Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Serotonin and Depression: A Disconnect between the Advertisements and the Scientific Literature
PLOS Medicine - Public Library of Science - a peer reviewed open access journal ^ | Nov. 8, 2005 | Jeffrey R. Lacasse, Jonathan Leo

Posted on 11/18/2005 1:39:54 PM PST by Jenny Hatch

"In the United States, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants are advertised directly to consumers [1]. These highly successful direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) campaigns have largely revolved around the claim that SSRIs correct a chemical imbalance caused by a lack of serotonin."

(Excerpt) Read more at medicine.plosjournals.org ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: advertising; antidepressants; antidrug; bigpharma; disorders; medicalscams; mentalillness; pharmaceuticals; propaganda; reuptake; scientologists; scientology; serotonin; ssris
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-100 next last
I have been following the psychiatric/big pharma scamming that has happened in our country since Prozac was dumped on the market in 1987. It is truly sick what these people have gotten away with. Take a few minutes to read this new essay exposing the advertising ploys and deception of the public on how SSRI's work. It has been an unprecedented scam in our society...

Jenny Hatch

Additional Links

PDF version of this essay

My Blog post on this essay

Debate with Drug maker on the reality that their is no such thing as a chemical imbalance

Excerpts from the essay:

"In short, there exists no rigorous corroboration of the serotonin theory, and a significant body of contradictory evidence. Far from being a radical line of thought, doubts about the serotonin hypothesis are well acknowledged by many researchers, including frank statements from prominent psychiatrists, some of whom are even enthusiastic proponents of SSRI medications."

"However, in addition to what these authors say about serotonin, it is also important to look at what is not said in the scientific literature. To our knowledge, there is not a single peer-reviewed article that can be accurately cited to directly support claims of serotonin deficiency in any mental disorder, while there are many articles that present counterevidence. Furthermore, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), which is published by the American Psychiatric Association and contains the definitions of all psychiatric diagnoses, does not list serotonin as a cause of any mental disorder. The American Psychiatric Press Textbook of Clinical Psychiatry addresses serotonin deficiency as an unconfirmed hypothesis, stating, “Additional experience has not confirmed the monoamine depletion hypothesis”"

"Conclusion"

"The impact of the widespread promotion of the serotonin hypothesis should not be underestimated. Antidepressant advertisements are ubiquitous in American media, and there is emerging evidence that these advertisements have the potential to confound the doctor–patient relationship. A recent study by Kravitz et al. found that pseudopatients (actors who were trained to behave as patients) presenting with symptoms of adjustment disorder (a condition for which antidepressants are not usually prescribed) were frequently prescribed paroxetine (Paxil) by their physicians if they inquired specifically about Paxil [45]; such enquiries from actual patients could be prompted by DTCA [45].

What remains unmeasured, though, is how many patients seek help from their doctor because antidepressant advertisements have convinced them that they are suffering from a serotonin deficiency. These advertisements present a seductive concept, and the fact that patients are now presenting with a self-described “chemical imbalance” [46] shows that the DTCA is having its intended effect: the medical marketplace is being shaped in a way that is advantageous to the pharmaceutical companies. Recently, it has been alleged that the FDA is more responsive to the concerns of the pharmaceutical industry than to their mission of protecting US consumers, and that enforcement efforts are being relaxed [47]. Patients who are convinced they are suffering from a neurotransmitter defect are likely to request a prescription for antidepressants, and may be skeptical of physicians who suggest other interventions, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy [48], evidence-based or not. Like other vulnerable populations, anxious and depressed patients “are probably more susceptible to the controlling influence of advertisements” [49].

In 1998, at the dawn of consumer advertising of SSRIs, Professor Emeritus of Neuroscience Elliot Valenstein summarized the scientific data by concluding, “What physicians and the public are reading about mental illness is by no means a neutral reflection of all the information that is available” [50]. The current state of affairs has only confirmed the veracity of this conclusion. The incongruence between the scientific literature and the claims made in FDA-regulated SSRI advertisements is remarkable, and possibly unparalleled."

