Depression Chemical Imbalance Doesn’t Exist, Experts Say

Dr. Joanna Moncrieff, a mental health expert from the department of mental health services at University College in London is taking a quite non-politically-correct approach in characterizing anti-depressants and other mental health drugs as just another dependency.

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This is not shocking to say the least bit. Kind of like how almost every other person you meet has been diagnosed as being "bi-polar." I think it's all b.s. designed to get people on one drug or another to make more money for Big Pharma.

reply to post by CoolerAbdullah786


I have to disagree.

I have a friend that is in a mental institution right now because he quit taking his head meds.

reply to post by CoolerAbdullah786

Bull****, huh?

Tell that to my brain. I've been seriously depressed since I was a kid. Done a couple of really stupid things because of it.

The drugs may be placebos, but the disease isn't.

People are like this due to media lies, governmental propaganda, poisonous foods, noxious vaccinations, pharmaceutical pushers, polluted skies (HAARP) and the globalist not giving a rat's behind about us.

This is perfectly normal. After all this is exactly what they hoped to create and right on schedule for the NWO. Nothing like a bunch of drugged up, paranoid complacent people to dictate to.

More Kool Aid anyone?

reply to post by CoolerAbdullah786


There may be some truth to her argument. But my argument is those placebos have helped my life out huge. Granted they are only part of the equation but I am grateful for them. As far as addiction? I doubt it. I have to triple check myself so I do not forget to take them. If I was addicted to them, probably not the case.

She is living in the dark ages. She will not get anywhere with her campaign.

Sorry but far too many people have mental health problems and the meds do actually work.

She is a danger to people this woman

I wouldn't be surprised if people are overdiagnosed with bipolar disorder, but I also do know that the symptoms are there in a lot of cases, the manic and depressive periods are very real, that I know.

The doctor cited in this article (who, surprise surprise, has a new book coming out in a few months on this very issue) is trying to argue using the strawman fallacy.

She states that:

She says that although doctors, the media, and society in general has latched on to the idea that depression and anxiety, for example, are just evidence of a “chemical imbalance” in the brain, there is no hard evidence to support this. “Scientific research has not detected any reliable abnormalities of the serotonin system in people who are depressed.”

Neither doctors nor scientists are arguing that depression is due solely to an imbalance in the serotonin system, nor are we arguing that antidepressants fix exactly what is wrong. The current model of depression is that biological, psychological, and social factors are ALL at work here (biopsychosocial model of depression). The antidepressants seem to work by helping bring at least one of these factors back into alignment, allowing psychiatrists or psychotherapists to work on the other two through therapy or offering supportive activities.

The fact that this "mental health expert" has to mischaracterize the stance of the medical and psychiatric community in order to sell books is disgusting.

There is no doubt that depression is over diagnosed. I was in a doctors office one day, and there was a list of seven or eight symptoms, and if you had something like three, you were probably suffering from depression.

However, with that in mind, yes depression is real. So is bi-polar disorder. Just because things are over diagnosed, doesn't mean they don't exist. I've suffered depression for years, and have other mental health issues that haven't been diagnosed, but I know that they're real.

Oh, I can assure her Depression/Chemical Imbalance does exist, I've been in that black hole and don't want to go back in it.

Not fun. They will see Zombies attack if meds are not available.

reply to post by CoolerAbdullah786


Actually I couldn't function without anti-depressants. It took me years to finally realize I needed them but I eventually did realize it. If you have suffered from this you understand if you have not you can't relate. That is the gap that must be closed.

The gap being... Not everyone is the same and you can't compare your own experiences to others. We all experience things differently. It's subjective. Once you realize everyone is different then you can empathize.

Anyhow, I have a lot more to add but it's late.

reply to post by DaphneApollo


I agree and I've been there as well.
It's hard to describe feeling that come from seemingly nowhere to alter your mood but that is what happens.
It's not a matter of being "depressed" there is something subconscious and deeper.

reply to post by aaaiii


Calm down. I never said every instance of bi-polar disorder is b.s. I said the way that doctors diagnose almost everyone with it is. Stop being so knee-jerk reactionary.

I think there tends to be a knee jerk reaction because people who really need help and have issues may read an article like this and not seek help. There is still a huge stigma to mental illness, at least here in the United States, and many people are either embarrassed or convinced they can overcome it themselves. Mostly because friends and family usually say "it's all in your head, get over it."

Someone told me recently that all I needed to do was change my diet.
I said "thanks doc"

As a sufferer there are things I can do to help alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety (diet and exercise) but for me they never go away fully and eventually will drag me down. It's a constant, exhausting battle that I eventually lose without medication.

reply to post by CoolerAbdullah786


Then you have never dealt with bipolar.

By the way, your thread title is very misleading. One person publishing a book isn't "experts".

I often questioned how doctors knew which chemicals were missing. They could never tell me. It was a theory. I know adding some chemicals will give you a temporary attitude adjustment. I'm going for some coffee right now.

Originally posted by nixie_nox
reply to post by CoolerAbdullah786

 

Then you have never dealt with bipolar.

By the way, your thread title is very misleading. One person publishing a book isn't "experts".

edit on 17-7-2012 by nixie_nox because: (no reason given)

Actually, I have. Where I grew up and still live, so many people that I meet, and I have met many new people over the years, have claimed to be diagnosed bipolar. And that's only the people that I've had many conversations with, to the point where the topic comes up.

It just seems to me that doctors are definitely overdiagnosing Bipolar Disorder.

reply to post by CoolerAbdullah786


You said they claimed to be bi-polar.
Is it safe to deduce that you decided they were not bi-polar?

Or had they been diagnosed as bi-polar and they chose not to believe the diagnosis?

reply to post by dxdydz


No I am not deducing that they are NOT bipolar, nor did they say they believe they are not. I am merely stating matter-of-factly that they claim to be biploar, meaning they were diagnosed as such. That is their claim. "A doctor diagnosed me as being bipolar." That's it. I don't know if they truly are or aren't. I am not questioning whether they are or aren't. Just seems to me that you can't walk a city block without bumping into 25 people who have been diagnosed as being bipolar. I believe it's overdiagnosed.

reply to post by CoolerAbdullah786


So you are deducing that most aren't actually bi-polar based on the fact that a lot have been diagnosed with it?
Is that how you come to the conclusion it's over diagnosed.