Mental illnesses are recognized widely in this century, with more awareness spread by the education system and medium such as Televisions. Major Depressive Disorder is known as Depression, and it is one of the most common mental illnesses that affect 14.8 million adults in the U.S. (Depression And Bipolar Support Alliance, n.d). Depression impacts on behavior and thinking, people with depression mostly suffer from negative thoughts that make it very tough to function properly in daily life. In addition, some of the symptoms are feeling tired, disorganized sleep and always thinking of suicide (Parkeh, 2015). One of the victims who suffers from depression, Jeanette, says that her life has been very hard since September 1991, after the doctor prescribed her an antidepressant that will help her deal with depression, she attempted suicide in 2006. Furthermore, she says “If we all put our heads together and be more loving and thoughtful towards each other, we can help tackle depression and suicide” (Jeanette, n.d). Additionally, antidepressant medication is used to treat depression and has several of types. Despite the popular belief that antidepressant medication such as Prozac and Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI) help people who struggle with depression, the evidence suggest the benefit is mostly a placebo effect and actually cause more harm than good, especially that it is not effective for young patients and teenagers. Additionally, these medications have several of negative withdrawal symptoms. Although some cases it might be necessary, there are better alternatives that don’t require these drugs.
Taking antidepressants causes damage to the body such as gaining weight and causing strokes. Furthermore, it harms the infant by affecting their lungs and the pregnant women by increasing her blood pressure. Dr. Norman Sussaman, a professor in the medicine school of the New York University, says that most research about measuring weight after taking antidepressant has been conducted on a short-term rather than long-term period, although patients still suffer from depression. Also, “Existing research shows some patients are more likely to gain weight during long-term use of anti-depressants than others. “Additionally, a researcher mentions that studies often ignore the long-term effects. Dr. Sussaman says that Psychiatrists have to beware of this problem and suggest a new drug when patients are suffering from weight gain, “Instead a lot of patients are being told, “I don’t know why it’s happening. It’s not the drug” (Manzer,2000).
One of the negative effects of antidepressants on the body, a unique study, shows the connection between vascular diseases and antidepressant. The study conducted on two male, middle-aged twins who have an age gap of four years. The twin who took antidepressant has caused the arteries to be thickened thus increasing the chance of getting a stroke. Researchers discovered that the carotid artery was thicker by 5% than the twin brother who did not take antidepressant (Anonymous, 2011).
One of the harmful effects on a pregnant woman and her fetus, it causes lung disorder known as persistent pulmonary hypertension, studies show that 6 to 12 babies are affected in every 1000. Also, researchers argue that antidepressants will stop the production in the body. Thus the blood vessel will be dilated making it hard for the vessels to work properly in the fetus’s lung that decreases the amount of air the infant receives (Carey, 2006). In addition to harming an infant’s lung, it also increases the risk of high blood pressure of the pregnant women, and high blood pressure sometimes has a relation to Pre-eclampsia that can harm the pregnant women and her fetus. Using SSRI (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor), a type of anti-depressant during pregnancy increases the risk of hypertension. Based on the studies, results have shown that “out of 1,216 women” that took this drug have increased from 2% to 3.2%” a relative risk increase of 60%”. Anick Berard, who works at Pharmacy at the University of Montreal in Canada and a director of the research unit of medications and pregnancy at the Ste-Justine’s Research Center says “Pregnancy induced hypertension is a serious condition that can directly affect the mother and her unborn baby. Although a few other studies on the same topic have been performed before, our study is the only one that looks at the class and type of antidepressant and the risk of pregnancy induced hypertension.” (“Depression; Antidepressant use during pregnancy and high blood pressure,”2012). Overall, antidepressants harm the human body and impact their health.
Antidepressants are not effective as they seem, people believe that it is effective yet it is a placebo effect. Moreover, it is not useful for young patients According to Begley, a study in 1998 conducted with the help of The Journal of the American Medical Association, shows that these drugs are placebo effects. Furthermore, scientists who study this illness, suggest that these expensive medications are tic-tacs. The researchers Guy Sapirstein and Irving Kirsch who were involved in that study which compared the results of an antidepressant to a regular pill regarding improvement. There wasn’t much difference as the improvement is 75 percent for both. He said, “the belief that antidepressants can cure depression chemically is simply wrong” (2010).
According to the article (“Study: Most Antidepressants Don’t Work for Young Patients,” 2016), scientists say that anti-depressants do not work for young patients especially, those who struggle with major depression such as children or teenagers. It impacts on children from the age of 6 till 12 by 3 % while for teenagers from 13 till 18 is by 6%. In addition, they could be unsafe and harm the development of the brain, so the doctors have been very careful prescribing it. An analysis has conducted on the published works. It shows that only one drug out of fourteen is useful. Dr. Andrea Cipriani said, “We now have a hierarchy of pharmaceutical treatments and the only one that is better than placebo and other drugs is Prozac.” Moreover, she suggested that patients should start with psychological treatment rather than immediately going for medications.
