Depression Is Not Caused by a Chemical Imbalance
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- Опубліковано 5 чер 2024
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Despite 85-90% of people believing that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance, there is no evidence that a chemical imbalance causes depression or is associated with depression. A new meta-analysis by the University College London reviewed the evidence and made headlines this week.
Check out my two unlisted videos on what causes depression: • The Myth of the Chemic...
• The 9 Causes of Depres...
Check out two videos by other creators on what causes depression:
• What Causes Depression...
• Why Depression Isn't J...
University College London's review that indicates there is no evidence for the low-serotonin hypothesis that a chemical imbalance causes depression: www.nature.com/articles/s4138...
Researchers have known for over a decade that there is no evidence for the chemical imbalance : Johan Hari, Lost connections, the inflamed mind, "reducing the stigma but at what cost" guilfordjournals.com/doi/10.1..., psycnet.apa.org/record/2009-0...
Do antidepressants work to treat depression: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NB...
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In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction.
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After an emergency caesarian, the hospital made me go home after one day. I had to go back to work before I was healed. My husband was commuting, a 14 hour day, and I had a toddler. They wanted to put me on medication. Looking back I realise that all I needed was someone who cared who could help me practically. There must be lots of people who don't have family or friends who care, who think they are depressed when in fact we are not built to suffer alone.
Amen! We are social animals…I don’t have a loving family…I have a very religious, judgmental family and I get treated better by strangers.
aw your story touched me. I had an emergency Caesar and went home in day 3, and ended up cleaning out my garage and feeding my horses with a half healed wound. I was married but my husband was pretty much unable to do anything to help, and I also managed to fall off my horse and break my leg when my daughter was 6mnths old..... agaun with no real help. I've been depressed most of my life for the last 24 years, and I suspect even before.... I've tried some anti depressants which just numbed me.... I've tried diets herbal remedies, and alcoholism, weed, sprirual work..... I just feel a LOT. and my whole life been told that's bad as well. I'm 52 now, feel 102 and still depressed. I just live with it now and focus on letting my self feel
@@mandyconnecteddogs I feel your pain. I had a pretty traumatic childhood. My mum died when I was 7 and I was separated from my two brothers and didnt get to grow up with them. So I have always missed them and my mum so very much all my life. I have PTSD and depression but refuse to take drugs. I have had CBT and other counselling. I am fortunate to have three grown kids and also my
two fur babies to love and love me.❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🐶🐶🌈🙂
same here. I've been abused and miss heard from my family so much it hurts but I'm learning to be stronger and it's tough 🙁
@@CuriousMom1234
Same.
Once I asked to my doctor "how can an anti-depressant erase or keep my depression at bay if what caused my depression is a material, concrete problem/situation?". He just stared at me silently.
Situational depression isn't the same thing as clinical depression, and some forms or situational depression is healthy to go through - for instance grief when your loved ones pass away. It's normal and healthy to learn to deal with your emotions about it. In my completely unqualified opinion the only reason to get on antidepressants when you're suffering from situational depression is if it's making you too unable to handle daily life despite having serious psychological support from professionals and friends, for instance if you sink into non-functional apathy depression for too long where it risks harming your life too much. Then it's like a figurative crutch while you and your body works on healing your figurative broken bones.
Exactly why I didn’t accept medicine after my husband died. I insisted, I wasn’t depressed. “Depression is irrational sadness, while I have a legitimate rational reason for feeling sad.” They’d always say, “but maybe it would help” and I stoically resisted because I feared that it would be a slippery slope. I’m not on any medicines at all now, and I’m almost 50. Almost everyone I know is on some kind of prescription
@@Call-me-Al Yeah, my dad's reaction and depression after my mom's suicide was enough to warrant the recommendation and usage of antidepressants even though it was technically situational. Honestly, he should have been on it the year leading up to it because he was completely unstable and I had to help take care of him to function in daily life even though I also suffered from depression (whether as the main component or as a symptom of another issue is still debatable to this day) that it made me look hypercompetent even though I also was just barely getting by. I think part of the problem is that some are a little too eager to prescribe because its the only way they know how to deal with it (family practitioners probably don't have psychiatry experience) and that sometimes it's the first time someone can speak of their situational depression in some form of confidence and as someone listening it can seem like the person needs additional medicinal help when they don't.
It works we just don't know how
I'm on antidepressants to keep my panic disorder at bay so there are other uses of treatment used not just depression, as I have learned first hand anxiety is manageable thanks to SSRIs
As first commenter said, situational depression is normal, and therefore is not a disorder, and should not be treated medically. Don't even go to a doctor or a therapist; A councelor is the most you would want.
I spent over 10 years with crippling depression. I went to therapy, I exercised, I tried to think positive thoughts, I took various supplements. None of that helped. When I finally started medication, it lifted up my baseline, allowing me to go from crisis mode to actually benefitting from therapy. Today, I still follow a holistic treatment-talk therapy, meds, exercise, stress management.
So glad your approach is working for you.
Same for me. Not everybody’s mental suffering is the same. For me the worst is people who also have anxiety and depression and since they can manage without meds I should be able to, as well. It’s like saying to someone suffering from migraine: hey, I get headaches, too, I just go for a long, nice walk.
You are one of few ones who benefit from medication. There are about 20-25% of people who would benefit from it. For others its either not working, or working in a bad way. In my history of taking drugs for 5 years, I ended up on 3 different medications to manage side effects of the other. And from what I read its commont thing. SSRI can give you mood swings, acatysia or problems with libido. 40 % of people after few years of taking them develop symptoms of Bipolar Disorder. I was one of them. I dont wish this on anyone. You are scippled with fear one day, with anger the other, and euforia the next. And this goes on and on and on. They give you tranqualizers to manage that, lithium, or neuroleptics. But none of psychiatrist thought, that SSRI is causing it in the first place. I needed to google it and come off myself. I think I am lucky one to do so. Many stay on drugs and are patients for life, believing they are sick.
That's basically what it's like in my case. I'm much happier on medication than I ever was off of it
@@i.ehrenfest349 No no no. The medications will only harm you long term. The cause of your distress is life, society, unfairness, not the need for harmful ineffective dangerous drugs. Drugs do not address the underlying problems. They just harm you mors and make real recovery impossible. It is true !!
I always thought I was depressed until a did a special form of therapy called affect regulation training. In a world full of toxic positivity I learned where our ‘negative’ emotions come from and that they’re perfectly normal to experience. I trained my brain to accept those ‘unwanted’ feelings and by that I’ve overcome that depression. It was the best thing I’ve ever done for my mental health.
Did you practice this type of therapy with a mental health professional or on your own?
That’s basically what I’m going through right now. “Feel your feelings.” It took me a while of practice to get to that point bc anxiety and depression itself make me scared. I was scared to feel them. But when I allowed myself to feel them, that they were ok and that I didn’t need to run away from them did those feelings start dying down. “Out is through.”
It is not normal to lie in bed all day barely able to move
You're right you only thought you were depressed
I'm glad it worked for you. But it would not work for a manic depressant. No amount of therapy works.
I remember reading somewhere that constant exposure to negative news and stress can cause a decrease in optimistic thinking which increases depression. I think people overlook situational depression too. When I changed my living situation and job, my anxiety attacks went away. My depression was caused by my environment and the pressure I was under back then, so I wonder how many people would be able to get off their pills or at least lower their dosages if they had more assistance with improving their overall lives.
Yes it's a shame she doesn't give the solutions, she probably doesn't know them.
I think it's about not being affected by anything. A Buddhist will not be offended by the worst insult, rather would reply with a smile. Concentrate on the positives: your alive, You've been given the most sophisticated computer on the planet, your brain; you have a body at the top of evolutionary life - with strength and grace, self healing, gives pleasure and is capability of learning infinite skills.
Are you having troubles in your relationship or marriage or partner just broke up with you! here is the solution for you #dragege
The more I read and think of depression more hopeless I become meds are just for profiting doctors pharmacy and drug company not brnifical and harmful katamin was making me worse thought I was me I’m much better without it
Thanks for mentioning. I burned myself out, now having anxiety and depression, and I know it was from my environment at work, coworkers, but also the work itself. I managed to get papers from the Doctors, the moment I got them to get a break from my work I felt better. Won't ever get back to that place.
I always believe my depression was 💯caused by the abuse and trauma I’ve experienced. Never once I believe that it’s caused by chemical imbalance.
This would be an external cause. Other people did this to you. You can recover from these.
True depression comes from within, regardless from what is going on around you. You can still recover from this without medication.
Medication is a last resort.
I think of it as; I think about things which trigger specific brain/chemical occurrences which make me feel bad (depression), rather than depression chemicals just firing randomly affecting how I think and feel negatively.
Idk how much sense this makes, is it vaguely accurate haha? :O
It may be nearer the truth to see it as a chemical imbalance caused by early trauma.
Trauma impacts the developing brain. I believe it impacts immune system regulation too because just about everyone in my auto inflammatory and autoimmune groups suffered trauma in childhood. We even have an adult who had her first flare up of Hidradenitis Suppurativa after a major surgery… physical trauma.
I love how people always say "reduce stress" If I could do that I probably wouldn't be depressed.
Tryout magic mushroom u won't regret it
True just need to gather willpower to pull yourself out.
Mycojohn9 would be of help
@@Krisp138 No? You can't cure depression by "pulling yourself out", whatever that means. Even if you could pull yourself out, not having motivation or willpower is a symptom of depression. This comes across almost like victim-blaming, like a person can simply choose to pull themselves out if they really wanted to. Also the original comment was talking about reducing stress. I don't know anyone who chooses to be stressed and wonders why they have depression. It would be ideal for people to be less stressed but with the cost of living crisis and living in this capitalist world makes that basically impossible
You’re not depressed you’re just sad about your current life situation, think about why you’re sad and do something to change it
Personally I have found depression a valuable guide and source of important information. I used to think that there was something wrong with me, when actually there is something seriously screwed up with society around the World. For example, human induced ecological destruction, a clear indicator of crazy self-destructive behaviour that is very depressing to observe and be involved in. Another example, a social structure that based on violence that encourages (and even coerces) people to live isolated lives that prioritise the emotional and psychological position of being right over the need for connection with others. Nearly everyone is brought up in an education system that priorities (and rewards) obedience to an external authority, under threat of punishment. This in itself is a cause of a *huge* amount of intergenerational emotional and psychological problems, including the inevitable chronic depression for any individuals with the sensitivity to have some awareness of this.
Yeah I totally understand. That’s why I either went into a mental breakdown, and or a spiritual emergency, even though all my symptoms looked like a kundalini awakening, but I use the term lightly though, I have a better understanding for what goes on in the world and how everything is effected by everything else, so yeah I guess I did have some sort of intelligent upgrade, of a better understanding myself as it relates to everything going on in the world today, and with my current experiences. I’d say all this started happening to me around the same time I lost my father in law, my wife’s dad passed away, and then I started to think, and dwell on it, and then I caught Covid-19 and it put me out of work for 2 months, with all this my mom went into the hospital, and county diagnosed her with dementia, and she can’t go back home. But, as for me. I go to everyday, because I got to. I’m the only one working in my family, so I get know help, but that’s my life. I also was given up from birth and went to foster care. I also had a accident while in foster care as well, and I think I may have experienced a NDE from it, that was similar to a nightmare.
these things are depressing only if you are a good person. If you are a selfish superficial empty person you don't care about these things, you only care about looking better than others, no matter the costs. Those are the people who are celebrated from society. It's pretty normal to be depressed under these circumstances.
YES! Also: Nature is medicine, and much more effective when its not cut up with chemicals to make profit. I can recommend St. Johns Wort in capsules, knowing they excisted and had helped others saved me from suicide. Litterally. So happy the internet excists!
What a great post, spot on.