I posted these excerpts here at Free Republic because this is a FREEDOM issue. Wether or not we have our brains scrambled by toxic chemicals should be a choice made after careful weighing of the facts, and the fact of the matter is, there is no compelling evidence that toxic chemicals do much more than chemically lobotomize a patient. It is time for the lies and distortions of the Pharmaceutical companies to be exposed.

Jenny Hatch

1 posted on 11/18/2005 1:39:56 PM PST by Jenny Hatch
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Jenny Hatch

What causes depression in Women?
1.Hormones

2.Men

3.Lack of Chocolate..

:)


2 posted on 11/18/2005 1:42:32 PM PST by laney (little bit country,little bit Rock and Roll!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jenny Hatch

Phylis Schafly just had a show on this topic, with an expert explaining how studies are manipulated by the industry, risks understated, etc..


3 posted on 11/18/2005 1:45:42 PM PST by Mount Athos
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jenny Hatch

the amino acid 5HTP and the herb St. John's Wort work just as well, if not better, than any prescription and have zero side effects, besides being much less expensive. Believe me, living in Alaska in the winter is the acid test of the performance of these compounds.


4 posted on 11/18/2005 1:46:36 PM PST by redhead (Alaska--Step out of the bus and into the food chain...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jenny Hatch
Thanks for posting to this PLoS article.

Serotonin and other neurochemicals definitley affect mood, behavior, mental states.

The incongruence between the scientific literature and the claims made in FDA-regulated SSRI advertisements is remarkable, and possibly unparalleled

This is, though, very true, or apt.

It's a consequence of the popularization of the science and consequent dumbing-down or simplification of theory and observation. I think it is happening all the time more and more. It does fit with an advertising campaign.

5 posted on 11/18/2005 1:47:33 PM PST by tallhappy (Juntos Podemos!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: laney

I think the greatest cause of depression in new mothers is simply being cut to pieces while giving birth.....

c-sections are OUT OF CONTROL!!!

Jenny


6 posted on 11/18/2005 1:48:17 PM PST by Jenny Hatch (Healthy Families Make A Healthy World!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: laney

You forget the biggie - CHILDREN!!!!


7 posted on 11/18/2005 1:48:36 PM PST by mlc9852
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Jenny Hatch
"I have been following the psychiatric/big pharma scamming that has happened in our country since Prozac was dumped on the market in 1987..."

My wife has been taking Prozac to deal with depression caused by chronic pain. It has been very effective.
8 posted on 11/18/2005 1:50:38 PM PST by Moral Hazard ("Now therefore kill every male among the little ones" - Numbers 31:17)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mlc9852

And Parents-In-Laws-Outlaws, driving in traffic! The list is endless!


9 posted on 11/18/2005 1:50:39 PM PST by laney (little bit country,little bit Rock and Roll!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Jenny Hatch

You have a good point there, also the delay in childbirth...


10 posted on 11/18/2005 1:51:39 PM PST by laney (little bit country,little bit Rock and Roll!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: laney

It's amazing any of us function! LOL


11 posted on 11/18/2005 1:52:25 PM PST by mlc9852
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: tallhappy

"Serotonin and other neurochemicals definitley affect mood, behavior, mental states."

Did you know that blocking serotonin reuptake causes cortisol levels to double with just one pill???

High levels of cortisol have been linked to:
http://www.drugawareness.org/Archives/Miscellaneous/SSRIreactions.html

Stress or depression can be detected by elevated levels of cortisol, yet one single 30mg dose of Prozac clearly doubles the level of cortisol. This should in the long run double the patient's stress and depression. But that is not the only detrimental effect of elevated cortisol levels. This can cause a multitude of serious physical and emotional adverse side effects.

Giving these drugs to children is absolutely unconscionable for many reasons. One of the most obvious is that increased cortisol impairs the development and regeneration of the liver, kidney and muscles, as well as impairing linear growth. Yet, learning that even one parent was given this information would be surprising. PROZAC: PANACEA OR PANDORA?--Ann Blake Tracy

It just makes me sick thinking about this.

