The use of antidepressant medication in the U.S. doubled from 1996 to 2005, according to a study in the Archives of General Psychiatry. In 1996, about 13 million people (about 6 percent of the population) were prescribed an antidepressant. That number soared to 27 million (more than 10 percent of the population) by 2005.

There are several things about this report that I find disturbing. First, antidepressants are the easy answer and often completely miss the root cause of depression. Next, less than 32 percent of the people being treated with antidepressants see a mental health professional for treatment. Instead, they are receiving a prescription from a general practitioner. Third, the use of psychotherapy among people being treated with antidepressants has decreased 10 percent.

Through our brain-imaging work at the Amen Clinics, we have identified seven different subtypes of depression, and each one requires individualized treatment. Prescribing antidepressants as a one-size-fits-all treatment doesn’t work and could be dangerous for some people. In addition, psychotherapy is a proven technique that has been found helpful in the treatment of depression.

Plus, antidepressant medications come with a host of unwanted side effects. In many cases, I recommend trying natural therapies first, such as supplements like SAMe and St. John’s wort, exercise, correcting negative thinking patterns, and supplementation with fish oil.