Depressing News on Antidepressants

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

timm553 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 12:55:01 GMT

So the money that the drug companies received from the sale of these ineffectual anti-depressants was, in fact, ill gotten gains? How American!!! I don't imagine that there will be any repurcussions.

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karen1109 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 12:55:16 GMT

I'm glad my elderly mother didn't see this article before I was finally able to get her to agree to try anti-depressants. She was in a severe downward spiral of depression - to the point that I was afraid she would commit suicide. She actually tried two different anti-depressants before finding one that helped her. She has been on Efexor for almost 2 years now and she has been doing terrific. She feels back in control of her life and is emotionally stable. This drug saved my mother's life.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

timm553 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 12:58:43 GMT

to karen1109:

Didn't you read the article? The drugs don't work.

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Lartor — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 12:59:05 GMT

This study really depresses me, I guess for some people it means there is no magic out there and getting better involves participation of the patient.

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reformation or bust — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:08:14 GMT

So I guess if I work for the drug company and just want to sit on my a s s all day and do nothing..basically be inefectual, and get paid for it..that should be O.K. with them.

This should be investigated and the guilty parties, whoever they are should be made to go to jail surrounded by nothing but depressed people on their drugs.

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MNtoFL — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:09:43 GMT

As someone who has been helped tremendously by antidepressents I must say It's articles like this and nut jobs like Tom Cruise who do so many people a huge disservice. 15 years ago I was very ill and thought I must be dying to feel so crappy. I had everything going for me. I just graduated from college and started a great job so I had nothing to be depressed about. I felt like I hadn't slept in a month, I was so tired I couldn't concentrate. I tried prescription sleeping pills and I had every test under the sun. After seeing many doctors I finally found one who said he went through the same thing I was going through. When he told me believed it was depression I said No #$^$$%^ Way! I was however willing to try anything to feel better so after 3 weeks on an antidepressent I was a new man. I was amazed and shocked. Antidepressents treat a chemical imbalance in the brain, they do not necessarily treat someone who is "sad". There is a difference!

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Chavtastique — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:11:52 GMT

timm...didn't YOU read the article. Antidepressants DO work. So does placebo. That was the point of the NEJM paper.

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Deni123 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:21:32 GMT

I was put on Prozac several years ago, in my 40s, to treat depression. For me, it didn't fix the depression, although it seemed to soften the edges a bit. Once I addressed the cause of my depression, the way I was dealing with an unhealthy relationship, my depression lifted. Once I stopped taking the Porzac I became suicidal and had never experienced those thoughts before. I suppose these drugs help some people, but I would recommend every other approach first. I'm not surprised to learn they fail in clinical trials.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

MinorAgentofChaos — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:28:47 GMT

Hold on, folks -- what's the real message here? That antidepressants don't work? Or that the placebo effect worked JUST AS WELL as the real drug?

If the antidepressants didn't work, then the patients wouldn't report any changes, period. No, they worked -- and the placebos worked just as well. The article even states that the placebo effect didn't work in the most depressed patients...with the implication that the real drugs did.

That's the real message of the study, that the power of the human mind can equal the drugs. Not that the drugs don't work, but that our mind can work just as well.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

timm553 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:31:10 GMT

to Chavtastique:'

"That suggests that even when patients are taking and benefiting from, say, Zoloft, the vast majority of the improvement is due to what their minds are telling them—that is, the belief that they would be helped. Only the most depressed patients showed little placebo response."

This, to me, is "NOT WORKING". I'm sure that the people who use these preparations aren't getting what they think they are. My point is that It seems to be a rip-off.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

Bethy123 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:32:40 GMT

Well the good news is, they can stop using that the NIU shooter went off his anti depressants as an excuse for that tragedy. If going on the antidepressants have no effect, then how can going off of them have any real effect ?

