Someone just did a study of antidepressants claiming that "placebos work just as well, except in severe cases".
Of course, we could have reframed that claim: "placebos useless in severe cases." Shows you there are limits to the power of deceit and suggestion.
I also wonder if the placebos and meds actually work on the exact same people. Did they try to sort by suggestibility?
And how sure are we, anyway, that moderate "depression" and severe "depression" are really the same thing? One is feeling blue, and the other is staying in bed all day consumed by hopelessness.
Anyway, if you're feeling depressed,
Ask your doctor to suggest
A sugar pill to cheer your brain.
They're cheaper than Prozac, so don't complain.
All of us have different DNA and different metabolisms. Some herbs and vitamins work better than others. The first thing that is needed is proper nutrition and a good physical exam. As the director of Novus Medical Detox, I often see patients who are on alcohol or opioids, central nervous system depressants, also taking antidepressants. When they detox they find they don't need the antidepressants.
ReplyDeleteThis is good news because a Swedish study showed that 52% of the 2006 suicides by women on antidepressants. Since antidepressants work no better than placebos and are less effective than exercise in dealing with depression.
There is a prescription drug epidemic and these are leaders in the list of terribe abuses.
Steve Hayes
http://novusdetox.com
"All of us have different DNA and different metabolisms."
ReplyDeleteThat much is very true. We forget it at our peril.