I love this take on things, thank you for posting it
In Germany, where I live, there's a stigma attached to taking antidepressants and other drugs for neuro-psychological disorders. It's considered to be the easy way out, a short cut so to speak. So I tried to fight my depression without drugs for 30 years. I went through several therapies, changed my entire lifestyle and had learned loads about me and how to take care of me. And still, the episodes came more and more often. I felt like a failure. Finally a therapist and then a psychiatrist told me I should try meds because I had truly done everything I could. And for the first time in my live I am stable. I wish I had not wasted so much time thinking I should be able to manage this without drugs. So I really don't like it when people on the net say discouraging things about taking meds!
Same! I was doing everything “right” and the depression didn’t lift until I was on an SSRI.
Yes, medication is necessary
Thank you for speaking up.
The problem is when it's used as a first line of defense. Being prescribed pills is easier to obtain than psychotherapy in the US
People need to realize mental health is not a one size fits all and we should encourage people to get whatever help works for them. Medications are just as important as therapy in my opinion.
When I connected with my anger towards my abusive parents at age 42 - all of my sadness/depression symptoms disappeared. I honestly was internally in a rage for 2 years straight. I completely cut my parents out of my life. At first it was because I thought I might physically attack my mother. She would have deserved it! But I didn’t want to get in trouble lol. As time went on I felt better and better and my anger went away. I read books about self love and healing (ie. The Hoffman process). It’s been over three years now and no sign of depression anymore. I honestly think depression is anger turned inward - at least it was in my experience. I will never associate with my parents again. This is just my story and what works for me. But maybe it can help someone to else to hear my story. :)
Thank you. Is the book called The Hoffman process?
I don't *feel* depressed, but I have NO motivation to do certain necessary things. I'm fine with self-care, however, cleaning, paying bills- UGH!
I be wanting to hit my abusive parents too. Like so bad. It just hurts cause they did me so dirty and were so violent towards me. I don’t talk to my parents either. So I’m free, I’m glad you’re free too ❤️🔥 fuck them
I watched Irene Lyon's video on UA-cam where she talks about how repressed anger leads to depression and suddenly everything clicked. During the years I suffered the worst depression of my life, I didn't feel anger at all (as it was turned inward). Once I heard that feeling and processing anger is key, I confronted my mother about the abuse she put me through and fully felt the anger, my depression went away and my life force energy increased. Truly life changing. Ever since I've had hope about the future whereas before there was no future for me. Thanks for sharing your story.
I do remember saying multiple times to my sister that I felt better when ... even had a confirming realization now. I always feel better when I don't see much of my mom due to different sleep schedule. And yes multiple little articles say it's anger turned inward. Now I just live as if they don't exist so my energy is as unaffected from them as p.
@@noneofurbusiness5223 Yes ‘The Hoffman Process’ by Tim Laurence. It really helped me understand what I went through on my healing journey. I ordered it on Amazon.
I'm 63 years old and have struggled with depression and anxiety my whole life. Several months ago, I had a serious heart attack. As part of my recovery, I went to Cardiac Rehab which included cardio exercise. After 2 months of a gradual increasing of the intensity of the exercise routine I started enjoying the exercise and feeling relief from the depression and anxiety. I've since completed my rehab but am continuing the aerobic exercise, not only for my heart, but also for relief from the depression and anxiety. Exercise has done far more for me than all the different meds I took!
I'm 39. I also have been depressed since a kid with a huge family history of mental illness. I found working out made me feel less depressed. I found this out when I was 20. I have been working out 5 days a week. If I didn't work out I would 100% have committed suicide by now. However. I am still depressed, just not depressed while working out and for a bit after.
our way of expressing these concepts always attracts me, and nothing, but nothing compares with it-- the tone, the depth of spirituality, I can't put it into words. Your Manifesting Manual is something I can read over and over and soak up. ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxzpa8CIfZcihW4Z0F_ja0QF3W9KIatrsq I am in process of making the routine a solid part of my life, and it has made a difference! I LOVE your 12 meditations too! I know I am a different person after 9 months with Super Manifestor, and in process of continued positive change! You deserve accolades every day of the year! Keep on with everything, and as we say in Spanish, ANIMO! Lots of love and every blessing to you both.
I was diagnosed with childhood depression and anxiety at age 7, but I was raised in an abusive home and targeted at school because of my learning disability. Counseling after my mother disowned me 8 years ago, was my saving grace, and I sincerely wouldn't be here without it.
Geez. you're a very strong person. I admire you, pls keep going!
Your mother sounds like a narcissist. So sorry you had to go through that.
Its good to hear youve gotten a solid councilor! while i dont have direct experience with childhood depression my self i have looked into it and danm....good to hear you are doing better though! well done to both you and your councilor and best wishes from a random stranger!
“When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul," Psalm 94:19.
"I want you to be free from anxieties,"1 corinthians 7:32.
"Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you."1 Peter 5:7
Have you considered calling the Lord Jesus Christ for help? Do you know that how much he loves you? The medicines and counselling of this world will only work for a while if they're not completely useless. We were made to have a relationship with the creator. There's deliverance, salvation, healing and eternal life in the Lord Jesus Christ. I sure that He will solve your problems.
May God bless you.
all people have the same trauma. Inside all people there is an infant that longs for mummys breast
I’ve taken my antidepressant for many years now and I know for a fact it has helped me to be more “even” which helps me do things in my life that allow me to be less depressed. It’s not a solution it’s just a tool. You usually need more than one tool to do the job
Have you never experienced any drop in its effectiveness? There seems to be medical controversy about that.
@@ems7623 some people experience that antidepressant poop-out, but not everyone. I’m very, very envious of the people who’ve never had a problem with antidepressants not working lol
@@boinkadoinkk Personally, after being clinically depressed for literally years, I found that every few years I needed to be changed to a different antidepressant when it stopped working. While taking a completely different approach to my diseases last August, somewhere around November I discovered that I very strongly felt as if I no longer needed that medication. I kept my appointments, but threw the med. away. I did this from Nov. until April. I absolutely did not need an antidepressant any more ! As I said, I took a different approach for my diseases, but I believe that my starting to take 10,000 IU of D3 along with 100 mcg. of K2 has helped me walk down a path of being antidepressant free. I started taking the meds in 1975. It is now August 1, 2022, so you can see how long I was on them. Let me add, though, that I have felt incredibly grateful to have my meds work as well as they did in making me feel 100% Normal. Not high, just totally normal. N-O-R-M-A-L. So, if you need them, take them. ❤️
Placebo is a strong tool.
This right here. Medication alone isn’t enough for me, but without it I really can’t function. It’s like air, you need more than just air to live but you still need it.
My depression was always situational, caused by life events, and honestly, this late-stage capitalist life is extremely depressing, and it's important to say "hey, the world as it currently is makes people depressed, and it doesn't have to be this way--we can structure society in a way that people can actually feel happy and fulfilled". But anyway, my depressive episodes were always caused by things going on in my life (usually being terribly unhappy), but changing the situation was not enough, nor was it even really possible, much of the time. The depression made it nearly impossible to make any changes, and even when I did, the depression had affected my brain too much to go away on its own. Both medication and lifestyle changes were necessary for my recovery.
So true that it’s a side effect of late-stage capitalism ✅
@@kdacuna lol it was late when I wrote this comment. I meant to say "late stage". I wish it was "post". haha.
Very astute, I think this as well. I do not suffer myself but have observed many a person react to to human-hating make of our current society with psycholgical ailments and their stressed family trust the witch doctors and nuke them with pills, very sad.
Kinda sounds like the depression can come from an existential sense of "stuckness" that some ppl are more sensitive to than others. Ppl that run society aren't in favor of a radical change so they provide "corrective means" (meds) as a way to null the sensitive ppl and keep them functional. Just my opinion though
@@rctecopyright not so much sensitive but suicidal
"It's not your fault you were hurt, but it's your responsibility to heal."
Here's a story: I said to my mum I felt broken for needing antidepressant medication, and she said to me, "you're not broken, you're just injured. The medication is a bandage until you can heal." I'll never forget that, it completely changed my outlook.
I definitely recommend giving medication a try, if your doctor recommends it. I was going through a very tough time earlier this year at uni, where I couldn't sleep, and I felt constantly exhausted but also couldn't relax. I was suggested sertraline and I eventually agreed to try it, and it's definitely made life a lot easier. I can function, for one thing. I no longer feel like my life's falling apart because I can focus long enough to organise my work. It's not a magic cure on its own, and I would like to come off them eventually, but for the time being I need it. It's allowed me to make the other changes to improve my life because I have energy now.
You wouldn't kick yourself for needing an antibiotic or a cholesterol medication. There's no reason to kick yourself for needing an antidepressant.
I've been on Venlafaxine for decades--for migraines--and it's a life-changer for me. It's also "cured" the depression caused by having 25 mind-shattering migraines a month, down to 3-5 very minor ones that I can easily ignore, but I think we can attribute that more to situational depression from pain than anything else. 🙂
Wise mum!
I learned that from Better Ideas. "Not everything that happens to you is your fault. But everything that happens to you is your responsibility."
Hi, im on sertralinenas well. How many weeks did it take for you to see the medications full benefits?
❤
I'm 64 and have suffered from chronic depression and later, anxiety most of my life and am presently on a cocktail of medication. All I can say is you are 100% on the mark in this video- depression (and anxiety/PTSD which I also suffer from) are multi-faceted conditions without one single "magic bullet" cause or cure, but the stigma can be hell. I've had to explain to uninformed or ignorant persons- including therapists which I've had- that I did not sit down at age ten or so and consciously decide "hey, I think I'll spend my life depressed." Anyway, wish you were my therapist..
“When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul," Psalm 94:19.
"I want you to be free from anxieties,"1 corinthians 7:32.
"Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you."1 Peter 5:7
Have you considered calling the Lord Jesus Christ for help? Do you know that how much he loves you? The medicines and counselling of this world will only work for a while if they're not completely useless. We were made to have a relationship with the creator. There's deliverance, salvation, healing and eternal life in the Lord Jesus Christ. I sure that He will solve your problems.
May God bless you.
all people have the same trauma. Inside all people there is an infant that longs for mummys breast
Maybe you can quit pills and say repeatly to Holy Spirit "Please heal my fear based thoughts" or do Ho'opono. " Iam sorry, Please forgive me, I love you, thank you".
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against.” Philippians 6:12
Wtf is up with all the religious enthusiasm in this thread? Anyway please change your therapist if you can and do not feel good with them(oops just realized the second part of the sentence sounds imperative, it's a continue of the conditional instead, just stating it to be safe), hope you’ll feel fine
Here's what I did that changed my deep depression into feeling better than ever!
Got a primary care doctor and got an SSRI.
Began excorcising at YMCA - either lifting weights, or using a sauna alternating days, also jogging around my neighborhood 10 - 30 minutes every other day.
No more fast food. No more soda.. Very little sugar. Eggs for breakfast. Tuna for lunch. Some combo of meat and veggies for dinner. Snack on fruits and veggies throughout the day.
Stopped using my phone all the time, no more social media. No more news or political stuff. Only a few videos a each day on youtube like educational videos or videos that would add something positive to my life.
When bored, I would go for walks, draw, color, or do word searches.
Donated or threw away a lot of stuff in my house that I didn't really need.
Made my bedroom as beautiful as I could possibly make it.
Threw away a lot of old clothes. Began dressing in light colored or pastel colored clothing that made me feel at peace. No more black shirts or pants.
End any relationships that drain you. Find out who your authentic self is and be with people who you feel comfortable showing who you really are.
Write down these guidelines and any other personal guidelines, goals, visions, or ambitions for your future. Write it neatly clearly. Then follow them.
Go to bed early and wake up at the same time every day. Give yourself plenty of time before work to get yourself set for the day.
Use the blue light filter on your phone. Keep lights off or dim 2 hours before bed.
Write down anything that's bothering you in a notebook or journal 2 hours before bed. It can be each night or only on nights you really need it. Get it all down on the paper so that its not bouncing around your mind while you're trying to be relaxed in bed.
