatments which maim and destroy. (Again, I detest and hate ECT, I have patients who did ECT 20-30 years ago and seeing what it did to them is heart breaking. I have NEVER referred a patient to ECT, and when a patient has asked me about doing ECT, I tell them heck no I would never recommend it. We have 1 hospital in town who still does it, and I am in no way affiliated with them.)
Most psychotropic medication makes people worse not better and tons of pills which are dished out do no damned good for anyone other than greedy drug company executives. (I don’t disagree. 90% of psych meds are trash. Pharma makes tons of money on new designer antipsychotics. There are no new antidepressants out, it is all antipsychotic meds that are dual use for bipolar/schizophrenia/treatment resistant depression.)
Psychotherapy is just as bad. It’s been proved that a chat with a hairdresser or a barman will do more good than a series of sessions with a psychotherapist. (This is way too broad. It depends on what you need to talk about. If you need a place to vent about your spouse/kids/job, then yes, a good friend or person you trust would be sufficient. But if you are a PTSD patient who was raped, or a child molested by a family member, or are trying to recover from substance abuse, then there are people specialized in these areas that do some really amazing work with their patients. Trauma therapy is not something I would recommend you leave up to the bartender or the hairstylist lol.)
I am just curious. As a retired family practitioner, I used a goodly amount of SSRI's, SNRI's, Wellbutrin even TCAD's for depression, anxiety and added Wellbutrin to those who had sexual dysfunction due to SSRI's. Like you, I never had a septal defect in any female that took them, and I am not sure what the rate of sexual dysfunction was, but it wasn't 50%, more like 20% or so. Over the years of prescribing them, I have heard all of the adverse side effects that you mention especially the disassociated feeling that people often complained of. I had a few but not many feel suicidal but were wise enough to stop the medication before such a tragedy occurred. The former head of our department of psychiatry quit medicine altogether because he became disillusioned over the high failure rates of SSRI's and the recalcitrant nature of so many of the mood disorders. He felt that he was ineffective. He, himself, became depressed over the high rates of recurrence of many of the conditions he was treating. I remember a lecture that he gave prior to his leaving psychiatric medicine, and it was somewhat dark and reflected the high failure rate of SSRI's and the potential for the serious side effects that you have mentioned. I was stunned at the time and didn't know what to make of it. I just remember talking to him afterwards and was really concerned about his mental wellbeing. So, I guess what I am asking is what is your go to drug for depression? How do you treat your depressed patients?
We were in the same shoes friend. A lot of depression comes from trauma and life. It has gotten so much worse in the social media generation. Schools push kids to mental health because they are rambunctious and behavioral disordered. Therapists push people to meds to “help therapy go better”.
To un-do the SSRI prescribing epidemic, I have really encouraged more therapy to heal from what is triggering mood disorder. I am a big fan of TMS therapy as well. If a med is needed, I gravitate more towards a mood stabilizer like Lamotrigine, low dose, and target exercise/sleep/trauma recovery. A lot of depression is truly life situations. Financial, marital issues, people hate their job, kids, etc, and for that, a truly compassionate therapist can do magic. I try to stay way from things that target a specific neurotransmitter and do more to balance the brain overall, and encourage anti-inflammatory foods and supplements such as Turmeric, etc. In kiddos, eliminate the processed foods and dyes, and with the kids I have a frank convo with parents that kids mimic what they see, and make sure we have a happy healthy home life example for kids to live in. The majority of kids I see are definitely the victim of untreated mental health and trauma in their parents. It is sad.
A lot of these drugs also have a high level of Fluoride as an active ingredient that can be toxic over time and cause all kinds of side effects and illnesses. Of course this is a drug they prescribe for life so if you start taking it as a teen or early adult how long before the toxicity starts causing liver damage and all kinds of other issues that doctors don’t associate with the SSRI use.
Been banging this drum for 30 years.
Isn’t it fun when “they” (healthcare) wanna rip through 4-5 SSRI trials with zero improvement and they keep going for one after another?
Looking for better fraud opportunities.