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

MissyE — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:33:00 GMT

Hi everyone - whether it's your sugar pill or actual medication in your little pill that works for you, that's deligthful to have something lift your spirits. It's great that something worked. It's feels good to not have to point fingers at individuals, just do what works for you. Blaming is depressing and guilting others for feeling relief - however legal way they've chosen to do so- doesn't make sense. I can imagine the big $$ companies may have some real press conferences before them, and hope that anyone who feels exploited will make sure they have their say. - Best wishes

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

wreckseetee — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:33:40 GMT

Science is a wonderful thing, and the scientific method is the best thing going do determine efficacy, evaluate theories, and understand our environment and how we respond to it. Science does not get it all right. There is, for example, no unequivical scientific evidence that anabolic steroids (testosterone and the like) effect muscle mass or strength when studied in vivo of healthy young men.

Does anyone really believe this...just ask Barry, Marion, or the Chemists at BALCO....

Scientific method has it's limmitations, don't judge antidepresents based soley on these studies.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

Robert1947 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:38:50 GMT

One gram of niacinamide (vitamin B3) and one gram of vitamin C each taken three times a day (total of three grams a day of each) cures most depression. This principle of orthomolecuar medicine (nutrititonal medicine) has cured my depression. I've taken three grams of each for the last six years and feel great. It's also a cure for arthritus.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

lishemi — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:40:04 GMT

I believe chemical imbalance to be the key factor in depression. It is so easy for this delicate balance to be thrown off- a typical an emtional reaction,like laughing at a joke or the elevated feeling derived by hope (like 'this pill's supposed to work' or 'today's going to be a beautiful day', etc) or frustration ('another red light...grrr") all shift the chemicals in the blood. I agree anti depressants don't work. For about a year and a half I hav been using sam-e, a natural protien - and it has changed (saved?) my life... so much so, I may write a book about it! (Two years ago I would not have been able to write THIS cohesively...)

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

WCPA — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:41:36 GMT

To MNtoFL and everyone else who seems to be offended by this article: if the drugs worked for you, congratulations! Why should this article or a whacknut like Tom Cruise bother you? If the drugs worked for you, that's all that matters.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

mhiraeth — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:43:12 GMT

As a mental health professional, I can see the obvious benefits of these medications (not "drugs," thank you). When one antidepressant fails in a certain patient, yet another helps, how does one explain THAT based on the article? This happens all the time.

I must also point out that it is comments such as "how American" made by timm553 that make me want to suggest that people who do not like America go elsewhere and see how they fare...

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

drug addict — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:45:49 GMT

i have to agree with people that disagree about anti-depressants NOT working. the psycho who just killed 5 people at NIU had quit taking his meds. while on the meds he was pretty even tempered from what i understand.

i do agree that docs are too quick to diagnose depression, OCD, ADHD, etc. to pad their pockets but in some cases we need medication to help control/stabilize our minds. I believe that cases of mild depression can be treated with exercise and a good diet. the problem with this is the fact that most depressed people have problems getting motivated to exercise and don't have an appetite to eat right.

the biggest problem with the human race is that WE believe to much of what we read or hear! for ex. what do we hear coming out of OBAMA's mouth that means anything but so-called change. because he is a good speaker he deserves to be president? looks like the US citizens are making yet another BIG mistake. the above article is ridiculous but yet people are believing it! such b.s.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

kkeohane23 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:47:19 GMT

The truth is that scientist are trying to find a way to keep people thinking that certain drugs are working while they try to develop more drugs that do not work. It's all about controlling people and there actions. I believe they are doing a study. The study is simple. People who think there is something out there that can help them, will take the drugs. When in all reality it's all in your head. You don't need the drugs to make you better, you need to speak to a specialist, like a shrink. I'm not saying that people who are depressed are crazy. I'm just saying that if these studies are proving that these drugs do not work like they are claiming they are doing, then you just need to speak to someone and let it out. Plus why would you want to fill your body with all these drugs, that probably are the cause for other serious health issues, like cancer?