Be consistent and follow these guidelines every day.
Hopefully this helps someone, it helped me a lot. Peace and love . 🙏💙
I love this. This is some of what I have been doing. All very helpful.
@@AWJ-zf8cf Thats amazing! 😃 keep up the good work!
Thank you 😊
This is really good advice. I try to do most of these… struggle with the sleep routine; I drink too much caffeine. I think journaling would be a good addition to my life. Thank you for your comment.
@@andreagayle7510 You're welcome, try to reduce the caffeine or quit it all together. I quit caffeine a couple years ago and my anxiety went down a lot.
Also my sleep is a lot better. Good luck!
I'm a bit disappointed to fail to mention that depression and sadness are not the same thing, and people confuse it all the time. This means a lot of sad people get pushed antidepressants and depressed people think they just need to push through the sad, when they're two seperate things.
To add to what you said, it's incredibly easy to be depressed without being sad, for instance apathy type depression. Another often overlooked symptom/type of depression involves anger, which is usually more recognized as a depression symptom by laymen in teens than in adults.
There were actually a lot of things disappointing in this video. You may be able to show some research that shows there may not technically be a chemical imbalance...but really, who cares? More time should be spent on what DOES cause this horrendous & way too often fatal condition. The Harvard Research Neurology Center tells us that depression is basically caused by three things or some combination of them: 1) Improper mood regulation in the brain 2) Traumatic life events and 3) genetic predisposition factors. To me the most disappointing thing by far is the video title. So ignorant quite honestly. Her attitude seems like she means well, but she just poured fuel on the fire for the world's idiots who try to poo poo the absolutely horrid reality of MDD and/or GAD which kill people somewhere in this world every 40 seconds. It's not a mood, a character flaw or lack of some religious affiliation. Do we shame people for cancer or heart disease...? No, we come running to their aid with empathy - while we tell people suffering with depression to 'just snap out of it'...'go do some yoga'...'get some sun and put down your phone'...or my personal favorite, 'just smile more'. Consequently, until the world gets a clue - the bodies will very unfortunately continue to pile up. Sadly, in this current world...? I won't hold my breath.
@@valueinyou9931 very well said.
What’s the chemical difference? One is just more intense. I’m not saying people aren’t suffering. I just don’t think you’re sick in the head. And I hate western med.
@@Call-me-Al exactly! Anger/Irritation, even forms of paranoia are very prominent in those suffering from post pardum depression.
My goal, on antidepressants, is to reach a point where eventually I don't need them. They are a tool for breaking a destructive cycle so I can change my mental habits. I was successfully off and functional for seven years, but I am on them now once again. Though I do currently have anxiety and depression and am finally getting proper, thorough assistance and support getting to the bottom of the mixture of physical and social triggers, I am actually using it now to lower my blood pressure. I was in a 4 month depressive regression when I visited my doctor, and my BP was crawling up, and I know that my BP is very stress reactive and the last time I was on an SSRI was the ONLY time my BP was ever in the normal range. Two birds, one stone!
If anti depressants don't work then maybe there is some.merit to this view
Antidepressants and seeing a therapists really did wonders for me. It was a process of course and I thought that I would have to take it my whole life, but I could successfully end the medication.
So, like you said, it's a tool for adjusting certain things, to have a chance of getting back up on the feet.
I just want you to know that Jesus loves you more than you can ever possibly know and he wants to have a personal relationship with you. He knows exactly what you're going through and he can give you a peace in your heart like you've never experienced. I'd like to share with you the story of my best friend who lost her son. Even in the midst of her sorrow, she has joy. My hope and prayer is that you too come to have this joy in your life. God bless you!
Precious Memories-By Sonya Lakey
Family Story
Little did our family of six know that Friday evening, September 24th, 2021, would be the last night our family would be complete. We laughed together, played games, sang, and enjoyed listening as our 16-year-old son, Ethan, played the piano for us. I packed a lunch for Ethan for a church mountain hike he was going on the following day.
My mother (who was visiting from out of state) and I woke early with Ethan on Saturday morning. He hugged me and smiled, never pulling away or rushing me. He got in the car, waved, said he'd see me later and he loved me. It was hard to watch my "new driver" heading out on his own that morning. As Ethan pulled out of the gate, I turned to my mother and said, "It's just so hard letting go." Little did I know how much "letting go" I was really doing. That was the last time I saw Ethan. He did not make it home that evening.
That afternoon, a friend tried to contact my husband, leaving an urgent message to call him back. He tried several times to return the call to no avail. As we were preparing supper, an overwhelming feeling of deep concern for Ethan filled my heart. I quietly blinked back tears. I glanced out the window, half expecting to see a police officer pull up to the house, but no one arrived. However, within a few minutes, a patrol car DID pull into the driveway. In my heart, I feared the worst. My husband and I went out to meet the officer, who confirmed our fears. Hesitantly, he told us our son had fallen off of
a bluff and had succumbed to his injuries. Our hearts were crushed; they still are.
Yet, in all of our brokenness, deep, continual grief and loneliness, our family has such a blessed Hope and assurance that we will see our dear son and brother again. You see, when Ethan was a young boy, he was saved; he put his faith in Jesus alone to forgive his sins and to take him to Heaven when he died. He realized some very important truths from the Bible that he would want to share with you.
His Story
Everyone is a sinner. Sin is any violation of God’s Law. God is holy, just and righteous, and He cannot allow sin in His presence. Ethan realized that he - like all of us - had sinned; and his sin separated Him from God.
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; ” (Romans 3:23)
“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” (Romans 5:12)
He understood that, because of his sin, he deserved to spend eternity in Hell.
“For the wages of sin is death;” (Romans 6:23a) [Wages: price]
“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)
Ethan believed that Jesus, God’s Son, paid the price for all sin when He died on the cross - because His sinless sacrifice was the only thing that could satisfy the just demands of a righteous, holy God. Jesus was buried in a borrowed tomb, but He arose the third day, triumphant over sin, death, and Hell. Jesus is alive today!
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Ethan was sorry for his sin, repented (turned), and received by faith the free gift that God offered to him.
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)
“...but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23b)
Because of this great salvation, Ethan lived his life serving Jesus. He worked hard to spread this Good News to the world. He is alive in Heaven with Jesus today; and because of this great HOPE in Christ, we know we will see him again soon - not because he was a great kid, but because of his faith in the great Saviour!
“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” (John 10:28)
Your Story
What about you? What if you had fallen to your death that day - What if you were to die today? Where will you spend eternity - Heaven or the Lake of Fire? There will not be any parties in the Lake of Fire. It is a place of eternal torment for those who reject God's Son.
The Word of God is very clear that there is only One Way to Heaven.
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)
We did not know that Ethan would step into eternity that day; however, because he put his faith in Jesus alone for his salvation, Ethan was ready to go. Some day - perhaps today - you will take your last breath here on earth, and you will step into eternity. Where you spend eternity is determined by what you do with Jesus Christ. Will you accept Him or reject Him? You are not promised another day or another breath. Eternity begins soon - Are you ready?
“...Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…” (Acts 16:31b)
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)
“(...behold, now is the day of salvation.)” (2 Corinthians 6:2c)
******************************
This testimony has been made into a gospel tract. If you or your Church would be interested in passing them out or if you would like to send a word of encouragement to the family, please go to:
facebook.com/GITM-Foundation-113997824650357/
From a recovery point of view, telling depression sufferers that there are 5-10 factors that can contribute to depression will get them to think the problem is 5x-10x as bad because they need to fix all those things. The trick is to get them to believe that fixing ANY ONE of the 5-10 things will add significant improvement to their lives. That the numerous factors are numerous ways in which to *improve* their life quality.
After all, a major part of depression is the loss of hope and purpose to live; it is an inability or reluctance to accept that life can get better.
yes! exactly. Just making one small change may increase your energy by maybe 5% and then you have 5% more energy to try one more small change...then suddenly you have 10% more energy to make the next change etc.
Your last paragraph is exactly how I am at this point today.
Just so tired of trying to pull self up
Very true. Ive suffered from age 15-50 with depression and nothing has and meds only help sometimes. Ive spent most of my life wanting to die and it really sucks.
@@kimberlycox158 I feel you. My depressive episodes started at the age of 15-16. They are not as rare as I would like them to be. I'm experiencing my second one of 2022. Trying to find meaning in the suffering. I think I'm getting out of it. It lasted about a month.
@@kimberlycox158I hear you and I really understand and it sucks. ❤️🙌💞
As someone with Depression, this is kinda gut-punching as you said in the beginning. The chemical imbalance at least gave somewhat of an answer. But in all, I am glad you are giving good and truthful information. Thank you for this.
Being gently redirected towards _(more)_ effective stuff, kicking a bunch of serious *side-effects* along the way, sounds like a win to me! 👌🏻🌱
Carnivore cured my depression. Give it a go, 90 days. If scared of scurvy, include lemon juice in your water.
yes, this is one reason I was really scared to talk about the research on this topic, because I know that people with depression often tend to be so hard toward themselves, and the chemical imbalance hypothesis was one way to reduce stigma...but it did come with a cost, and there are biological contributing factors of depression...it's not your fault...but there are some good, effective treatment options.
I feel ya. I’ve had my share of depression/anxiety over the past thirty years and, for the most part, I was only ever told I had a chemical imbalance. It was only a matter of finding the right medication. If a viable antidepressant intervention was not discovered it meant you had treatment resistant depression.It’s awful, because it is literally a life and death struggle for many, many people. Through my own research and podcasts like this one, I’ve had a new found perspective on the whole ordeal over the past few years. Personally, I feel that societal and environmental factors have exacerbated the condition, but there is a definite biological component as well.
@@TherapyinaNutshell have you ever prescribed or recommend antidepressants to anyone ?
Being chronically ill, with no successful treatments or cures, I don’t even know what to do. So many chronic pain/illness people are so depressed and it just makes it so much worse.
Thank you for making this video. From somebody that lived with depression for decades, when I saw the title of your video it actually made me feel very seen. I was told for years by my family that there was just something wrong with my brain and I tried medications which never worked for me so it left me feeling really stuck and feeling like I was just broken. It wasn’t until I started reprogramming my core belief systems that I was able to start to get any relief. Anyways, this was really nice to hear.
all people have the same trauma. Inside all people there is an infant that longs for mummys breast
I really hope this study makes changes in the industry. I spent half my life being prescribed SSRI after SSRI, telling my doctors that they only made me feel worse, that they gave me horrible side effects without helping my depression, on some occasions even causing psychosis. None of them listened. When I finally put my foot down and refused to take any more SSRIs, I was noted as noncompliant and uncooperative in my medical record. I finally learned earlier this year that some medications work on dopamine instead of serotonin, and was put on Wellbutrin. 3 months in and my entire life has changed - plus I now know I have ADHD, which is associated with dopamine deficiency. The depression is still there, but it's background noise, and the important changes are that I have more energy, more focus, more motivation, and less inexplicable pain. So, yes, medication did ultimately help me - but not for the reasons my previous doctors thought, and they spent 18 years not caring that the SSRIs they were throwing at me like candy at a parade were making me progressively worse. I had to save myself from convention. And to hell with "noncompliant."
Edit: Do not reply to me with pseudoscientific nonsense like how trauma can't be fixed with talk therapy but by finding magical foods that will balance your ~systemic nutrient deficiencies.~ Good grief. That is insulting.
Editing again to say I'm turning off notifications for this because people don't know how to act. I'm not replying to anything else. Y'all need to grow up.
I also was put on SSRIs when I was in my mid 20s. Finally went on Wellbutrin and it did the trick. Like you, I was later (at age 51) diagnosed with ADHD.
I took ssri for one week when my doctor pressured me I was starting to act weird I felt like I was in drugs, then I noticed it and I stop taking those
I would certainly not count on the pharmaceutical industry for changing something that earns them so much money. I prefer to count on psychologists, health practitioners and doctors to introduce changes in the way they treat depression, thus forcing change in the industry.