Since drugs are used to treat people who struggle with depression. Individuals who decide to stop taking antidepressant end up suffering from withdrawal symptoms such as struggling to sleep cycle due to nightmares, having a hard time to balance while standing while feeling dizzy. Furthermore changes in moods such as confused, depressed, paranoid and suicidal and a digestive problem that leads to nausea, vomiting, and appetite loss (“going off antidepressants,” 2015). Additionally, people who stopped taking it from years ago are still suffering the consequences. Additionally, Studies have confirmed that in October 2012 a study published by Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics Journal who looked at the results of withdrawal. Starting from February until September 2010 they concluded that the effects would last for months or years (“Warning: Psychiatric Drug Withdrawal Effects Can Persist Months, Even Years After Stopping Them,” n.d).
There are a variety of treatments for depression than taking drugs such as exercising, have influential friends, and eating healthy dietary. Heather Troupe struggled with depression, and she has been taking antidepressant it resulted negatively for her, she sleeps less, gained more weight, due to insurance problems she lost her therapist. Currently, she is a fitness trainer and said, “It’s a place for me to funnel all that extra energy–energy that would otherwise turn into sadness or anxiety.” Also, she no longer takes medication. Another person who struggles with depression, Erika Howder said,” I felt an improvement almost immediately,” I know I could have tried meds, but most have side-effects. Running gave me the antidepressant I needed without any other issues.” (Loudin,2016).
Adding to exercising, based on the studies conducted by scientists, friendship influences positivity and enhances the mood. The research examined 2000 students who are in high school. According to Thomas More, a professor who worked on the study said: “The effect was big, much bigger than you see from antidepressants.”Moreover, people who befriended the depressed person did not have any negative consequences. This information is from National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult health located in the United States (Senthilingam,2015).
In addition, to friendship eating healthy dietary will also help treat depression. One of the options that most likely help is Magnesium, Kathie Swift the Co–director of the Center for Mind Body Medicine says that magnesium is useful because women usually have a low level of Magnesium and it supports and produces the chemical in the brain Serotonin. Furthermore, Gail Platts who is starting eating food with Magnesium says “Just being aware that some foods are better choices for stress and depression influences my food selection on a regular basis (“Eating to Beat Stress and Depression,n.d.”). The second option is fats and carbohydrates, this kind of food is usually shunned down, and nutritionists do not suggest it, yet people still crave it. Complex carbohydrates should be consumed and not the simple one such as millet, brown rice, and wheat pasta. A spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association says “Sugars break down easily. Complex carbohydrates are more difficult to break down. They have more of a smooth curve than a roller coaster,” (“Eating to Beat Stress and Depression,n.d.”).
As it seems, many alternatives exist that do not require antidepressants and are much healthier.
According to the American Journal of Psychiatry, there is a correlation between not taking an antidepressant and the increase of the suicide rate. One of the most famous cases relating to this is the FDA black box warning that happened during 2003 and 2004 that took place in Chicago, studies such as the CDC data say during this time suicide rate went very high for teenagers. Although sometimes taking an antidepressant is necessary for people who struggle with depression, if they have no other ways to deal with this illness (graham, 2007). However, a spokeswoman for the FDA, Sandy Walsh says that these warning serves a risk of the antidepressant and to inform the doctors (Docksai, 2009). Schaffer of Columbia says “Until the CDC publishes data for 2005 we won’t really know,” since it is not clear if the suicide rates trend is related to FDA’s warning. Furthermore, he recommended that more evidence and research need to be gathered to understand the usage or misuse of drugs and suicide for the teenagers. In addition, two- thirds of the suicide is related to alcohol abuse (graham, 2007).
BBC News released an article of the British Medical Journal saying that sports are an ineffective technique for helping depression (jeffreys,2012). In fact, this study is telling us that people who get help using various of methods such as face to face connection or coaching by telephone did not have any different level of depression compared to those who did not get help at all. Moreover. It was designed to meet the needs of the primary care in the controlled environment rather than what people thought might be helpful (“the Myths of exercise and depression,”2012).
The Journal of Psychiatric says that antidepressant has long term effect which is beneficial for them. Furthermore, this research says that adults who do not use antidepressant are more likely to be depressed eight years later than adults who took antidepressants (“Treatment for depression is a long-term solution, study suggests,” 2011). This view is, however, mistaken. Researcher Peter C. Gøtzsche says that antidepressants might “increase a person’s risk of dying prematurely.”Furthermore, he stated that approximately people were 15 times more likely to commit suicide while taking antidepressants than initially reported by the Food and Drug Administration who decided to put the black box warning about ten years ago. They based the black box warning on the meta-analysis study done on patients that displayed suicidal behavior the results were double on those who were taking antidepressants. Additionally, He argued, “Psychiatric drugs are responsible for the deaths of more than half a million people aged 65 and older each year in the Western world.” (Schroeder,2015).
All in all, an antidepressant is not useful as they seem and studies conclude that it is mostly a placebo effect. Also, It has harmful withdrawal symptoms and harms the pregnant woman and her unborn child. Finally, there are alternatives that don’t require drugs and are much healthier.