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

wtuley — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:49:27 GMT

I suppose the results of these studies depend mostly on selection of study subjects. Obviously, no medicine can help a person suffering from purely situational depression (depression related to life problems). As a physician who began his career at the dawn of the prozac era, I can unequivocably state that these newer antidepressants do work; I have seen many lives transformed by them. I also note that some of the results are based on patients' self-reporting of symptoms, which I have found to be unreliable in many cases. Many people who report little or no improvement on antidepressants actually show significant improvement as reported by close family members. I only hope the insurance companies do not latch on to such studies as excuses to deny payment for these much-needed drugs.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

joko11 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:49:46 GMT

The people that took the drug just thought it was helping them. It was the hope that the drug would help them that lifted their dark cloud. I've been on many of the above drugs and I never found one of them to work. It wasn't till I started counselling and talked about my problems that I actually saw a difference.

As for the drugs, the last one I took was Zolft. It took me three months to get off of it because my body was addicted to it. Upset stomach, nausea, dizzyness, headaches. When I asked my Psychiatrist about it he said that it wasn't an addiction, but that it was something my body needed.

What??

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

spynee — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:51:26 GMT

20 years ago my wife was put on SSRI's (Prozac) for depression. After 4 weeks she tried to stop taking them and found the depression not only came back but was far worse. After 9 years on the drug it quit working and had the Prozac crash, which ended her in the hospital for 6 weeks. They put her on an other SSRI, which as of two years ago started showing sings of NOT WORKING her DR kept increasing the dosage. So she changed DR's and he yanked her off the pacil and put her on Lexipro. If things were not bad enough from the pacil not working the Lexipro made her life a living hell. Most every night she has a massive panic, burning sensations, and acathisia Her Dr then gave her Klonopin, Seroquil, and Neurotin to cover up these side effects all the time telling us that it is not the drug doing this. These drugs are not only ineffective but also highly addictive. Also 1 SSRI is not a replacement for another. At one point she went through discontinuation from pacil and an overdose of lexipro at the same time. Currently we are working on reducing these drugs very slowly we have reduced the lexipro from 30mg to 15mg over a 3 month period. She is now showing sings of recovery but we know we have a long road ahead. I feel the drug companies owe her for at least 10 years of her life that they have robed from her.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

zzrider — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:53:00 GMT

As one whose life has been changed for the better with the use of Effexor, let me suggest that the medications do indeed work for depression, but that in many cases "depression" is diagnosed incorrectly where none exists. You can't get better if you're not really ill.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

drug addict — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:55:00 GMT

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

minbeth — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:56:13 GMT

Saying that anti-depressants are or are not effective is a sweeping statement to make. As there are a number of studies out there that assert that they do/ do not work, I’m not going to pick a side here. One thing that I WOULD like to comment on, however, is the fact that the writer of this article threw in a couple “scientific” terms, and in turn fluffed up their overall diction, as a means to legitimize this article. This piece says absolutely nothing valid concerning the topic of anti-depressants or anything else! One must remember the underlying motives that exist within the news world. Editors pick underlying themes for the day/week as a means to sell their stories, and in turn create epidemics where there are none! It’s highly irresponsible to make the assumption that anti-depressants do/don’t work at this time. Ask anyone in the research field who isn’t using bad science, and doesn’t have any underlying motives concerning the outcome of their study. They’ll tell you the same thing. This entire article is totally biased!

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

avgjoe — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:56:57 GMT

Good grief, listen to all the cynics and call a waaahmbulance. The pharma people are crooks, there is no magic pill, wah, wah, wah. Sorry, I'm tired of all the cynics who do nothing but complain. I've dealt with depression for 25 years. For the first ten I tried to deal with it by any means other than anti-depressants. I'm hear to tell you that drugs (the anti-depressants; not the self prescribed recreational variety that people use to escape reality) work and I dont care if its placebo effect or not.

There are many good points this article brings out as several writers have pointed out. Depression is a devistatiing illness and more research is needed. Wouldn't it be wonderful if medical science and big pharma had all the answers and cured every illness. Here's news cynics: they don't. Yes there is a lot of wasted resources and profit mongers. But nowhere else in the world are you going to get more or better research for finding cures to common and not so common illness and disease than right here in the USA.