This is so heartbreaking to hear!!! I really hate the hierarchy in the medical world. I hate hate hate it. I'm so happy you put your foot down!
@@cardinalgin Pharmaceuticals, no. Physicians, yes. My problem has been entirely with physicians, given that pharmaceutical companies don't tend to do the prescribing. :)
I believe I started suffering from depression at about age 14. I tried to tell my Mom, but she completely dismissed it as “ laziness “.
This was in 1967. I knew she was wrong, but never brought the subject up again.
In my day “ depression “ was a word that was only whispered. The stigma of any mental health issues was so appalling, that it was covered up completely by entire families.
But I KNEW I was depressed. Plus, teen magazines often listed symptoms that were for depression - and for those people that needed help.
But there was no help available for me. Could not afford a psychiatrist on my own.
Clinical depression runs in my family on both sides. I also had many phobias as a child - my siblings and cousins had many as well, but mine were severe. Interestingly, I believe I sucked my thumb in the womb, because my thumb went right into my mouth at birth.
So I would say, I was anxious from conception.
My first treatment for depression was a drug called Nardil. Not a pleasant drug by any means ( very scary, actually )
I was put on this after my second child was 8 months old when I developed Post Partum Psychosis. Anti psychotics were of no use - anti depressants worked. The horror I lived through before the medication started working cannot be described in any words in this world. This was in 1981.
Then Post Partum Depression after my third child. Was put on Anafranil ( Nardil was too scary to go through again ) This was in 1984.
I was suffering from depression, severe GAD and phobic disorder that ruled my life. So at 39 years, I went to a Psychologist ( PhD ) After one year and $3000.00, I was worse.
So my GP referred me to a psychiatrist. I was put on an SSRI and a benzodiazepine.
It was as if I was given a new life!!!
No words to describe it. And as my GP stated - you have only life. You should have quality of life, and I completely agree.
All phobias and anxiety disappeared. It was incredible to me!! I lost a career because of one phobia. I went from being rescued from drowning to being a Swimming Teacher and got my NLS Lifeguard Award.
I could downhill ski - so many doors that had been closed to me opened up. And my depression lifted.
I had been an RN, so I was not as averse to medication as most people. And I did my research. I have never felt manipulated by “ Big Pharma “.
I have never taken my Pharmacist to task for basically being the dispenser of drugs for “ Big Pharma “.
If my GP feels I need a medication, I will take it after I do my own research.
So now, 30 years later, I have never regretted the decision to follow the direction of that psychiatrist. I was given what I needed to have quality of life.
I was also obviously depressed at 14 but the roots are visible to childhood. I had the courage to tell my Mom I was depressed in high school, but instead of getting me help she said, "What would the other mothers think?" Then she turned away and went to work in the kitchen. That was the mid 1990s.
Who are we to judge. Whatever works for the individual. Pro's, con's balance :)
I was seeing a psychiatrist back in the 90s who uses medications as a last resort. After months of talk therapy, she put me on Prozac and 6 weeks later I felt like the blanket that had covered my life was gone! I'm still on an antidepressant, Cymbalta, because it helps with my fibromyalgia. Life is still no bed of roses, and there are still many dark days, but I've learnt ways if coping. A big one is getting outside for a walk. Even in a snowstorm. The endorphins produced by walking for twenty minutes can keep me going all day. Another biggie is friendship. Make good friends, even if it's only one or two. And never underestimate the unconditional love that a pet can give. Oftentimes, they know when you're having a bad day, and give even more of themselves to get you through it.
Single mothers raise all the school shooters. Tell every kid single mother raised to get after school weekend work. Upskill as much as possible so independent as soon as possible. NRA should really fund fathers rights. I bet vast vast shootings are by single mother raised. Where possible especially sons should go with the dad. They teach independence and accountability. Too many women unstable manipulators.
I completely cured and got rid of all my mental illnesses and addictions by mushrooms microdosing alone. Big pharma is lying to you.
I respect your channel and have learned so much by watching. As a chemist, I would be remiss if I didn't highlight that all of brain activity is electro-chemical. The meta-analysis you mentioned only looked at serotonin, but didn't look at dopamine or oxytocin, or other neurotransmitters. As you said, depression is complicated, and a holistic approach is more than likely a better approach, but I would argue that even non-chemical methods to reduce depressive symptoms have the effect of changing brain chemistry at the neuronal and synaptic level.
Plus some of us take antidepressants for other reasons; in my case, Venlafaxine is one of the medications that I take for chronic, daily migraines. That stuff changed my life, from 25 migraines a month to (in combination with other meds) 3-5 of much lower intensity and duration.
Also, depression is a set of symptoms that tend to appear together. I have not read the study she has cited, and we don't know what causes those clusters of symptoms, but it is possible that depression is a variety of different illness currently under one label. (Think trying to tell if you have a cold vs. a flu without knowing they were different viruses.)
Makes it hard to say with certainty that medications aren't an effective treatment for some varieties of depression....
As someone who started on sertraline a few years ago, I can only say that before then my life was blighted by constant black moods and obsessive introspective negativity. I was reluctant to consider myself depressed or needing medication. I was prescribed the sertraline in the end due to severe anxiety brought on (at least partially) by severe stress, but the effect on my general mood has been highly positive and I no longer experience all that barely-bearable misery.
As you say, everything is ultimately physical in the brain, and we all know that mood and perceptions can be changed by chemicals, which is why alcohol and drugs are so popular. Whatever the sertraline is doing, the mechanism by which it is altering my mood, it is definitely doing *something* and this meta analysis (which the presenter suggests is the gold standard, but meta analyses can have all kinds of issues) has at best shown the serotonin mechanism to not be the answer. It's a big leap from there to "depression isn't chemical". It's like saying "it turns out the prime suspect didn't do the murder, so there was no murder!".
I wish I'd had my chemical help a long time ago.
@@BronzeDragon133 I take Venlafaxine against depression and have for over a decade, and it being so great for me is probably related to my ADHD brain issues, except Venlafaxine + Concerta works far better for me than a higher dose of Concerta alone. Venlafaxine even helps me regulate my sleep pattern better when I'm on a hour 0800 & hour 2000 schedule for the pills, but I have no idea what is up with that and why one long lasting double dose pill works poorer than two separate doses per day. It doesn't make my sleep pattern a fully normal sleep pattern, just far closer to one. Melatonin in addition to that is pretty great, makes it a normal pattern for me. So yeah, if one is a person who benefits from Venlafaxine as antidepressant, then it is truly beneficial even though it isn't a serotonin issue.
@@ian_b it basically says that lack of serotonin doesn't cause depression (according to current evidence), and she's presenting as if meant that the assumption that increasing serotonin leads to relief of depressive symptoms is therefore invalid, even if we have plenty of studies that show how it does happen
It's a silly comparison, but it's like saying that a broken bone is not caused by a lack of metal pins, therefore orthopedists are wrong for using them to fixate fractures, even tough they do do keep the fracture in place
I take lithium for my bipolar disorder. It's not caused by lack of lithium. We don't normally have a detectable dose of lithium in our blood unless we are taking it as medication, but lithium is life changing me and most people with bipolar disorder
We might not know for sure why, if lack of serotonin doesn't cause the symptoms, but increased amounts of it certainly help with them
Thank you for making this. Good messaging. I was prescribed ssri's when I was grieving the loss of a family member. Felt very unwell on them and ended up just feeling annoyed they had been selected when I had a real life reason for feeling low. I hope this video helps others who are struggling.
Psych meds can literally save lives. Depression and anxiety are in my family, some of it fairly severe. I started having depression at about sixteen. Started antidepressants after my second child when I had post-partum depression. It wasn’t an easy decision… but I was desperate. I know these drugs are overprescribed, but there are some things talk therapy can’t fix.
I am right beside ya - if the meds work - awesome! If they don't then get off them. Depression in one's life is understandable. Some people stories - no wonder they are mad and sad.
She's not saying prescriptions dont work at all for depression though, just that their effectiveness was overestimated by drug companies and that it is not the only treatment for every single person.
@@MiniLinlin agreed - most depressions in my opinion are situational.
It’s really important that medications target actual biological contributing factors.
@@MiniLinlin But her video title and thumbnail come right out and say that depression is NOT caused by a chemical imbalance, which certainly would suggest that chemical treatments for it would be completely useless. It got her clicks, but it was an incredibly unprofessional decision. She deserves criticism for that.
I've been taking antidepressants for about 22 years now. It saved my life. I'm able to live a normal life now. I agree that not all depressions are caused by a lack of serotonin. I was diagnosed with major depressive disorder and I instantly found relieve after taking my first antidepressant.
i am taking ssri anti depressents from last 4 years...what to Do ?
I believe they have helped me a lot
@@MohsinNaseer1 are they helping you?
Leukemia is not a chemical imbalance caused by lack of chemo drugs. Chemotherapy still helps. Depression is not a chemical imbalance of serotonin, but ssris are still life saving.
They saved my life too
Hi Emma, Thanks so much for this video. I have watched your you tubes over this past year or so and have ALWAYS felt encouraged listening to you...sometimes its's been in the middle of the night. May God richly bless you as you and your husband as you grow your darling little family. Much love to you, Christine
I can’t imagine trying to tackle a topic like this in a UA-cam video but you did an EXCELLENT job balancing every “side”
I experienced the first symptoms of depression when I was 2 years old (saw it on my clinic´s record), told my mom that I wanted to die before I was 6, no one thought back then that depression in kids was a thing so I had to endure awful symptoms. I have no physical ailments, I have a great family, I am not poor, I have a really good diet, and I meditate, but for 20 years I had to live with this awful ailment and until I was 20 started taking antidepressants and antipsychotics and without them, I am sure I would be dead right now. Therapy is good, but there are terrible terrible psychologists that believe everything is trauma or everything has a reason, and yes, after 20 years with no treatment I was traumatized, I was worse each year, I really thank my parents for finally stopping listening to the "she needs to exercise and be in therapy and eat well" because that has never EVER been enough. So yes, of course lately people are more depressed and they have a lot of reasons, I have been in therapy for more than 30 years and the reason is not there, I was shamed for using antidepressants, so if you are like me and do NEED them to live a quality life don´t let these studies or other people tell you what to do. I am a personal trainer and I work out regularly let me tell you, not everyone feels better after exercising, I love nature and swimming in the ocean but that was not enough to prevent me to try and kill myself more than 6 times since I was a kid, i had every physical exam done to check for hormonal imbalances, vitamins or mineral deficiencies, etc and i was "fine"... Every Body Is Different. It is very hard to accept that a pill helps you, but please do not make it harder on the ones that need it, and i know this person mentions it, but i am not talking just about the video.
Yep, it's a complicated thing. I suspect there is a chemical imbalance for some people, but it's not just a straight serotonin imbalance. I also feel that people like you might be such a small minority, that unless your're specifically separated into a group and studied, that researchers won't understand what's going on. Because I feel like you're relatively rare compared to others.
Just want to say you’re not alone. I was 6 when I started having symptoms of depression. Took until 14 before I was put on medication and counselling. I’m in my mid 20s now and have accepted the fact that I need a combination of medication, counselling and the holistic methods of treatment as my depression is never going away…
@@steggopotamus well said, I also think that it's more complicated issue and on my personal case I can say too that I've finally come to the realization that I will need to take medication for the rest of my life as my depression has always been with me and not really related to any life events...
What did these symptoms look like when you were 2 years old?
Excellent response, i agree
I tried to manage my depression & anxiety without medication until my forties, did everything I could, eg therapy and lots of alternative treatments. It's stupid that in the alternative medicine circles people are so strongly against antidepressants/ all kinds of medication. It also affected me a lot and I only started medications when I was completely desperate and having suicidal thoughts. Thank God I then had a good psychiatrist who actually listened to me and found a medication that suited me. I'm still doing all the alternative treatments methods like acupuncture and EFT, and psychotherapy, and they really help, BUT they only help alongside with medication. That's just the way it is.
There's a new explanation why antidepressants work, another great female psychiatrist explained it to me. It makes much more sense to me than the serotonin theory. She said, when you are depressed/ anxious for a long time, your neurons suffer. The connections between neurons in your brain get week and cut off, and it's a very bad thing. The medication help the neurons to grow new connections. But, the clue is, they kind of open the brain up for change, but you have to do things in order to grow the new neural pathways. Things like psychotherapy, lifestyle changes, good relationships. It certainly seems to be the case in my life.
I do so much work on healing myself, but to make real progress the medication has been absolutely necessary. One more thing, my own personal theory is that our modern world is so harsh, stressfull and traumatizing, that we need the modern strong medicines to have any hope of healing from chronic mental illnesses. In the past, when the world was slower and more quiet, when there was more connection to nature and less technology and rushing etc., the natural remedies were enough. But unfortunately not anymore.
Anyway, I hope this helps somebody who is struggling with the questions of getting on medication or not. But remember, don't let yourself be treated with ONLY medication!
Thank you for sharing and now imagine where it may be heading? I'm incline to agree with your theory.
Agree 100%
"The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble." Psalm 9 9
"Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall." Psalm 52:22
"Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you." Deuteronomy 31 8.
Please come to the Lord Jesus Christ and ask him for help. There's healing, strength, salvation and deliverance in Him only. He longs to help you, Why don't you "give all your worries and cares to God?",,
Necessary? No. Useful, could be. But many do it every single way in other ways, esp being that often times many can’t get the help with antidepressants. Why on earth would anyone say it’s necessary to the people in that boat? have you ever even thought about that?
Although, I couldn’t agree more that our modern lifestyles aren’t necessarily helping. Fortunately many are using sense to take it easier, slow down, and not get to caught up in much social media, etc .
I was so scared clicking on this because your other vids were so productive but i feel glad that my worry didn't need to be there 💗
What has help me tremendously with depression has been finding out that I had multiple food intolerances and eliminating those foods which included: cereals with gluten and also corn and dairy. This also solved many other health issues. When I start feeling depressed and very anxious it’s usually a sign that I must have been contaminated with those foods and I just watch what I eat very carefully and I’m ok after two days of eating clean. I am so thankful that I found the cause of my depression and can now live a normal and happy life. I know several people with depresssion and I shared my story. But they prefer to just take medication rather than trying to find out if they maybe suffer from food intolerances. They sincerely say they rather live on antidepressants for the rest of their life than without bread. And these are people who also have other health issues like irritable bowl síndrome... so very likely to have some gut issues. So I decided to just live my life and let them live theirs as they wish. But maybe this may help someone reading this comment.
Absolutely right, I can relate. Others depression etc cannot be bad enough if they are not willing to do or try anything new to help themselves during their life. Leave them to it
Yes, candida cure, ann boroch, all due to yeast overgrowth, the first 2 weeks in the diet my depression lifted, gluten was a big one to remove, you are the first comment to hit it on the head, all diet!! Thank you for sharing
I don't believe that I have depression any more after cutting out gluten, too (I'm actually allergic to it).
As glad as I am that research is continuing to look at the issue of depression, I am a little concerned that people will hear about this study and throw away their meds. I struggled with depression from 5th grade on, and no amount of therapy, exercise, diet, or other intervention made a bit of difference. When I took my first antidepressant, in two weeks I felt like a horrible noise in my head had finally been stilled. The change was profound. A brief attempt at going off meds over a decade ago resulted in my being hospitalized. Antidepressants have given me a life I was not able to have before. It was not easy finding the right combination of meds, but they have made all the difference in what could have been a miserable, painful existence. Yoga, organic food, mindfulness are not the solution for many of us. I'm not ready to write off the chemical imbalance theory, regardless of what may cause the imbalance in the first place.
I hate that you’ve dealt with this for so long. Unfortunately, being that you’ve been on antidepressants for so long, I’d say it will be very difficult to come off of them. They really weren’t meant to be long term medications.
I’m happy that antidepressant is such a miracle drug for you but very many people have numerous harmful side effects and this potentially harmful medication should be better researched in order for them to know who’s going to benefit from it and not to apply it so indiscriminately like they do it now.
@@ambermiller7907 some people struggle with episodes of depression for life or in the case of bipolar don’t have the option of not taking their psychiatric medication
Same. I’d been trying all those things too (therapy for YEARS, exercise, meditation, yoga, going completely plant-based, breathing exercises, acupuncture, etc) and it didn’t work for me. It wasn’t until I started taking SSRI’s for the first time since highschool (I was diagnosed with CPTSD, hence the years of therapy) that I felt like a light suddenly switched at about the 3 week mark. And that was when I realized just HOW depressed I had been for so long. It’s both heartbreaking and extraordinarily exciting to see the difference. I actually have creativity and an interest in things again. I laugh and joke more. Most importantly, the negative inner feedback/criticism has DRASTICALLY subsided. People at work have noticed the recent positive change. Friends who have known me a long time have noticed the change. *I* most definitely have noticed the change. I know this is not placebo. I was super skeptical SSRI’s would even do anything since it didn’t seem to do much for the six months I was on it as a teenager going through abuse. I think maybe a variety of factors may be at play in whether or not SSRI’s have an effect.
Try fixing your gut, it did miracles for me.
I was given meds in high school and I didn't feel any improvement... actually the opposite. I felt disconnected from myself. I was acting as if I were happy and cheerful but I wasn't at all, so I felt insane...It was like they took away all my inhibitions, it's actually dangerous, I felt like I could do anything but I couldn't really, I was just constantly making a fool out of myself...Anyways, I stopped taking them and somehow managed to finish school, after that I kept struggling a lot but year after year I managed to pick myself up. Environment played a big role. Self-care, proper meals, proper sleep, proper habits. Hard but doable, had to reconstruct my whole life and self, with no support. I tried therapy multiple times but sadly didn't find what I needed, it just made me feel more exhausted and hopeless. I still struggle nowadays but not as much as I used to. I think going to live on my own was one of the best decision ever. Doing things and cooking and staying active and going out a bit daily and surrounding myself with good people while also maintaining my privacy and having my safe and quite space is what made a difference for me. But this is just my experience... When you're in that particular, delicate state of mind everything hurts and everything is hard and sometimes we follow the wrong people and the wrong advices. I am extremely grateful for these educational videos you put out, along with some other good therapists on UA-cam that I found. Knowledge is power, it helps me understand things better and it's also free! Thank you so much for what you do. Take care everyone ❤️
Edit: Just wanted to add that I'm happy to see so many other comments somehow confirming what I've been saying! I truly believe that by taking action and building new, healthy habits one can recover...but we also need to get out of toxic situations, and that's easier said than done, especially when the toxic ones are those called "family"! I wish to everyone who is currently struggling to find their way soon...❤️
Are you having troubles in your relationship or marriage or partner just broke up with you! here is the solution for you #dragege
You are very strong for doing all that without support. It's very sad, though... and it must've been hard, so I hope you are proud of yourself, and I hope you find your 'chosen family'! ✨💛✨
@@daniemotioninsound thank you so much for your kind words!!🥰
You are clearly a kind and caring doctor. My old doctor* (decades and decades ago in the UK) had no time with patients with depression. When the patient came to his office he reached into a drawer in his desk and brought up a two page document, stapled together. It detailed how to cope with depression in the 1960's. He then took the patient to another room and made them read it, and had no further contact with him/her. He did this for years and years and years.
This was really mindblowing! I don't suffer from depression BUT I do get depressed from my anxiety...I have been telling my doctors that for years. They'd sign off my diagnosis as depression when I would tell them "no, I'm stressed, and that stress is making me depressed" and what was interesting was that you said right here stress (along with other factors of course) can cause depression - the thing I've been trying to tell doctors forever about how I feel. I know I need to do more to tackle my anxiety. I am on medications, and they "help," but I definitely have to work toward a multi-faceted treatment for a multi-faceted cause of how I feel.
Depression is so sticky, mine never seems to go away anymore. The antidepressants help and seem to make a difference for me, and I've noticed that an improved healthy diet also makes a difference. Those two things combined seemed to me to be the most helpful. I'm going to ask my Dr about this. Thank you for this information because I think depression is more serious than non-depressed people realize and not a one-size-fits-all problem. Thank you!
This world is not a happy place its impose NOT to be afflicted with depressed mood, anxiety, physical symptoms of stress and sadness. To be happy you have to literally not care about anything.
I feel the same way. I decided after many years of trying to 'cure' it that I will just learn to live with it. I take meds, of course. I did discover that food allergies (wheat, CORN! , rice, dairy, soy) alter my mood dramatically (or depression changes my reaction to food??). So I avoid those foods and anything processed. Acupuncture from a Chinese doctor has been a HUGE help in reducing stress, correcting digestion which took about a year, and helping brain function, and it is great for targeting any nagging pain. It also worked like a gem to increase confidence (honest to God). She told me "you have not had confidence your whole life." Chinese acupuncturists read your pulse and get a load of information. And I found a great personal trainer who works on developing core strengths and cardio. I go three times a week. I'm 69. I try to make it so that depression is not such a burden. What a long haul.
Ann M, very very well said. If you don’t have it it’s almost impossible to understand
@@elainebernarding8495
Elaine I think your amazing. I’m 61 and just now learning to live with it. Sometimes I just wanna give up
@@elainebernarding8495 That's interesting about the accupunctureist. I think I will look into that. Thank you 🙂
As a doctor who also is on long-term SSRIs for what seems to be dysthymia, I like to explain SSRIs anecdotally as medication which helps "evening out" one's feelings so that the patient can hopefully avoid the intensity of the lowest lows. This seems to help patients to better use therapy (which they can hopefully get in conjunction) or to help themselves to start making positive changes. Activation really seems to be the best cure for depression for what I've experienced, but that's so insurmountable to do while depressed, and SSRIs seem to lower thar threshold a bit. For me personally, it seems to help with emotional regulation as my emotions can be very intense (I also have ADHD), which in turn helps me to not get stuck in bad habits or thought patterns. I am vehemently opposed to doctors who prescribe SSRIs or SNRIs as "pills that make you more happy".
I am a nurse of 25 years and if there is one thing I have learned, EVERYONE is as different on the inside as we are on the outside. I completely agree with what you are saying. Meds are not the only answer but a stepping stone to which we can then take steps to do those tasks to help. It is not a one size fits all solution. Thank you doctor for weighing in.
what can you say about Vyvanse for ADHD?
Thank you Doctor k, I also was diagnosed with dysthymia many years ago and have also had major depression with the loss of my husband, was on Prozac (nusak) the generic, and Mirteron at night now for 10 yrs and still had low grade deppression which made me not want to get out of bed or do much, then broke up from a toxic relationship, and decided to go for the ketamin treatments, I had 6 and it did take away the suicidal thoughts but left me weak, could not afford to go back, been mostly in bed on and off for 4 weeks, really should now go for counseling but haven't the energy to or the financial, but starting to get a bit better today by eating healthy foods and supplements and listening to Louise hays podcasts, I stand in front of the mirror and tell myself how much I love me but enough now, remember the mind lies, I say stop that tomorrow you will get up and take your beautiful dog walking, be firm, say I prefer joy, strength energy and love in my life, talk to your subconscious with your conscious mind and HEY 😊😂it's beginning to work, maybe not every day, but more and more. 😅I send love and light to anyone reading this. 💞you are never alone and you are loved beyond and more than you can ever imagine. keep going. You WILL GET THROUGH THIS AND BE AMAZING, remember you are going THROUGH and will get to an amazing AWSOME place in your life, don't give up. blessings and happiness, peace and love to you all., 🙏❤️😘🙌🤗💞
You need to stop pushing these pills on people telling them they work because it's a lie and a scam
My aunt took me off Ritalin cuz I had seizures and there's a natural herb called St John's Wort which helps with my anxiety and when I was sad I was sad cuz I was being abused by my uncle it's depression is definitely not a chemical imbalance I agree you can also do about feedback which strengthens your brainwaves the Army uses it to reverse post traumatic stress disorder on the biofeedback specialist told me that psychological pills actually cause brain damage especially Xanax long-term use cuz your brainwaves are supposed to go up and down in those pills make them go straight if more people knew this I think they would possibly not take their pills there are disability programs that will pay for Battlefield bag since insurance doesn't cover it
You know... I did avoid this video at first precisely because I was feeling uncomfortable with the idea that it was *not* a chemical imbalance and thus did feel it was "my fault" somehow. But it's not, and I am proud of myself for finally clicking this video and hearing your words on this. Things like this are important. Hopefully this will help the medical world shift focus on treating depression and anxiety with medication as more of a treatment than a cure.
"get feeling better and get better at feeling" What a great tagline
Thank you for addressing this topic. I was on medication for over 15 years. When it didn’t work all the doctor wanted to do was increase the dose, so I decided to wean off the medication. It wasn’t an easy process mentally and physically. It took me over 4 years to clean my body. A lifestyle change improved all my symptoms. What we feed to our bodies affect our minds, so that’s where I started. I’m happy to say that I’ve overcome many of the physical and mental challenges.
What's your diet look like?
THIS. "It wasn’t an easy process mentally and physically. It took me over 4 years to clean my body." We are being too easy saying that medication helps. Of course it does something to your body but I believe that medication is only for those who are bedbound that can't even manage to eat, let alone start therapy. When you take antidepressants you become literally addicted. I imagine that once you start to wean off medication it must be a hell of an ordeal. Medication should be really THE LAST RESORT, and always, ALWAYS, alongside therapy.
damn you are so strong!!!!!!!! celebrating how far you have come your story brings hope
Yes, my experience with SSRIs suggests that, as my psychiatrist told me when discussing whether to prescribe or not, what they do is create a chemical imbalance, not correct one. I admit that I had thought it was the latter, but after a year on them I can see pretty clearly that the former is the case. That said: the SSRI, at the get go, pulled me out of a rock-bottom situation rather quickly, and was the biggest miracle of my life when it happened. Based on studies my psychiatrist pointed me to, it did this by altering signaling in the brain, which this SSRI can do quite quickly in some cases, including mine. The change in signaling had its upsides and downsides. I hope people realize that medication in all areas generally functions this way: the palliative effects are the introduced imbalances that prove to be beneficial; the "side effects" are the ones that are detrimental.
I appreciate the care you took with this video -- you're right, it's a controversial subject, not least for those of us who benefit, and can readily respond by feeling "great, here we are being told we're doing it wrong again." People with depression can be especially vulnerable to that feeling, as one of the key triggers for depression can be learned helplessness (cite: Robert Sapolsky).
I do wish you had put less emphasis on the "big pharma says" aspect of this. It feeds a popular narrative used by many people: "all drugs are evil." I just read an exchange on a mental health UA-cam channel where someone insisted that taking an analgesic for a headache was capitulating to Big Pharma -- they literally used the phrase "I'm not a sheep." There are just tons of people, including one of my closest friends, who see taking an antidepressant as falling for the pharma spiel. So please consider if "Big Pharma tells us" is really central to discussing this.
That's what I am most concerned about here: not that I understand that depression is not my fault, but that other people recognize it as a disease. Unfortunately we as a nation are serious mired in the notion of free will being absolute, and to my mind the field of psychology is still over-influenced by behaviorism. And it's worth noting that (as far as I've seen) there are no treatments for depression that do not show mixed results at best, including things like CBT.
you hit the nail so hard on the head with the meds CREATING chemical imbalance.... not correcting.... i have been trying to say this for years and no one was listening.... wow
@@skyetc4317 Just want to make sure I was clear, I was also noting that for some people, the chemical imbalance drugs create is treating a problem that they desperately need help with. Depression is a disease and can be crippling. All tools can be used or misused, and I am frustrated by various posters who appear to think the drugs are always an unacceptable option. Ideal, no. I've got positive and negative stories about SSRIs, but they probably did save my life. I've had lifelong problems with depression and anxiety, some of them probably arising from heritable traits (both my parents had some mental issues), and when I reached MDD levels, therapy alone was not enough.
@@jimwilliams3816 You have spoken my exact thoughts perfectly. Thank you. I'm so tired of the anti-psychiatry brigade and the conspiratorial thinking about "Big Pharma." Antidepressants saved my life. They have prevented countless suicides and helped so many people (though not quite enough for us to be completely satisfied with them as a treatment.)
@@ems7623 Agreed. They saved my life too...and I almost waited too long. SSRIs can have issues, and I've had some, but anyone who's had full-blown MDD will understand why someone would consider them, and be grateful if they help. I do feel for the people for whom they don't work -- and there are a lot -- and this video obviously helped some of them validate their own experiences, and I'm glad of that. It also encouraged some people to invalidate the experiences of those who have been helped by SSRIs, and that bothers me a whole lot.
Someone sent me a TED talk about depression a while ago. The guy (who had MDD) basically said "the state of treatment is still very primitive, but thank god we have what we do." That pretty well sums it up for me. I'm 61, and it was a whole lot worse even 40 years ago.
Thank you for this. As usual, very informative and responsibly presented. You are a wonderful presence for a struggling community. I’ve tried every antidepressant made none of them worked. Mindfulness, and observing the anguish can help instead. It’s our dread and resistance towards the depression that strengthens it and makes it last. Accept and allow but don’t feed it. It will lose its intensity. Thank you again
I'm 24 years old. I've been struggling with severe depression since I was 18 and I've been taking a myriad of different medications since I was 19. Five years now I've been medicated. My depression is now considered treatment-resistant, as I've tried so many medications but haven't found a real solid solution. My first psychiatrist, who I was with until recently due to him retiring, was pretty clear with me in the beginning that the serotonin chemical imbalance theory was _a theory_. He told me that psychiatry is not an exact science and that scientists don't actually know why many pharmaceutical treatments work, they just know that they do work for a lot of people (obviously with caveats).
I've been dreading a paper/study like this coming out, not because I have an emotional attachment to the chem imbalance theory, but because I am really afraid of cultural backlash to pharmaceutical treatment. I am really terrified that, in a wave of anti-pharmaceutical company fervor (which is honestly not totally uncalled for) we will overlook the fact that, despite not fully understanding why, these drugs do keep people alive. They keep me alive. I tried CBT for several years but found it ineffective. I'm actively pursuing other things. I've never seen your channel before and I was honestly really nervous when I clicked on this video, but I'm glad I did. You absolutely hit the mark (and in 8 minutes!! It would take me like an hour!) and I'm really grateful for the full-picture perspective you've shared with your audience.
Prayers for you! I know the pain of depression and know why I'm depressed. I made horrible decisions and had no family support in the times I really needed it. The bible not a church saved me. Seek him with all your heart and mind and you will find him. God is closest to the brokenhearted.
@@idahoplantlady save your proselytizing Tiffany, Christianity was the reason I was depressed growing up and finding a different religion is what helped me.
@@vampyrelle I wasn't speaking to you. I have no fear supporting God. Say what you want. I'm just trying to help. I didn't say anything mean. If they choose to go another route. That's fine. I bring only peace. People like you crucified Jesus for saying the truth.
@@idahoplantlady unless you're speaking to someone within your faith community, do not suggest to a stranger that faith is the answer to their suffering. it is incredibly disrespectful.
Have you had a genetic test done to see how your body metabolizes various medications? A company by the name of Genomind sends a kit for you to swab your saliva. After it gets tested, a very extensive report is sent to your psychiatrist. It drastically reduces trial and error, and shows you which drugs would be better for your symptoms. The test is covered by many insurance companies and they have worked with patients of mine in the past for a payment plan. Also, the newer medication Prestiq has had very good results for treating severe depression and medication resistant symptoms. Good luck ❤️
Thank you for the way you handled this very sensitive topic. I have a diagnosis of CPTSD, I do both medication & therapy & alternative methods like (EFT & Mindfulness). For me, at least for now, I feel all 3 methods work together to give me more live-able days. And I'm not surprised that it's not a chemical imbalance. I've always felt that my life's repeated and repressed traumas created some damage to my nervous system
Are you having troubles in your relationship or marriage or partner just broke up with you! here is the solution for you. #dragege
I have cptsd too. I’ve found that repressed trauma brings me down too. But since I’ve released most of it after 5 years of therapy, it’s not quite as bad. The hardest part is the ruminating thoughts. Once you address the issues you’re ruminating about, they usually go away. Praying for your continued recovery. It’s not easy. I’ve been battling mine since 2016. Now I just accept it’s part of me.
@@Chopsyochops Thanks for the encouragement 🌺
This video made me think of childhood trauma. If you become depressed when you're a child/teen then it must be a lot harder to change your brain since your mind has worked that way for so long, it actually makes a lot of sense
CPTSD absolutely causes damage and changes your brain structures but she mentioned nueroplasticity which is the ability for your brain to change. With a some work you can heal those damaged or impaired parts of you!
I have been taking an SSRI since I was 15...I am 56 now and going strong! Although I have had to change brands, I still take the same medication, and live a great,healthy life. 🙂
youre a battery in the matrix
@@mikelisteral7863 You're a troll. Don't do that.
@@jimwilliams3816 im a god
all people have the same trauma. Inside all people there is an infant that longs for mummys breast
@@jimwilliams3816 I agree. Especially here.
this was soooooo helpful! thank you for validating this for so many of us that couldn't improve our depression through medication.
This was so interesting!! Thanks so much for sharing!
This confuses me. For the past 20 years…I’ve believed my brain chemistry was the problem. This new information forces me to rethink and re-examine my beliefs.
Always good to re-think beliefs
I agree with Brandon. Good luck and succes with the re-thinking!
As someone who takes antidepressants I want to say it took me 50 years to realize how animals were treated for our consumption. Big ag and big pharma have brainwashed and manipulated us our whole life. My depression lifted when I stopped eating animals. Eating animals brings all their suffering and abuse into our systems. Not only are we eating fear but it adds to our depression. #govegan
@@StevensCreation you are absolutely positively insane lol
@@Mike-gc2hm Lmfaoooo exactly.
I am 64 years old I have went through three serious depressions in my life and the only thing that got me out were the serotonin reuptake inhibitors, not therapy , not changing my home environment. Without these medications I don't know how I would have went on to have a normal life.. With medication I have had a normal life (with three serious interruption) I'll never go off my medication. I know you're not suggesting that!! YOU are a wonderful therapist and I find your videos extremely helpful .......thank you for spending your time putting these videos out- you're delightful and educational
I completely validate what you said. Medicine is life changing in a good way for a lot of people. Everyone is completely different. Amen 🙏
This study found that the only reason SSRI’s help anyone is the placebo effect, and placebo has a slight dopaminergic effect and dopamine is correlated with pleasure. Not trying to undermine your success but SSRI’s are not benign and you can get the same exact effect with a sugar pill and save yourself the money
Me exactly. Been on meds 20 years. Small dosage. Got off twice, and it was a train wreck. I'll never get off again.
Yeah and I pulled a knife on my mom, screamed at my whole class with my nose bleeding down my chest, made a death threat list, cut and pierced myself and tried many ways to stop living from how awful I felt. Glad it "helps" someone somehow...
"The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble." Psalm 9 9
"Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall." Psalm 52:22
"Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you." Deuteronomy 31 8.
Please come to the Lord Jesus Christ and ask him for help. There's healing, strength, salvation and deliverance in Him only. He longs to help you, Why don't you "give all your worries and cares to God?",
This was both thorough and succinct. Very informative. I feel like you just cleared up all my questions. Thank you!
I have been taking anti-depressants for over a decade. I’ve tried every SSRI and SNRI labeled to treat depression. I’m on a combination right now that seems to take a bit of the weight off my shoulders.
But it’s incredibly difficult trying to explain to others that at this point in my illness, the biggest issues include my self-loathing, the utter helplessness and hopelessness I feel for my future and for humanity and the world as a whole, the existential woes that I’m plagued with because I’m human, my utter contempt toward other people, and the total emotional blunting that I’ve been experiencing for 5 years now.
There’s literally so much that’s wrong with my head and I cannot see a way out. I feel no hope anymore. I’m only 26 and I cannot imagine living another 50-60 years when I’ve already been suffering for most of my life. It’s beyond what meds alone can treat at this point. I go to therapy every other week and I’m still struggling.
Yes. I wholeheartedly agree with this because when I started traveling, out of my hometown and I stayed in certain places, I realized how more upbeat I am, the most focused I am and the more I’m willing to keep up with my chores: work, church, goals & dreams, being able to be my extroverted self, etc.
Biological, Psychological and Environmental
Yeah. Tropical countries with more sun ☀️
I used to live on a beautiful island in the Med. I was a completely different person. Now I am back in the DC area where everyone is a type A personality, the food is awful, and the weather is pleasant maybe 4 months out of a year, and I feel lousy most of the time.
Thank you Emma for your sincerity and being honest and open about the issue. I don’t doubt there was a financial incentive for the medical establishment and the pharmaceutical companies to mislead the public. I have struggled with major depression and anxiety intermittently for decades. For the most part, I was told it was strictly due to a chemical imbalance and it was only a matter of finding the ‘right’ medication. I am so glad that you mentioned that there are proactive steps a person can take to combat the illness. I can not tell you the number of times I sat huddled in a ball on the couch contemplating suicide whilst pinning my hopes on the meds taking effect. Personally, I think their are societal and environment factors that exacerbated the condition and a definite biological component. I hope that with every new discovery, the scientific community will better understand the neurological mechanisms that contribute to depression.
Thankyou for this, it was really helpful to be reminded of this 🧡
One thing you can easily do is stop watching the news. Mum used to say ‘news is a small daily injection of poison in every household’. Haven’t watched news or read papers in over 10yrs and it’s helped me significantly. Haven’t missed anything either. Trust me…if it’s important news…it’ll come to you.
also social media can be toxic also...
It’s hard when you live with people who get off to watching the news.
I know of one person whose depression went away after her doctor found out she was deficient in multiple vitamins/minerals and she started taking supplements. She described it as being like a light switch, the depression being gone almost immediately. It was particularly shocking to her after years and years of taking anti-depressant medication that didn't work at all for her.
I doubt that every form of depression can be solved this way. However, it wouldn't surprise me at all if this cause of depression was fairly widespread.
The standard American diet is REALLY lacking in basic nutrition.
I ate a super healthy diet and ran track and cross country. I was still depressed, probably because my health food eating parents were abusing me.
There are probably many causes of depression. Exercise is supposed to cure many cases but in my case the health food and exercise didn't cure depression. But eating right and exercising do help me overall.
Yes yes yes , lack of b12 and or iron is terrible and causes you to feel that
I've been on antidepressants for almost 2 months and I wasn't noticing much considerable improvement. Recently I started to look into supplements and since taking that alongside my antidepressants, I am starting to feel like my old self again. It's like i am given a booster shot of my old self, but by the next day it wears off a little bit so I will keep on doing what I am doing and see what happens.
@Jason Mimosa Meat is not necessary. There is nothing in meat that you can't get from plant foods, except B12.
Dr. Abram Hoffer, a now deceased Canadian psychiatrist had over 50 years of experience in treating his patients using nutrition &/or medications with nutrition in more resistant cases, about 15% of his caseload. His work with schizophrenia was remarkable.
If you can locate Dr. Andrew Saul, a naturopathic physician who collaborated with Dr. Hoffer, you can access clinical papers on his work to learn more about the nutritional therapies used during his long psychiatric career.
I regularly exercise, do CBT, ACT, defusion techniques, have healthy experiential avoidance, changed trauma beliefs via CPT, get regular sleep, keep track of all micro and macro nutrients, watch blood work and hormone levels, regulate my blood sugar, monitor my stress, get sunlight, have hobbies, and SSRI’s have been significantly effective for me. I know you’re not saying they aren’t helpful.
I think what the paper is trying to say is, “this is what we think we can conclude so far.” They even said they would only limit their focus to one of the more understood receptors involved in this research as the 5-HT1A when there are 14 types that are not well characterized. This tells me we shouldn’t be throwing certainty around just yet. I think the kind of thinking that may be more helpful is, “this is what I think we know thus far.” We don’t even know the full extent of SSRI’s functions and mechanisms. Who knows. Thanks for the video.
Receptors
“Fourteen different serotonin receptors have been identified, with most research on depression focusing on the 5-HT1A receptor [11, 34]. Since the functions of other 5-HT receptors and their relationship to depression have not been well characterised, we restricted our analysis to data on 5-HT1A receptors [11, 34].“
I have adhd and suffered from anxiety and depression in the past due to workplace toxicity. I went to the doctors due to chest pains (from anxiety) and he tried to give me medication. I told him I don’t want them because I knew they won’t help me, I just needed to leave my job. I also took adhd meds and that only made my already bad mental state worse. I no longer take them. A year later I finally left that job and no longer suffer from either. You don’t need medication, you need to get to the root of the problem and address it.
The best i ever got, in my gloom times, was riding my bike. It didn't cure anything, but helped. Your passionate exposition that there are ways through, is so kind. thanks.
They have also found that many anti depressants actually work through their anti inflammatory effects rather than effects on neuro transmitters / chemical imbalance.
This leads researchers to believe that reducing chronic inflammation improves mental health. And indeed, interventions through lifestyle and diet have been found to be as effective and in many trials MORE effective than the leading anti depressants
Interesting, what kind of diet do you recommend?
@@janicewinsor4793 carnivore. Check out harry serpanos and bart kay. Bart kay is kinda hard to handle, I prefer harry.
I cured my depression within three days of carnivore. Just three days. Taurine is essential in combating depression. Get you a free form taurine supplement.
Cheers and bless you and yours on your road to healing!
agree, inflammation is the real killer. Start out by cutting out your sugar and carbs.
I totally agree with the carnivore diet just most people don't know what it is.
Yes!!! so much can be resolved through mindfulness, connection with nature and sunlight, exercise, and good nutrition and gut health. As a registered dietitian, I totally endorse the anti-inflammatory diet (lots of fiber and antioxidants from fruits and veggies, lots of omega-3 rich fatty fish and seafood, think Mediterranean diet) for improving overall health and well-being including and especially mental health!!
I’ve heard that before and it confirms my belief and my experience that depression is caused by too many problems lasting for too long or happening all at once and a chronic lack of understanding and support.
💯💯💯
It's your bodies response to flight, fight or freeze (or even fawn) not working for too long.. sometimes learned helplessness sets in, sometimes its just helplessness because theres not much you can do.. one feeds of the other too..
"The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble." Psalm 9 9
"Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall." Psalm 52:22
"Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you." Deuteronomy 31 8.
Please come to the Lord Jesus Christ and ask him for help. There's healing, strength, salvation and deliverance in Him only. He longs to help you, Why don't you "give all your worries and cares to God?",,
Thank you so much for this information it really opened my eyes and helped me understand some things. You're a wonderful therapist and person, I love you a lot ❤️
Thank you sooo much for making this video. I feel empowered.
Thank you for this. I’m always glad to hear that the meds have helped some people, but they didn’t help me. I tried over 30 medications over the span of 15 years (for dysthymic depression), and the results were negligible. I started eating healthy and it solved about 70% of my issues. I got off all my medications and for the first time in my adult life I could actually think clearly. It changed my life drastically. I’m not saying my path is right for everyone, and I’m not saying I’m not still dealing with serious mental health issues, but I’m no longer living in a constant fog, waiting to die. I do light therapy and exercise now, and I’m always learning new things that help (currently very into polyvagal theory). I’m glad to see this information getting some more attention. Maybe I wouldn’t have wasted over half my life if meds and talk therapy hadn’t been touted as the only options.
Hi, Seeker 80. I just want to say I'm proud and happy to see someone who has the courage to follow their own path, even if it goes against certain guidelines. As long as you're not hurting anyone, it's okay to try alternative routes in life.
All the best!
all people have the same trauma. Inside all people there is an infant that longs for mummys breast
I've been saying this for years. I'm so relieved to see "valuable" voices are speaking about it and it's not just my crazy talking.
oh my god SAME
Thank you for this & your consideration/sensitivity for not releasing that video. That said, flip side/positive side of releasing that video is for the large # of people where SSRIs do NOT work and think that they’re ‘hopeless’ because of aforementioned.
Looking fwd to watching that video
Thx again
I love how you’ve broken this down in such a clear and sensitive way. Bravo Emma! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
This is good information. As one who lives with dysthymia, I now know that stress is a serious trigger. And I lived under extreme stress for more years of my life than I should have. I no longer have those specific stressors and I’m doing better.
I’m happy for you.
"The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble." Psalm 9 9
"Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall." Psalm 52:22
"Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you." Deuteronomy 31 8.
Please come to the Lord Jesus Christ and ask him for help. There's healing, strength, salvation and deliverance in Him only. He longs to help you, Why don't you "give all your worries and cares to God?",
Thank you for this. I've had a form called dysthymia for decades, along with some other comorbids and diagnoses. I'm so tired of pills not doing anything for me, especially when I have an extremely weak immune system anymore...and cuz o that I'm at my house unless going to doctors. I'm gonna be 40 next year, and I'm really hoping to finally start feeling better. Just found your channel. Instant subscribe
That was very thoughtful, tactful and hopeful. Thank you Emma
🌟 We are slowly waking up to the reality that no chronic disease has a single cause. Nutrition, gut health, hormones, stress levels, sleep, movement, relationships, brain health, liver function, immune function... it all matters and it's all connected. We have moved past the days of discovering one single factor that causes a disease ("hey, when the sailors eat limes they don't get scurvy!"). Now, we need a more holistic model of healthcare.
Another great video as always, Emma 😘
Thank you for being such a supportive ally. Your compassion is wonderful to experience.
Thank you for your bravery to say this. I saw 2 Family drs, 3 psychiatrists and a therapist and over many years and prescriptions. I was never told that this could be temporary. Instead take this pill and that, for the rest of my life with muffled emotions. Both good and bad. Sadly it took me years to figure out on my own how to heal my mind and work thru the underlying causes.
this reminded me of a time when I stopped my meds, both due to being unable to get a refill and because people were egging me to stop them, saying they don't do anything.
flash forward a few weeks and i was failing all my classes, possibly getting kicked out of school, had a relapse in substance abuse and was nearly hospitalized
I want to move past needing them someday but at least for now i'd like to stay as stable as i can lmao
I hate people pushing the narrative that getting off medication for mental illness is some kind of goal or isn't effective in the first place. If they did that to someone with heart disease they would sound ridiculous, and they are. If a medication works it works. Getting it refilled every month on time can be easier said than done though.
The irony in how difficult it can be to get help when you are struggling with brain function.
You cannot stop all of a sudden!
@@MassimoPizzochero Right! Never quit medication cold turkey. It can have bad consequences mentally and physically.
This woman is beyond stupid and thank you for sharing your story
Thanks! A someone who has had three major 'nervous breakdowns' that resulted in hospitalization, I think this is really good information. I have maintained since my second anxiety/depressive episode in my early twenties that the main thing the medications did for me was to stabilize my physical symptoms, like shaking, fatigue, nausea, insomnia, constant crying - so that I could eat, sleep and have more energy to begin the process of recovery. It has always taken a combination of other interventions like therapy, exercise and alternative therapies like acupuncture, vitamins and supplements.
