The Sad Truth About Antidepressants
Modern medicine is full of many miracles. But are antidepressants one of them? A growing body of evidence suggests the meds taken by millions of Americans may not be the solution depressed people want.
During the past century, we witnessed the eradication of some serious diseases, the development of cures for previously incurable illnesses, and medications to help manage the symptoms of what could otherwise be life-threatening conditions. Yet, despite the progress that has been made in numerous realms of the medical field, there has not been an equal degree of advancement in the treatments for mental health disorders, including depression.
Despite the progress that has been made in numerous realms of the medical field, there has not been an equal degree of advancement in the treatments for mental health disorders.
In the late 1980s, the now well-known antidepressant medication Prozac was introduced into our consumer consciousness because of its lower side effect profile and its reported ability to reduce symptoms. Following this, many other similar medications for depression cleared the FDA hurdles too, and launched the mind-drug revolution in the field of psychiatry. Since that time, prescriptions for antidepressants have been on the rise. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated mental health issues for so many people, it’s estimated that more than 40 million people in the U.S. were taking an antidepressant.
HOW EFFECTIVE ARE ANTIDEPRESSANTS?
The theory behind the way these medications work is that they increase the availability of certain neurotransmitters in the brain—serotonin, norepinephrine, or dopamine—which are chemicals associated with our sense of well-being. Therefore, it would seem to make sense that antidepressants could potentially be the solution for anyone struggling with depression. Unfortunately, that is far from the reality of the response rate to them. Although people struggling with severe depression often benefit more from antidepressants, scientific research has repeatedly found that the average rate of symptom remission from taking these medications hovers somewhere between 30% and 50%. Ironically, in many studies on depression, placebos (fake pills) have a 50% response rate as does psychotherapy. An important reason why more people don’t get relief from antidepressants is that depression does not have a singular cause. There are numerous underlying factors that can lead to depressive symptoms, including:- Genetic predisposition
- Head trauma
- Prolonged stress
- Hormonal imbalances, especially in middle-aged women
- Infections like Lyme disease and COVID-19
- Sleep problems
- Inflammation
ANTIDEPRESSANTS AREN’T THE ANSWER TO A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE
A 2022 study in the journal PLoS One analyzed the data on more than 17 million people who had depression along with at least one medical condition. The researchers specifically looked at the differences in the mental and physical components of the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) between those who took antidepressants for their depression and those who did not. In this study, the mental components of the HRQoL assessment measured each person’s social functioning, psychological distress, any role limitations from mental health problems, and a sense of well-being. The physical components they evaluated were energy level and fatigue, pain, overall health, and role limitations due to medical conditions. The researchers were surprised by what they found. Compared to the people not taking an antidepressant, those taking them had some mild improvements in some of their mental scores but had no significant improvement in their physical scores. In other words, antidepressants were not helping them have a better quality of life.4 BASIC STRATEGIES TO GET HEALTHIER AND BOOST YOUR MOOD
Most people will agree that having a good quality of life is important on so many levels because of its direct impact on our mental health and physical well-being. It can help to provide us with a sense of purpose and meaning and feel connected to others—without which our lives can feel empty or insignificant. Because of this, it is vitally important to take preventative steps to protect your health as much as you can. And, even if you’ve been bad to your body and brain, you can choose to make positive changes now that will serve you well. Some basic strategies to prioritize your overall health should include:- Getting an annual check-up and following your doctor’s recommendations for the treatment of any health problems. Ask your doctor to help you create a plan to overcome or best manage any medical concerns.
- Switch from a high-fat, high-sugar diet to one that includes clean protein, low-glycemic carbs, healthy fats (like avocados), and plenty of fresh produce—research has found that the more daily servings (up to 8) of fruits and vegetables a person consumes, the better their mood is.
- Get regular exercise. Physical activity is so important! If you’ve been a couch potato, start with a walk around the block and increase the minutes you walk each day. Gardening and housework count as physical activity too. Not only does exercise improve your fitness and help with weight management, it also boosts brain chemicals that improve your mood.
- Manage your stress. Whether it’s with supportive counseling, meditation, yoga, tai chi, or learning to extinguish the automatic negative thoughts (ANTs) swirling around your mind, it’s critical to find a way to minimize your stress because it can be a big driver of health problems and depressive symptoms.