My advice to cynics: shut up and quit complaining. Find or do something to be happy about. If you can't do that, maybe you should try some prozac and see how it changes your life.

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spynee — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:58:00 GMT

mhiraeth these are Drugs and the people writing prescriptions for them are nothing more than Street dealers for the BIG PHARMA

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loan arranger — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:58:14 GMT

I have a hard time believing this. Suffering from anxiety attacks has crippled me and my business. Paxil has been my drug of choice and I can safely say these little pills DO indeed work. I haven't felt "normal" in many years and since I have been taking Paxil, I feel like I am 19 again. It's not just an illusion, I guarantee it. I'll bet any day that placebos do not work with people like me.

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passions — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 14:02:42 GMT

I can understand how a plcebo would be as effective as a drug...I did notice, though, how the antidepressants CAN and DO work for those suffering most severely. Considering I nearly committed suicide before being placed on them...considering I suffered the most amazing amount of physical pain caused by depression...I am incredibly thankful that PROZAC existed and worked for me. In less than 4 days, I had relief from something I'd been struggling with for months. I had tried NUMEROUS self-talk methods and such...but nothing worked. However, even for those these pills do work for, they are not a fix all and steps need to be taken by the patient to "deal" with what caused the depression in the first place.

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carolynh@byhamins.com — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 14:05:36 GMT

Wake up America! I do believe that, as the atricle states, medication can help the severly depressed, with a chemical imbalance. However, our society believes we have to be upbeat all the time. So when we go through periods of saddness....although it is a normal emotion..we think there is something wrong with us. So we take a pill, instead of finding the root of the saddness. Then we wonder why health insurance costs are soaring. Maybe our presidential candiates should look at this article as one reason why health insurance is so costly...an unnecessarily over prescribed America.

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chargeon2 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 14:08:24 GMT

There are at least 3 stories here. First and foremost, the billions of dollars the drug makers rake in selling 21st century snake oil. Being middle aged, I am of course depressed and keep my eyes on the medical / scientific news for help. Both vigorous exercise and folic acid (very cheap) have been proven to be more effective than the pills. Second story is how we have given psychiatric medicine an exalted status, when it is, in fact, a pure crap shoot. Recently, in NYC, a nut job hacked up his shrink with a meat clever. Two weeks before that, he had a psychiatric evaluation done and the doctor concluded at that time that he was not dangerous and required no more intensive treatment. Does that tell you something about psychiatric medicine? Tom Cruise was not so wrong (merely obnoxious). Psychiatric medicine today is about where organic (regular) medicine was two hundred years ago, when doctors would bleed patients to let the poisons out. It will improve but don't be awed by psychiatrists now...you might be as well off by going to a fortune teller. The last issue is that doctors have no test to tell what anti-depressant will work. They only guess. And if the first one they try fails to work or even makes you crazier, they try another, until they wear you out and you tell them that you're feeling better.

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lmordin — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 14:10:15 GMT

Remeber that these drugs change brain chemicals. The challenge remains in finding the right drug for the right person, which takes a considerable amount of time. Perhaps many people don't allow for enough time for the medication to work effectively. Clinical trials are not 100%; that's why they're called TRIALS.

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23scot — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 14:12:55 GMT

Anti-depressants seem to be the new fashion trend. I think they can be helpful to the right person with the severity of the situation. Most pills for depression have indefinite side-effects and can make it difficult in time to proccess sugars. That may make you vulernable to diabetes. If you can work through a low point in life with out prescibed Meds I think that may be a good idea. Yet it may be helpful with a trial period to give a person treatment to help classic symptoms. These medications are a gamble. Likely you will have to induldge in multiple trials of different ones to find the one that is right for you and that is if you don't have any adverse side effects along the way. They do have some great success in people talk to you doctor.

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DomesticDiva — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 14:13:39 GMT

I am disgusted by so many people misunderstanding the difference between clinical and situational depression. Yes - situational depression will improve w/talk therapy and time, hence situational. However Clinical depression is vastly different and is a medical condition caused by chemical imbalance. Those suffering from clinical depression are not "crazy" or "sad" and will not "get better" with time or just exercise. Would you assume a person with high cholesteral just has a bad diet? I agree with the end result of the study being the placebo response in those suffering from what appears to be primarly situational depression. Please hold off on your judgements until you have walked in the shoes of one truly suffering from Clinical depression.

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Holden Caulfield — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 14:13:45 GMT

Over a ten year period i was prescribed nearly all of the drugs in the above trial. In my experience antidepressants don't work as well as nothing (or a sugar pill/placebo). Having been on nothing for the past 4 years (not even a sugar pill), i can say i feel 100% better than when on antidepressants. Antidepressants have numerous side effects, i suffered with increased sweating, sexual disfunction, involuntary twitching of my legs, vivid nightmares, and depression (yes this is listed as a side effect of anitdepressants). Seroxat is not recommended to be used in young people due to links with suicide, how stupid that antidepressants can make someone depressed and suicidal.

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anitaraelyn — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 14:15:05 GMT

Over the years I've tried a multitude of anti-depressant meds cuppled with therapy. Neither helped. I became sick to death of therapist revisiting my torred past, what good is in that? Close the door, it is in the past. The anti-depreesant medications produced the same unhelpful results. I wasn't ever happy nor was I bed-ridden, just flat. It stinks that I have put so much time and money into rehabilitating my affect that has no effect. Shame on those who profitted from my demise...may you always be so fortunate to lay your head down at night feeling "great" from your successful day and be absolved of the slightest hint of anxiety.

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ThEUnKnovvN — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 14:16:25 GMT

Sigh. Okay, here is the deal: Has anyone EVER thought to question the valid of ANY study brought to light? Not just those in the "file" drawer but those that are in commercials on labels etc? Anyone considered the amount of people studied, the conditions, the independent and dependent variable?

I will agree that the file drawer is a big problem and that findings of "no statistical significance" means that an article will probably not be published which means we, as the psychological community does lose valuable data.

However, do not buy something because of a study-- until you read it yourself and understand the bias and the design of the study do not take their word for it.

You want to know what the mainstream research says about anti depressants and counseling? both are affective on their own-- but most affective together. And in some ways this pains me because I am not a huge fan of handing out pills to everyone.

I caution anyone who wants to read one article or watch one commercial and when they say a study says _________ and immediately buys it as fact. It's hypothesis testing for a reason.

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Josh1981 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 14:17:05 GMT

To Iishemi:

Where can you get sam-e, drug store?, GNC?,

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havethatbeenthere — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 14:18:13 GMT

The grist of this artical is that anti-depressants do not work because this writer (not scientist , researcher or doctor) has decided for herself that they are no good for anyone. Why did she write this artical? Did she get paid more to get this inflamitory artical published in Newsweek? Does she have a hidden agenda or bias. Or is her interpetation of the data the complete and final truth that we are to follow blindly? Yes, question the medical community on the subject of antidepressants but also question this author as well. I have a learning disability and ADD. I have spent thousands on phsyco therapy, I have tried hoistic remedies such as Same-e and St. Johns Wort. I am 48 years old with an IQ of 120. I have raised two children to adulthood diagnosed with ADHD, Opositional Defiant Disorder, Rage Disorder and depression. When Prozac changes your 6 year old to the point where you can send them to a pubilc school and it continue to work until they graduate high school; when every thing from the Finegold diet to therapy does not work that is solid evidence that the medication worked. A child that does not know what you are giving them or why and who responds to the medication favorably and in the extreme is not a canidate for the pacebo effect. I for one question the varasity of this author's statements and the intentions behind them.

