Antidepressants: Why The Drugs Don't Work

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Antidepressants: Why The Drugs Don't Work

Antidepressant drugs are the most commonly prescribed treatment for stress, anxiety and depression. But can they provide sufferers with a permanent cure? Let's look at some important facts about these drugs so you can become informed and choose better treatments, treatments that will provide a permanent cure.

Antidepressant drugs are used to treat stress, depression and anxiety because of an alleged "chemical imbalance" within the brains of sufferers. What this means is that there is a lack of a chemical responsible for regulating our moods called Serotonin. If there is a lack of serotonin in the brain, is this then the root cause of anxiety, depression and stress? Unfortunately, there is no evidence at all to support this theory. Indeed, low levels of serotonin are a symptom of stress, depression and anxiety. The issue here is that treating one of the many symptoms of these problems will only mask the cause and will therefore be unable to provide a complete cure.

If you're taking an antidepressant and it isn't working, you will be told that:
"some drugs are more effective than others. What works on one person may not be as effective with another. That's why doctors repeatedly change the type of drug. It's simply a matter of finding the drug that is right for you." This simply isn't true. There are other factors - tolerance to a drug, dosage of a drug and the simple fact that chemical imbalances aren't the root cause of your anxiety or depression. Tellingly, Yale University has published results showing that for 70% of people, antidepressant drugs are totally ineffective. Other treatments, especially cognitive therapy, are far more effective.

There is no scientific evidence to prove that low-levels of a chemical called "serotonin" within the brain cause - or even increase the chances of - depression. Interestingly, there are also issues concerning side effects. Many of these side effects are similar to symptoms experienced by sufferers - headache, dizziness, loss of appetite, exhaustion, loss of sex drive, muscle pains and sleeplessness - but there are also other side effects that the medical community is only just starting to disclose. These range from increased risk of suicidal thoughts in children to aggressive and violent thoughts and behaviors for all users. Other serious issues include chemical toxicity to the entire body system, not just the brain. Be informed about all of these issues by surfing the internet and discussing all of the issues fully with your health professional. There are far more effective treatments than antidepressant drugs especially cognitive and interpersonal therapies and these treatments should be the priority.

Important: Under no circumstances should you stop taking antidepressant drugs without first consulting with your health professional. Inform them that you want to stop taking antidepressants and ask for their advice on how best to do it.

To discover more stress management techniques that will help you win the fight against stress and anxiety, please check out the resources we've assembled over on our conquering stress website.

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