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2022-07-20 -Short Attention Span Theater-
Depression 'is NOT caused by low serotonin levels': Study casts doubt over widespread use of potent drugs designed to treat chemical imbalance in brain
Eat'em like breath mints
[MAIL] Low serotonin levels do not cause depression, according to a major review.

Today's landmark findings call into question society's ever-growing reliance on antidepressants like Prozac.

Millions of patients take selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, designed to boost levels of the 'feel-good' chemical.

University College London researchers argue, however, that there's 'no convincing evidence' that depression is caused by an imbalance of the chemical.

One academic involved in the study described the findings as 'eye-opening', and that 'everything I thought I knew has been flipped upside down'.

Lead author Professor Joanna Moncrieff, a psychiatrist, said: 'The popularity of the "chemical imbalance" theory has coincided with a huge increase in the use of antidepressants.

'Thousands suffer from side effects of antidepressants, including severe withdrawal effects that can occur when people try to stop them, yet prescription rates continue to rise.
Posted by Skidmark 2022-07-20 07:03|| || Front Page|| [11137 views ]  Top

#1 Except SSRIs beat placebos in tests.

And "potent drugs"? The word means they work; the opposite of "impotent".

Maybe there are multiple causes? Maybe people are different?
Posted by Rob Crawford 2022-07-20 09:13||   2022-07-20 09:13|| Front Page Top

#2 'The popularity of the "chemical imbalance" theory has coincided with a huge increase in the use of antidepressants.

Conspiracy psycho babble. Normality is just around the corner. Continue your meds regime, adding more as necessary.

Posted by Besoeker 2022-07-20 10:13||   2022-07-20 10:13|| Front Page Top

#3 Some people constitute a chemical imbalance in the Universe.
Posted by M. Murcek 2022-07-20 11:03||   2022-07-20 11:03|| Front Page Top

#4 I blame all these drugs on why people are bat shit crazy now.
Posted by Chris 2022-07-20 11:22||   2022-07-20 11:22|| Front Page Top

#5 What's with all the hatred for medicine that actually helps people? I don't understand why so many sound like Scientologists on this.
Posted by Rob Crawford 2022-07-20 11:42||   2022-07-20 11:42|| Front Page Top

#6 Low serotonin levels do not cause depression, according to a major review.

Of course not. Depression causes low serotonin levels. A depressed person coulda told you that. Experts...
Posted by Dron66046 2022-07-20 11:57||   2022-07-20 11:57|| Front Page Top

#7 ^ Don't take that as anything but a hack's opinion by the way. My own theory, from the journals of Dr. Dron, pilgrim through this here lost planet of sissies.
Posted by Dron66046 2022-07-20 12:03||   2022-07-20 12:03|| Front Page Top

#8 My ex wife was on alot of these drugs for depression. She is an ex now for a reason and she's crazier than ever is my personal hatred for them.
Posted by Chris 2022-07-20 12:28||   2022-07-20 12:28|| Front Page Top

#9 Three main causes of depression:

1) Location
2) Location
3) Location
Posted by badanov 2022-07-20 12:53||   2022-07-20 12:53|| Front Page Top

#10 Sorrow comes from some cause in life surely. Some would say there's a God sized hole in your soul. Some, of the behaviourist persuasion would say there's trauma or guilt or just unscratched itches behind you.

The one thing we can all agree on is stuffing chems into you to trick your brain into tripping on serotonin won't cure it.

Know what does work though? And nearly always? Prayer. Prayer may not take away your sorrow. But it won't let you suffer so much either.
Posted by Dron66046 2022-07-20 13:06||   2022-07-20 13:06|| Front Page Top

#11 The Parable of the flood
Posted by Bubba Lover of the Faeries8843 2022-07-20 13:36||   2022-07-20 13:36|| Front Page Top

#12 Know what does work though?

Range time, and a good horse.
Posted by Skidmark 2022-07-20 15:19||   2022-07-20 15:19|| Front Page Top

#13 Range time, and a good horse.

Riding with you
Posted by DarthVader 2022-07-20 15:58||   2022-07-20 15:58|| Front Page Top

#14 My simplistic unprofessional view of depression: I see some peoples lives, decisions, the way they live… and they should be depressed. It is your mind and body trying to tell you to simplify, eliminate stress and shape up. Others have no reason to be depressed as they seem to have it all. I suggest they seek help as something is wrong. I have No clue what the solution to this condition is.
Posted by Airandee 2022-07-20 18:44||   2022-07-20 18:44|| Front Page Top

#15 After realizing that ketamine and scopolamine not only work much more quickly than the serotonin re-uptake inhibitor class of anti-depressants — hours instead of 4-6 weeks — it was initially thought they impacted the glutamate pathways in the brain. Then there was talk about stimulating the creation of new nerve connections, doing something to the opioid receptors…

In other words, as far as I can tell, they know little more about how ketamine and scopolamine impact depression than they do about the serotonin re-uptake inhibitors.

And in the meantime, they are also being prescribed to treatment resistant anxiety, PTSD, and so forth.

Nonetheless, it looks to me like ketamine and scopolamine should be the first resort for treatment rather than leave patients suffering for months trying things that end up not working.
Posted by trailing wife 2022-07-20 20:10||   2022-07-20 20:10|| Front Page Top

#16 Paroxetine is the safest SSRI I have come across. It doesn't treat the underlying cause of depression of course, that is kismet. It just increases serotonin output. What you do with that is your own lot. You take the thingy once a day, headache the first few doses but no adverse effects. And drinking plenty of water helps. Usually bouts of depression occur on specific time of day so the shrink prescribes taking it an hour earlier to when you're gonna go all gloomy.

In retrospect, I was rather young... Please do your research first. It comes in various potencies too.
Posted by Dron66046 2022-07-20 23:02||   2022-07-20 23:02|| Front Page Top

#17 Which works for who seems to be genetic or something. A dear young person of my acquaintance worked her way through a variety of SSRIs, scopolamine, electro-convulsive therapy... before Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation finally seems to be working.
Posted by trailing wife 2022-07-20 23:12||   2022-07-20 23:12|| Front Page Top

09:27 Warthog
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