One major problem with SSRI antidepressants is the risk of self-harm and aggression as a side effect. Overmethylated, low-folate depressors are intolerant to SSRIs, and evidence suggests this genetic intolerance may have been a factor in many school shootings. https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2024/01/14/heal-mental-disorders-with-nutrition.aspx?ui=19334c49fbe15297ed5b46159d7d3d94162f45c9c73b66e8782cc9bd51ecf215&sd=20210220&cid_source=dnl&cid_medium=email&cid_content=art3ReadMore&cid=20240114&foDate=true&mid=DM1516612&rid=2018470066
Have they done studies on how nutritional deficiencies affect depression? So many nutrients that affect brain function are lacking in the SAD diet. Depression has so many root causes, a pill for an ill is not a road to cure
100%. They also want to believe that a pill will fix “life” causes to low mood.
Does taking antidepressants long term cause brain damage?
Magic 8 Ball says "Chances are good."
They deplete mitochondrial support nutrients and that leads to increased inflammation in the brain and body. Hippocampal damage is likely and Alzheimer's eventually.
That’s interesting. I was prescribed high doses of Depakote and Wellbutrin and when they started effecting my life I stopped taking them and a few years later I had a demyelinating lesion in my brain stem causing weakness and other symptoms. Fortunately it cleared up on its own. But I had also had 2 years of chronic mono so who knows what caused it? Also had a tetanus shot and other injections after being stuck with a dirty needle. Sadly I never questioned what I was getting or why it was necessary.
Thankfully one of the best things to come from the Rona scam is that it has waken people up to the vaccines dangers.
Sorry all that happened to you. It is disturbing how much harm is caused by the medical system and government. We did need a wakeup.
Thank you. You are very kind. I’ve had to deal with so many issues my entire life I have to believe that it’s karma and i must have been one ugly and mean SOB in my previous life that I’m paying for it now. Not sure if I’m kidding or not, but I’ve spent most of my life dealing with one type of pain and another….and I’m still dealing with it. The biggest reason why I’m okay with what I’ve dealt with is because I came very close to dying from a fractured skull and I didn’t and I’m not in a vegetative state. Like Brian said. "Always look on the bright side of life."
Warm regards.
Peace be with you.
I just started a new book about how chronic pain seems to be a neuro-signaling issue - erroneous messaging, long after an initial problem was present - and it can be reversible with cognitive change rather than needing pain pills or surgery or something. The testamonials from other pain specialists say ~ Every physician needs to read this book. The book is called The Way out, by Alan Gordon, LCSW and Alon Ziv. Alan Gordon is the founder of the Pain Psychology Center. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0593086856
I have had a lot of chronic pain in my life too.
Yes I’ve seen it called chronic regional pain syndrome which I have in one leg. It was explained to me that after so many years of pain the nerves that aren’t supposed to report pain decide to join the party and start reporting it. I also suffer from neuropathy which so far has alluded any treatment.
I have tried cognitive therapy, but the pain interferes with it because it’s just so insidious. I saw a highly recommended behavioral therapist for it, but alas I got no relief. I have one more way of decreasing it and I had success with this device. I had sciatic pain for 10 years and one treatment with it alleviated it and it hasn’t come back in over 13 years.
https://invet.net/
Thanks for your reply.
I imagine it would cause brain damage with the floride alone, let alone the other toxic ingredients that numb your senses.
My sister has been on Prozac for decades and our functional MD says with long term use her brain has adapted and it would be extremely difficult to get her off the meds. She is overweight, in a toxic relationship (again) and still depressed. Lifestyle changes are hard when you don't feel well, but they are worth the effort 🙏❤
I have heard that a lot. "It is going to be very difficult for you to get off your meds as your body now needs them". Perhaps that should be told to the person before they start their meds? Also, and without question, it is a scare tactic. We have learned over the course of the last several years, our population is very receptive to scare tactics. If your friend is not taking care of herself, then no pill is ever going to help her.
It is sad that real help isn't being given. High dose niacin protocol really helped my serotonin need but you have to be consistent or you can crash, go too low. Or a sudden increase in niacin and you can go too high in serotonin.
I have started using a lot of things like 5HTP, red light therapy, and TMS. I agree on the Niacin with a taper upwards based on mood symptoms.
Yes, the brain adaptation is a big problem. Getting a patient off them is a frustrating experience (for the patient) because their brain is used to receiving that med daily. Bless her heart that life is not easy right now either, which makes mood disorder so much more difficult. ❤️
Question:
"I am not a fan of SSRI’s, and since that study came out that I mentioned above, I have drastically changed my prescribing of that drug class."
I’m in no way suggesting anything, but before you read this study why did you think SSRIs worked? I immediately wondered what made doctors think they did before I read your statement. I had to consult with a psychiatrist in my pain clinic and after 15 minutes he decided that I was depressed and he recommended Abilify which is an anti psychotic…. Why that drug for my supposed depression? I already had bad side effects from other antidepressants years ago so I didn’t take it and told him I couldn’t handle the side effects. Such as suicidal ideation…yeah that was fun. And being thrown into a manic state.
Hey remember when the Columbine massacre happened in 1997? It was one of the first school shootings and it took place after Prozac was released on the population. Now it seems that almost every school shooter has been on some type of antidepressant and other type drugs. A Midwestern Doc has written a lot of articles on this. Funny though how the corporate media has ignored it.
I love Midwestern Doc. He has done some amazing research on SSRI’s and the role they play in violent teenager incidents/shootings/etc. It was one of his articles I linked in my post actually! The points I listed in my post were the teenage shooting article written by Midwestern Doc, I agree with what his research has shown, there were a few points that I have not seen in that high of number which I addressed. Speaking of Columbine, I highly recommend reading the book by Sue Klebold, the mother of shooter Dylan Klebold. She discusses mental health a lot in her book, it is a great read! I couldn’t put it down when I started reading it. It is called “A Mother’s Reckoning”. Fun fact, I lived in Denver shortly after Columbine, and had a class with a youth pastor who lost one of her youth group members in the shooting. There is a fantastic video made about her called “She Said Yes”, and it was the story of the brave young woman who was asked if she believed in God with a gun in her face and she said yes, and one of the Columbine shooters shot her. I think that video is available on YouTube.
I am sorry you were the victim of “pharma guinea pig”. Throughout my training, we were taught that SSRI’s were the “gold standard” to treat depression and anxiety. I fully discovered SSRI’s were not great about 2 years into my practice. By that point, I had seen enough patients for a long enough period of time to have a large enough sample size of my own to see exactly what you mentioned above: trialed 3-4-5 SSRI’s, throw on Abilify (because it is FDA approved 🤮 for treatment resistant depression), and keep throwing more meds at it. I have been in the field so long that when I started out, abilify was still brand only and Trintellix had not even been invented yet lol. Several antipsychotics have gotten the FDA to approve them for “depression adjunct” treatment, namely Abilify, Rexulti, and Vraylar. The new drug Caplyta is going for FDA indication for depression as well. The only difference is that SSRI targets serotonin only, whereas antipsychotics target Serotonin and blockade Dopamine. That narrative to use those drugs is sold by pharma reps with FDA approval. The drug hound prescribers will throw them at any patient they choose to. :(
I do have some patients that have been successful on a low dose antidepressant. Those individuals probably do have a serotonin reuptake deficiency. But that number is low. When I see a patient who has been through numerous meds with no success, that is all you need to know as a provider to DO NOT “throw a med and hope it sticks”. More often than not, we have a significant trauma event, life and work stressors, etc. Things that we can tackle with a great therapist instead of a med. We have always been too quick to throw a med at something that alternative treatment can fix.
Patients come see me and I give them options, and one of the option is always a no medication option. I had one patient recently that did not need a med, and I sent them to therapy. They refused to pay their bill because “I didn’t do what I was supposed to and give them pills”.
Another path that has not been discussed is what is truly depression? We are so quick to slap a depression diagnosis on someone without assessing for what is behind it. Most people experience depression at one point or another for various reasons. But we have been quick to just throw an SSRI on without assessing why someone is depressed, how long does a depressive episode go on for, what triggered it, what symptoms do they associate as being depressed, etc.
So to answer your original question, I changed how I prescribed SSRI’s about 9-10 years ago, but after the study in 2022 came out with that kind of data, I have prescribed even less than I did before. So at this point, I don’t use them much at all. Prior to that study release in 2022, maybe 15% of my patients were on an SSRI, and now it is probably in the 5-10% range. And most of them on an SSRI came to me on that med already and do not want to stop taking it, which I respect. ❤️. If anyone wants to come off an SSRI, I 100% help them get off of it as comfortably as possible.