Jenny


12 posted on 11/18/2005 1:53:11 PM PST by Jenny Hatch (Healthy Families Make A Healthy World!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Jenny Hatch

I'm not sure if the prescription that I have is a "serotonin disruptor" but it sure makes life better. I am able to sleep much better and can concentrate on what's in front of me. I will eventually be able to do without them (hopefully) but for now I am sold on them. Because I also do some work with prisoners I sometimes wonder if anti-depressants (along with therapy) might reduce their need to self-medicate with alcohol and/or drugs then ending up back in the system.


13 posted on 11/18/2005 1:54:40 PM PST by bkepley
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jenny Hatch

For me,
SSRI's combined with DRB's, therapy etc have been life savers. I also see positive effects all the time in others with these meds.

They do work for major medical/clinical depression. For BPD they are being found to be the best and most effective treatment. Other methods of dealing with depression etc are like sneezing on a forest fire.


14 posted on 11/18/2005 1:54:46 PM PST by najida (OK, so I have a new obsession. Ain't life grand :))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jenny Hatch
Clinical Depression is almost certainly an illness caused by a complex of chemical deficiencies and excesses.
If you experiment long enough you can find a combination of an SSRI, different ones work on different people for no understandable reason, and other psychoactive drugs that make life liveable till something good comes along.

SSRIs are certainly not the be all and end all of treating clinical depression, but they sure beat what was available 40 or 50 years ago.

For previous generations, a 'speedball' of uppers and downers was all there was.
Alcohol, opiates, marijuana or barbituates with dexidrine, benzedrine, methamphetamine or cocaine.

Those are still the drugs of choice for the undiagnosed or uninsured.

So9

15 posted on 11/18/2005 1:56:17 PM PST by Servant of the 9 (Trust Me)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mlc9852

and the *PATIENCE* we need is endless.....I spent and hour on the phone this a.m listening to my mother rant and rave about some woman I never met, heard of, and she talked non-stop for an hour... I had a severe anxiety attack after I hung up!


16 posted on 11/18/2005 1:56:40 PM PST by laney (little bit country,little bit Rock and Roll!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: redhead

"the amino acid 5HTP and the herb St. John's Wort work just as well, if not better, than any prescription and have zero side effects, besides being much less expensive."

I use flax seed oil in my cooking every day. Flax provides the essential fatty acids we all need to produce a healthy amount of B-vitamins in the gut. Everyone who has a mental illness is B-vitamin deficient. Especially Niacin, which is difficult to get from foods.

I would love to see some doctor prescribing flax seeds for their depressed patients...

Jenny


17 posted on 11/18/2005 1:57:08 PM PST by Jenny Hatch (Healthy Families Make A Healthy World!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Jenny Hatch
I think the greatest cause of depression in new mothers is simply being cut to pieces while giving birth.....
c-sections are OUT OF CONTROL!!!

Jenny

The pain meds probably have a lot to do with it and also the hormones. Ironically, most women who breast feed report lower incidences of post partum depression.

18 posted on 11/18/2005 1:57:43 PM PST by Full Court (Keepers at home, not just a suggestion)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Servant of the 9

"Clinical Depression is almost certainly an illness caused by a complex of chemical deficiencies and excesses."


Prove it, using peer reviewed scientific studies and research.

Did you even read the article/essay I posted??? Or the debate with Pfizer???

Jenny


19 posted on 11/18/2005 1:59:00 PM PST by Jenny Hatch (Healthy Families Make A Healthy World!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Jenny Hatch

I prepare a shake every a.m of Soy Milk, Flax Oil, ALoe Vera, Blueberries and non fat yogurt it truly does wonders!

I also recommend a supplement FORMULA HGH I guarantee this is a miracle supplement.


20 posted on 11/18/2005 2:00:22 PM PST by laney (little bit country,little bit Rock and Roll!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-100 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson