‘Chemical Imbalances’ In The Brain Do Not Cause Depression!

Low serotonin levels create depression, scientists have asked about the extensive practice of antidepressants. It is after a thorough analysis that showed no convincing evidence.

Chemical Imbalances: What Study Proves!

Since the 1990s, there has been an increase in the number of antidepressant prescriptions. It is one in six adults and 2% of teens in England. Worldwide, millions more people regularly take antidepressants.

Joanna Moncrieff is a professor of psychiatry at University College London and a consultant psychiatrist at Northeast London NHS foundation trust. Joanna is also the study’s lead author. According to her, a lot of people take antidepressants. They have been convinced that their depression is biochemically grounded. Yet, the present study discloses that this theory may not be supported by the truth.

He believes we can say with confidence that despite extensive research carried out over many years. There is no considerable sign of abnormalities in serotonin, mainly lower levels.

Antidepressant side effects are severe removal symptoms. This symptom can happen when people try to stop taking them. Prescription rates for the drugs are still rising. We believe in the misconception that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance that has contributed to this scenario. It is past time to let people know that this awareness is not maintained by science.

According to the latest evaluation of prior research, depression is not likely to be brought on by a chemical imbalance. Individuals should be made aware of alternative treatment choices. Other medical professionals, such as those affiliated with the Royal College of Psychiatrists expressed disagreement with the findings. They suggested that people continue taking their antidepressants despite the study. 

With respect to the latest study, between 85% and 90% of the general population believed that low serotonin levels or a chemical imbalance were to blame for depression. Many antidepressants are termed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). It is formerly believed to work by raising abnormally low levels of serotonin. 

They examined studies involving tens of thousands of patients that looked at serotonin. One of the conclusions was that there was no variance among healthy people. People with depression possess levels of serotonin and the breakdown products in the blood.

The researchers also looked at studies where hundreds of people had their serotonin levels artificially reduced. They concluded that hundreds of healthy volunteers did not feel depressed. Added research inspected the effects of stressful life events and exposed that the greater the amount of stressful life events, a person has gone through, the greater their likelihood of depression, demonstrating the significance of outside events.

The study found evidence from earlier studies suggesting that antidepressants may, over time, result in decreased serotonin levels. Low serotonin levels or chemical imbalances are what causes depression. They shouldn’t be encouraged to believe that antidepressants work by addressing these unsubstantiated abnormalities.

Everyone does not totally know what antidepressants are doing to the brain. People are reserved from making a knowledgeable decision about whether to take antidepressants by being given this kind of erroneous data. 

As per the Royal College of Psychiatrists, antidepressants are active.  Nice-recommended treatment for depression and can be given for a variety of physical and mental health disorders. Based on the assessment, they do not counsel anyone to halt taking their antidepressants. They advise anyone who has questions about their medicine to speak with a doctor.

He was not involved in the study; nobody thinks that headaches are brought on by the brain not having enough paracetamol. Many people are aware that taking paracetamol can assist with headaches. Both depression and the drugs used to treat it follow the same logic. According to mounting research, antidepressant medications can help alleviate depression and perhaps save lives.