Thank you for your extended comment. I truly appreciate the time you took to respond to me. The doctor i saw wasn’t aware that I had taken antidepressants before nor did he ask much of my history, but just decided that I should try one of the newest drugs on the market. I’m guessing that a drug rep recently visited him and sung its praises. I saw that happen a lot through my years of being in medical practices.
This:
"Another path that has not been discussed is what is truly depression? We are so quick to slap a depression diagnosis on someone without assessing for what is behind it. …
and keep throwing more meds at them."
No pill can resolve people’s life problems without talk therapy being included. I was lucky to find 2 excellent therapists who worked with me on mine and I will always be grateful for them. And I ‘recovered' without any meds after taking myself off them. I don’t recommend the way I did it though.
Weren’t the problems with SSRIs known to Pfizer before the FDA approved them, but they kept it hidden from doctors and especially the people who got prescribed them? And even after the FDA found out about it they have done nothing to inform us?
Kudos.
"So at this point, I don’t use them much at all."
I will look into the book and video. Yes that young lady was very courageous in answering the question.
Thanks again.
I am old enough to remember when you went to a head doctor, and he would counsel you on how to moderate your feelings (lots of times he would blame your issues on your parents, rightfully or wrongly). But, I guess it was easier to blame someone else than your own self. But now-a-days, it is so much easier for the Doctor, JUST TO HAND OUT SSRI'S LIKE CANDY. That I truly believe - makes you worse-. The Psychs today are doing a pathetic job and they are causing this explosion in mental illness.
And the schools who tell parents their kid needs to see psych for meds, and therapists who say that therapy will go better if they are on meds, etc etc. TIkTok encouraging meds. I don’t think the “mental health stigma” mantra was an accident. They have pushed people into mental health that are experiencing a situational difficulty, and want them to believe it is permanent.
I am by no means an expert at depression. I think everybody fights it at some point in time. I am a huge believer in NOT solving your problems with a pill. Having said that, the 2 components that are most effective for me are: 1. Cardiovascular Exercise. 2. Accomplishment. As far as Cardio, I am not talking about a 1 mile walk and a HR < 100. I am talking about elevating your HR into the 130's or more for 30 minutes a day, at least 4 days a week. As you get in better shape, you will become addicted to the effects this has on your brain and will increase your exercise and notice that days you skip exercise you become fatigued (I know counter intuitive). I have done Cardio for 25 years now, every day in some form. A sense of accomplishment should start when you get out of bed in the morning. Make your bed, that is a great start. But set goals and accomplish said goals. That goes a long way. Helping others is another great anti-depressant. Diet is another, fresh fruits and vegetables. A well balanced diet helps your exercise too. I have seen many taking pills for the depression and unfortunately, I have never seen a pill help, in fact usually it makes things worse and then the person becomes addicted. Of course, that should not surprise any read of this fine stack as that is part of the big pharma business model.
I would literally print your reply and staple that to my desk in bold print. You nailed it.
I cannot stress these things enough.
https://open.substack.com/pub/edwin797/p/twelve-truths-everyone-should-know?r=pr2e8&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
I agree with his list!!! I copied the portion of psychiatry he listed and I will share my thoughts on that (I 90% agree with what he wrote, he makes great points across the board in many areas). I could probably write a post just from his list to be honest, he hits on many topics we have discussed on here (statins in particular). So thank you for sharing this, and below is the psych portion he wrote about, I will share the facts I know.
Third, psychiatry. It’s pretty well impossible to think of any medical speciality which has done so little good and so much harm as psychiatry. Psychiatrists are about as scientific and as reliable as horse race tipsters and nowhere near as colourful. ( I agree that across the board, psych has done a crap job. There are some of us good guys out there, who do read research and try to suss out what is junk science and try to do what is right and best for our patients, who aren’t pill shills and on the pharma money take. I make ZERO dollars from pharma. I refuse to. Just like any profession, there are good and bad. I tell every patient I see that my first role to them is to keep them safe and do no harm, and that guides whatever we decide TOGETHER to help them on their mental health journey.)