Now in my late forties, three years after my last hospitalization and thirty years after my first one, I am seeing that our societies codes of 'how to survive' also cause depression (like putting everyone else before yourself, avoiding conflict or handling it poorly, you are only successful if you have achieved multiple degrees, a high paying job, own a house etc etc). And the big one for me right now is seeing my victim thinking. These thinking patterns can spiral me into a depressive state faster than your dog can chase after a squirrel. Why did this happen to me? What did I do wrong? It's hopeless, I'm hopeless. Or it's their fault, nothing will ever change, why aren't things the way I think they should be?
For me the imbalance is getting so anxious about the future, and decisions made in the past, and my confidence in my capacity to deal with what is happening NOW that I become unable to function. Then depression, because, why bother? So just medication has never helped me much with any of that. I do like the idea that it can make new neural pathways - because basically that's often what I am doing when I am healing from an anxiety/depression episode.
And last comment - I was thinking just today that most illnesses do require more than one intervention. You can't have diabetes and just take insulin and think everything is going to be ok if you don't change your diet and exercise etc. Having cancer treatment almost always means you need to temporarily change your priorities and take things slower. A close relative of mine has been diagnosed with Allergic Aspergillosis (which is a fungal infection in the lungs) - the medication is helping them but they will have to make lifestyle changes as well to stop this from recurring.
same problem from last 4 years
Exactly. They are not "happy pills" as some in my family call them, It's like a physical illness and it can be helped sometimes by the right medication. Plus a healthy life style.
Yes!! I have been hospitalized for depression too and I feel exactly the same way. Meds helped me become ‘functional’ again but they never addressed the roots of my issues. Although I’m more stable now I’m absolutely not free of the psychological faults/issues that led to my depressive episodes in the first place. I honestly believe there is no such thing as purely biologically-inherited depression. It’s literally impossible to separate psychology and environmental factors from biology. The incidence of childhood trauma is drastically higher in people who later develop bipolar and schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. There’s always going to be another aspect to mental health issues that medication will never be able to address, and this is honestly why I believe so many people feel like they need to take meds for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately many people are either unaware of the need to address their issues through therapy/some other form of self-healing, or they just don’t have the time or resources to be able to really find and address the deeper roots of their issues.
"The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble." Psalm 9 9
"Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall." Psalm 52:22
"Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you." Deuteronomy 31 8.
Please come to the Lord Jesus Christ and ask him for help. There's healing, strength, salvation and deliverance in Him only. He longs to help you, Why don't you "give all your worries and cares to God?"
@@jesuslovesyou1497 can you stop this is obnoxious
My parents had me put on anti depressants when I was ten and I think that messed up my brain growing up. I'm all for adults taking them as a last resort but you shouldn't mess with a child's brain like that.
I'm really sorry you went through that. Unfortunately it's happening to many more children and teens these days.
I suffered from mental illness as a kid this was before anti depressants and mental health medications so mental health medications were not the cause of my mental disorders but the medications definitely helped me cause every time i go off my symptoms come back
Children should not be on depression medication. Instead, their guardians should take the time to understand, talk and counsel them about their feelings. My relative, who has been a professor for over 30, is amazed at the increase in students who allegedly have "anxiety and depression" and are medicated for it. They also receive accommodations which permit them to have extended time on exams and extended due dates for assignments. Not so coincidentally, most graduate with a 4.0 GPA.
Same here! Put on paroxetine (paxil) at 10. Now at 34, I'm tapering off. It's a tough journey. Are you still on the antidepressants now?
I think they should be a last resort for kids, but a wrong to ban them, as they could mean the difference between life and taking that life
Thank you so much for your video. I saw the headlines about this article but was afraid to read it because it felt like I've made up my depression. Your video tells me that I'm on the right track: now that the medication has helped me to get over exhaustion and other symptoms, I've been running (after getting help from a coach because I was tired), taking food supplements and taking actions in order to reduce my stress and lower the dosage. It's far from being a straight path (as I've unsuccessfully tried to reduce the medication dosage for 1 year) but I'm getting there.
I had to quit my jobs, stop talking to people, live at my parents while doing this so I could focus on my physical health - eating enough food and working out. I was able to not only focus on that, but the break away from work and people gave me the space to grieve and heal!!! Being able to feel out my emotions! It’s so bad to not let the “bad” ones ride out. Sitting there with them and processing everything is such an empowering thing! The best thing I ever did for myself and also extremely thankful. (Which is why I never understand why “isolation” is so frowned upon - it’s clearly what my body needed…) I’m able to pay more attention when I’m in a job situation if I’m about to go down a bad mental path and say no, or hanging out with the wrong people. You need to listen to yourself!! Stop doing things that make you unhappy. Stop hanging out with people you don’t like. It’s okay to not like certain people lol or not want to be by them. You don’t have to be mean, just distance yourself. During my physical “journey” I found my love for dance again! It’s a huge stress reliever. And stop conforming to this societal “standard”. Who cares if it looks good to everyone else, if you’re unhappy, get out! I get not everyone has a parents house to take a break to, but if you listen to yourself (everyone’s path is different)- I promise you, you’ll get out of it.
I personally think depression comes from the overwhelming awareness of cruel people- of being treated cruelly for having a different opinion,. Not just being argued with, but truly harassed. Depression sucks, and everyone should live a fulfilling life. Stay strong, each of us battling depression looks to each of us for the hope that we can get through each day.
Hi, You caught my attention. You are probably an empath. I have been overwhelmed by careless people in my life. I have been harassed by friends and family but it's because of envy. Thx !
Yeah. Very true. I think that falls under the three "pillars" of depression at 5:15 that she mentions. Two of which are "psychological" and "environmental". We are extremely *aware* of the cruel realities of the world (psychological), and also often exposed traumas through people's cruel treatment (environmental). If anything, that proves why depression is so common. Those things are hard to avoid. Impossible actually.
"battling depression".... WTF Is that all our worries.. ??? You're Sad... consider yourself lucky....
@@MrWolfheart111 Have you dealt with depression Wolf Heart ?
@@piperofsimms Yes I can choose my moods., and the time a loted to them. If I want to be sad and cry I look at pictures of my mom and how she died. Or happy have wonderful moments in life photographed in your memory... watch a beautiful sunset.... Take control of your mind.
This headline scared me because so many people are going to instantly stop their meds assuming they don’t need them and that’s so dangerous. They should be weaned off slowly IF they and their doctor feel it’s necessary. There’s also so very many disorders that people take medication for and may think all meds now don’t work. Thank you for making this
Video
Agreed, definitely need to taper a lot of these and consult with their healthcare provider.
@@alison5009 what the healthcare providers that prescribed these tablets in the first place ?
Are you having troubles in your relationship or marriage or partner just broke up with you! here is the solution for you #dragege
People should note that headache is not due to a lack of salicylic acid, but aspirin can relieve a headache nonetheless, while you figure out how to avoid getting future headaches.
@@andrewpiper2908 what is your question?
So happy to hear this - very refreshing!! I personally sense depression is more of a mis-understanding of how to properly take care of ourselves. If we blame anyone it could be Education system for not teaching self care to kids in schools -
Thank you for your informative channel. Appreciate it. Find your channel informative and helpful in understanding aspects of anxiety amd depression.
Also seeing alot of talk about links between our nutritional intake relating to anxiety and depression. Building up the courage to change lifestyle and explore this . Really facinating .
So, based on that study, SSRIs help about 20% of people with depression. I really appreciate this video. I know that there is so much I could be doing to help myself, but I don't know where to start. I've been stuck in survival mode for so long. I don't just struggle with depression, I have a long list of autoimmune diseases and other co-morbid conditions that doctors don't really seem to know what to do with.
Thank You for taking the time to create and share this wonderfully informational and helpful video ❤️
This video is greatly appreciated and necessary.
This is such a relief. I’ve been afraid to get therapy partly because I was afraid of being pressured to take meds. Now I have empirical evidence to use if that ever happens. My depression episodes are very tied to anxiety (from trauma) and level of stress (from life events and lifestyle). I know for sure that I don’t need medication in order to heal and live a better life. Medication is essential for some people and I’m so glad it’s there to help them function! But for me, it would be an unnecessary risk.
A few things that have helped with my coping with Depression...
Age: I'm in my Fifties now, and I'm not as tightly wound as I was when I was in my teens and 20s. You truly do mellow with age.
Finding a Less Stressful Job: Getting out of Retail was the best thing for me.
Stoicism: I've been reading about Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and Epictetus who considered the pillars of Stoic Philosophy. But my suggestion is "The Subtle Art of not Giving a F*ck" by Mark Manson
Can't Hurt Me by David Goggins is also really good. Same with Maximum Achievement by Brian Tracy. Anyone who claims to be depressed should read both.
Stoicism is awesome! Marcus Aurelius is my role model.
The Greek Philosophers do help us . Montaigne is also a pleasant gift from France.
I respect your perspective on dealing with depression. However, I hope that when you discuss these points that you won't forget to say that antidepressant medication is sometimes appropriate, particularly for severe or chronic depression. There are countless causes of depression and the ways of coping vary from individual to individual.
stoicism should be teached in therapy
Glad someone finally went through the hassle of a meta study!
Just finished an audio book _("Lost Connections" by Johann Hari)_ that adressed this very topic. _VERY_ insightful regarding how studies are being tweaked by "big pharma". Recommend! 👌🏻
Thanks for picking up on this. 🙏🏻
I just started reading this book 2 days ago!
@@alison5009 Might wanna "brace for impact"! Lotta headshakin incoming.
@Le Typ - the two videos I previously made on this topic were basically a summary of his book, I really liked his way of condensing a lot of big information into a readable book.
It's a very good book. Some of his insights have helped me improve my own depression and anxiety which I hadn't been able to do for the previous 10 years.
@@TherapyinaNutshell Hari is a fraud- look it up. He has no scientific qualifications.
I grew up believing depression was a chemical imbalance and I still have a lot of misconceptions related to that idea even though I have learned differently. Your explanation about the function of antidepressants clarified a lot for me. Thank you
Thank you for this video. Last time I went to the psychologist, after I told her that sometimes I just feel very sad and hopeless without a visible reason, she told me that I could just be chemically depressed and trust me I didn't feel good at all, I felt even more hopeless. I felt like my feelings and experiences were not validated and that I would always be "sick" if I'd stop taking antidepressant, which in my opinion, don't do much for me.
Johann Hari‘s book Lost connections really opened up my mind about this. Of course there are circumstances but environment plays a huge role in mental health.
Me too.
I had always loved my alone time and covid made isolating a virtue. And by 2021 I spent most of my days wanting to die.
That book helped me realize I need people and social interaction. Here's to recovery -- yours and mine.
Yes, I recommend Johann Hari’s book, too.
Neuroplasticity might be the key. Making new connections, new pathways. Seems that psilocybin has profound effect on depression among other things.
That research is new but promising. I don't think they've come close to establishing that psilocybinn helps aid neuroplasticity, however. It is a reasonable hypothesis - since the same hypothesis has been applied to antidepressants' effects. But, I don't think we have proof of that yet. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. I would LOVE to be wrong about that.
@@samh.6272 I've been in therapy for 24 years, with 6 different therapists, how long does it usually take to work?
@@DivineLightPaladin Tell the therapist you have no more money... that's usually when therapy stops.
psylocybin was bullshit for me
Your explanation here is perfect. Depression is so varying in cause and presentation that the only thing we can ever be sure of is being depressed is not the fault of the depressed individual.
This makes so much sense. I have tried several antidepressants and none of them have worked. I have felt so much better since being off antidepressants and I ever felt on them. I still have depression issues of course, but being off the meds has done a world of wonders.
Great video! Especially the summary of potential biological causes.
I don't think many people don't have a reason for being depressed. A lot of people don't think they do because they've been given the message throughout life to be grateful for what they have, feel lucky and so they think their life is fine. But studies have found 64% of people have had at least one adverse childhood experiences. That list doesn't even include bullying, racism, let alone working a pointless job 40h a week, financial struggles etc. Though having no stress in childhood can also lead to depression later as you don't have resilience.
All that will influence the biology of the body but that doesn't mean a pill will be enough to fix it.