Posted on 01/06/2022 11:27:34 AM PST by CondoleezzaProtege
The brain is one of the mysteries of creation that we are only just starting to understand through science and medicine. As more knowledge about the mechanisms of the brain is uncovered, researchers are also constantly revising their theories about how it works. As we discussed in Chapter 3, an early theory was that depression was caused by a neurotransmitter deficiency in the brain.
But science has moved ahead to understanding the brain as functioning primarily through connections between neurons, through how the brain gets wired and rewired, in a process called neuroplasticity. The brain is constantly changing and adapting, strengthening the pathways used to make them more efficient and removing the pathways we no longer use.
…Understanding how antidepressants work is important. Antidepressants do not work, as was once popularly thought, by fixing a chemical imbalance. In our experience, this misconception has led to many fears about taking antidepressants, such as that they will change a person’s personality or that a person will become dependent on the medication. Rather, recent research suggests antidepressants work by two mechanisms. The first is by increasing BDNF in the brain, which enhances neuroplasticity and can counter the atrophy that occurs with depression. This process takes weeks to occur.
Antidepressants work through a second more immediate mechanism by altering the black tinted lenses by which depressed people experience the world and recall events. Depressed people have a negative bias—they tend to pay attention to and remember only negative information, and they disregard positive information. This bias can be addressed through therapy (which we describe in the next chapter) and can be helped by antidepressants. Several studies have shown that after just one dose of an antidepressant, people are more attentive to faces with positivei facial expressions, not just to faces with negative expressions…
(Excerpt) Read more at cmda.org ...
The only thing drug companies care about is $$$$ and forcing people to purchase their product.
BIG PHARMA IS THE VIRUS
The business model of big pharma is to treat the symptoms while never curing the disease.
And that same mindset is passed down to doctors-in-training at our medical schools as Big Pharma is intricately intertwined in the medical training process.
In effect, most doctors today are nothing more than Big Pharma representatives.
Your health and their Hippocratic Oath be damned!
I’m amazed at how many experts in Brain Chemistry Imbalances there are when you talk to christians about depression. They don’t seem to know much about anything else in the world but suddenly they are all over depression and how ya oughtta be able to do this or do that or overcome this brain chemistry imbalance with prayer or whatnot. It’s complete bullshiite.
“antidepressants work by two mechanisms...”
Well, I can tell you that one thing antidepressants can’t do is actually make the world a less depressing place. We’re stuck with that.
“The only thing drug companies care about is $$$$ and forcing people to purchase their product.BIG PHARMA IS THE VIRUS”
Are you on any life saving precription meds? Just curious.
Not a one and I will be 70 in a few months.
I take it you are a vaccine-junkie?
Do you watch all the Big Pharma commercials on TV and take notes so you can demand your doctor prescribe the latest Big Pharm revenue stream?
I think it’s because there is a commandment for us to be joyous, so some think we should “act” that way all the time even when we don’t feel like it, and if we fail to act that way, they view it as a defect of faith.
Well said.
This article is BS.
*** In our experience, this misconception has led to many fears about taking antidepressants, such as that they will change a person’s personality or that a person will become dependent on the medication.***
I have a big beef with the above statement. There was a time in my life when I was seeking therapy for abuse suffered in my teen years. My doctor put me on Zoloft. It actually DID change my personality. I became an emotionless zombie. No highs, no lows. I didn’t cry anymore, but I didn’t laugh either.
After many years of therapy, I felt like I had made progress and wanted to be off of the medication. Unfortunately, I became a raving maniac every time I dosed downward, so I was dependent on that stupid drug. It was like going through detox or something. It took me two years of dosing down in the tiniest increments, and a very loving and forgiving husband to get off that stupid medication. I should never have been prescribed it in the first place.
I was sad sometimes. Who isn’t? I wasn’t depressed. Doctors think medication is a panacea. Zoloft only created more problems for me. I realize that I am only one person who it was detrimental for, but I caution people about that drug now.
Has anyone here had a positive experience with them?
Yes. They saved my son’s life. And helped mine also.
I can see a use for them for some people, but for the most part, I would fight tooth and nail to stay off of them.
My Father in law was on them and his wife died and he was not able to cry. He never grieved her passing. It doesn't make you well, it just seems to make you different.
That’s strange that they didn’t just try switching up the medications?! Different SSRI’s affect individuals differently. One person may do badly with Zoloft, but do better with Lexapro. A person doing badly on Lexapro can try Prozac etc…And if SSRI’s fail altogether then there are other classes of medication worth exploring. Like SNRI’s (Effexor) etc…or Wellbutrin, which is primarily intended to help smokers I believe…
And the goal is ideally not to be on them indefinitely but a minimum of 6 months. So that’s strange they didn’t taper you off more wisely? Sorry to hear that. Hope you found the healing you needed. 🙏
We did try Wellbutrin, too, but we stopped it quickly. I don’t remember why anymore. I’m over all of it now though. That was 15 - 20 years ago. I was on that d@mn medication for 10 years as I recall. I hated every minute of it. I was also being treated for ADD. Every time the dr upped my dose of that, up had to go the Zoloft, too. You have to learn to cope with your weaknesses. Fortunately, with my doctor’s help, I sorted out my issues. I managed to forgive my abuser (a family member). That was critical for my healing.
I will never look at medication the same after that experience though. No more pills for me, as long as I can avoid them. I take lots of vitamins and supplements, though, and exercise everyday, and eat fresh healthy food that I mostly cook myself. We eat out sometimes but it is very rarely fast food. I hate that stuff.
You and I think the same about SSRI’s. It is well known by insurance companies that people who take them are suicidal. I couldn’t get life insurance while I was on Zoloft. We wanted it only for an emergency to help pay for childcare in case I got hit by a car or something like that. SSRIs should be outlawed in my opinion.
One excuse for gun control has been use of SSRI’s. It has come up that gun ownership should be denied for people on certain drugs and SSRI’s is included in this list. A drug that is used for a cure shouldn’t alter reality to the point your judgement is hampered. It should also be a crime that minors under 18 be allowed to take these drugs.
You WILL have symptoms if key chemicals are out of whack no matter how good your attitude.
low adrenaline- chronic fatigue. Appear lazy and unmotivated
Low dopamine- can’t feel pleasure. Vulnerable to addiction.
Low serotonin- persistent sadness. Crying spells or angry outbursts.
I favor a natural approach with Targeted Amino Acid Therapy to correct the chemical imbalance.
Good. Praise the Lord!. I don’t discount them.
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