The idiots practicing this speciality dish out addictive drugs which don’t work, (yes, there are addictive drugs given out in psych, but it isn’t psych alone. Most of my new patients needing refills of Adderall or Xanax were not originally started on it by psych, they were started on it by primary care providers and pediatricians. So there is plenty of blame to go around there for who gives out the most addictive meds. Not excusing psych, but they are not exclusively the ones who dole those out and/or start the addictive meds. In psych, it is amphetamines and benzodiazepines. The opiate crisis tragedy is a great example of this, and psych was not the ones leading that horrific train derailment.)
and offer surgical operations such as frontal lobotomies (NOONE does Lobotomies any longer, it was a horrid horrific barbaric catastrophe when it was done and never ever everrrrr should have been done. This is not a practice any longer and has not been as long as I have been in psych.)
ECT treatments which maim and destroy. (Again, I detest and hate ECT, I have patients who did ECT 20-30 years ago and seeing what it did to them is heart breaking. I have NEVER referred a patient to ECT, and when a patient has asked me about doing ECT, I tell them heck no I would never recommend it. We have 1 hospital in town who still does it, and I am in no way affiliated with them.)
Most psychotropic medication makes people worse not better and tons of pills which are dished out do no damned good for anyone other than greedy drug company executives. (I don’t disagree. 90% of psych meds are trash. Pharma makes tons of money on new designer antipsychotics. There are no new antidepressants out, it is all antipsychotic meds that are dual use for bipolar/schizophrenia/treatment resistant depression.)
Psychotherapy is just as bad. It’s been proved that a chat with a hairdresser or a barman will do more good than a series of sessions with a psychotherapist. (This is way too broad. It depends on what you need to talk about. If you need a place to vent about your spouse/kids/job, then yes, a good friend or person you trust would be sufficient. But if you are a PTSD patient who was raped, or a child molested by a family member, or are trying to recover from substance abuse, then there are people specialized in these areas that do some really amazing work with their patients. Trauma therapy is not something I would recommend you leave up to the bartender or the hairstylist lol.)
I am just curious. As a retired family practitioner, I used a goodly amount of SSRI's, SNRI's, Wellbutrin even TCAD's for depression, anxiety and added Wellbutrin to those who had sexual dysfunction due to SSRI's. Like you, I never had a septal defect in any female that took them, and I am not sure what the rate of sexual dysfunction was, but it wasn't 50%, more like 20% or so. Over the years of prescribing them, I have heard all of the adverse side effects that you mention especially the disassociated feeling that people often complained of. I had a few but not many feel suicidal but were wise enough to stop the medication before such a tragedy occurred. The former head of our department of psychiatry quit medicine altogether because he became disillusioned over the high failure rates of SSRI's and the recalcitrant nature of so many of the mood disorders. He felt that he was ineffective. He, himself, became depressed over the high rates of recurrence of many of the conditions he was treating. I remember a lecture that he gave prior to his leaving psychiatric medicine, and it was somewhat dark and reflected the high failure rate of SSRI's and the potential for the serious side effects that you have mentioned. I was stunned at the time and didn't know what to make of it. I just remember talking to him afterwards and was really concerned about his mental wellbeing. So, I guess what I am asking is what is your go to drug for depression? How do you treat your depressed patients?
We were in the same shoes friend. A lot of depression comes from trauma and life. It has gotten so much worse in the social media generation. Schools push kids to mental health because they are rambunctious and behavioral disordered. Therapists push people to meds to “help therapy go better”.
To un-do the SSRI prescribing epidemic, I have really encouraged more therapy to heal from what is triggering mood disorder. I am a big fan of TMS therapy as well. If a med is needed, I gravitate more towards a mood stabilizer like Lamotrigine, low dose, and target exercise/sleep/trauma recovery. A lot of depression is truly life situations. Financial, marital issues, people hate their job, kids, etc, and for that, a truly compassionate therapist can do magic. I try to stay way from things that target a specific neurotransmitter and do more to balance the brain overall, and encourage anti-inflammatory foods and supplements such as Turmeric, etc. In kiddos, eliminate the processed foods and dyes, and with the kids I have a frank convo with parents that kids mimic what they see, and make sure we have a happy healthy home life example for kids to live in. The majority of kids I see are definitely the victim of untreated mental health and trauma in their parents. It is sad.
The Prozac revolution was no accident. Sadly. :(
Thank you.