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Exposed: The truth about anti-depressants from a Naturopathic Doctor

Even here in Canada, we've seen the US style big pharma commercials touting the latest and greatest cure for all that ails you. Lately, it seems that many research papers have come out against one drug or another. How can that be, you ask? These drugs undergo years of clinical trials and have to pass stringent requirements to get on the market. Even in naturopathic medical school, we were taught that anti-depressants work, albeit not without side effects and should not be used as first line treatment for most cases.

As a naturopathic doctor, I can tell you that there are many people out there on anti-depressants for all sorts of psychological conditions.....some of it may be warranted, but I definitely believe that it is over-prescribed, much like Ritalin for children with supposed signs and symptoms of ADHD.

The premise behind selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) is that it helps to balance a deficiency of serotonin in the brain. And this deficiency of this feel good hormone leads us to become depressed or overly anxious. It makes logical sense, except that science has failed to prove that depressed people have this serotonin deficiency! The serotonin deficiency hypothesis is based on evidence that because SSRIs help depressed people, then there must be low levels of serotonin in the brain. To demonstrate the flawed logic in this proof, I will quote Lacasse & Leo in their essay entitled "Serotonin and Depression: A Disconnect between the Advertisements and the Scientific Literature":

"the fact that aspirin cures headaches does not prove that headaches are due to low levels of aspirin in the brain."

The latest, most comprehensive set of data to date about anti-depressants have started to make the news and the results don't look promising for these drugs. Dr. Irving Kirsch & colleagues have analyzed 47 clinical trials incorporating data not released by drug companies and conclude that anti-depressants are no better than placebo for all but the most severe cases of depression. This is a big blow to the pharmaceutical industry and they will no doubt fight this research vehemently.

The reductionist model of health has always been that if you have a disease then there is a "simple" answer. In depression cases, it's that these people have a simple neurochemical deficiency. Unfortunately, our brains, our bodies and our health aren't so simple. There can be several factors contributing to a person's depression and a naturopathic doctor will investigate all these aspects before heading down the path of prescription anti-depressants.

There usually is no such thing as a one pill cure all for anything in life. Remember that next time you're bombarded with advertisements for drugs claiming to fix all of your concerns.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Interesting blog Ian. I interviewed with Eli Lily and was drilled specifically on how to market their drugs. In MBA Marketing, we're taught to emphasize how to position these drugs in a way that will appeal to the customer. Our goal is to expose only the results of the medicine, and make sure the commericals and advertisments capture what life changing effects the medicine can have. Anyway, I couldn't do it, never got the job :)