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docdave2003 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 14:22:16 GMT

This is old news for us in health care that really care about our patients. The question really is not about whether a patient is depressed--but rather, why are you depressed. The other question is whether these drugs are harmless as most that script them would have the patient believe. Glenmullens book "Prosac Backlash", Cohen's book--Overdosed, Breggin's--Toxic Psychiatry are must reads for anyone considering going on these medications...in fact, one must look at the human as a ever changing dynamic biochemical system...what person doesn't have some level of depression in their lives--or those moments of higher energy than normal?...does that mean we are all bipolar?...to some extent yes...depending on what is happening to us in our lives at the time of emotional challenges...We are told that this is how antidpressants work--and in truth if one reads the Physician's Desk Reference on these medications we will find that we do not have a clear mechanism of action on any psychotropic medication--and regardless of what is told to us about the 374 different diagnosis's that we can be labeled with we don't have a clear biochemical or known etiology for anyone of them...so this is the great American fishing trip..We treat a "disease" that we don't know the cause--with a medication that we have no clear mechanism of action...and the truth is that this is about money...Prosac 1 billion dollar a year industry...most other meds in the class about the same income to pharmaceutical companies...I lost my wife to cancer a little over a year ago--does anyone thing that i wasn't depressed?...yet i knew i why I was depressed and i knew one thing for sure--antidepressants were not the answer to something i had to grieve my way through...somehow in this culture we think the drug is the answer to our life problems...many of us are so separated from the support we need to heal from the relationships, economics, bad bosses, and so forth...we don't eat right, sleep right, and we don't excercise...the most powerful tools in the process of keeping our selves in balance...if we are going to talk about the truth of these meds than the drug companies need to be honest in the research that is going on...and this simply will not happen because to them--it is not about you...it is about money

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

docdave2003 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 14:30:04 GMT

one other comment...it is clear that in about 5% of the cases of depression or any mental illness that we will not find a clear cut answer or treatment...it is also clear that these meds will help to some extent about 15% of the population that they are given to...and it is also clear as one writer blogged...that most cases of depression are situational...if that is the case why don't insurance companies pay for more counseling than they insist on paying for medication...once again it is cheaper to treat with prosac than it is to give someone good counseling once a week...

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

mcb4321 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 14:35:27 GMT

The reason that particular antidepressants do not work in a high percentage of patients is that physicians are making drug selections based on behavioral symptoms. In clinical practice, treatment with medication is primarily a trial and error process. The same cannot be said for most of the rest of medicine. For most infections, we know it can be successfully treated with the RIGHT antibiotic. Selection of the anitbiotic is a function of what the specific infection is. For the most part there are no laboratory tests that identify the underlying pathology and provide a strong basis for medication selection. Recently there was a report of a blood test that could help with bipolar disorder. Additionally there are people working with Referenced EEG (rEEG) that has the ability to be an enormous aid in medication selection. Tools like this are necessary to get beyond the trial and error method used today.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

mommy1264 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 14:37:00 GMT

I think were only getting part of the story here. Who conducted this study and why? I would like to compare these results to the results obtained from each individual Phase 3 trial data on the original new drug applications submitted during the inital approval process. How is it possible, these drugs are completely ineffective, yet they have all been approved and marketed. My husband was on Zoloft for several years and it worked very well. Two years ago, he had to come off of it for a back surgery. He suffered through 6 weeks of horrible withdrawl symptoms and swore, even though he needed something, he would never go back on Zoloft. After the surgery, he tried Wellbutrin which did nothing, if anything, it made him angrier and more edgy than he was before. Now he's on Lexapro and has gone from an angry, quick tempered nervous wreck to "Mr. Rogers" mellow. It's a welcome change for everyone in the house. No one can tell me these drugs don't work, I've witnessed it first hand! Someone is trying to discredit the use of antidepressants and I say they are doing a great disservice to people who may truly benefit from using them. My husband's quality of life has improved 100% and it's sad to think someone reading this article might miss out on that opportunity.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

barnstormer — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 14:41:46 GMT

Now, now! Read the publication from the New England Journal of Medicine. Just over 50% of the entire body of studies report that the anti-depressants ARE in fact working. This article treats only the shelved studies, and the fact that they, in particular, showed no difference. Duh! That, of course, proves that there always a rat in the house.

I have suffered from depression for many years. I have taken many different anti-depressants. I can tell you that they have all had their own characteristic effects, that not all worked, and that one, in particular does work. Could I be better treated with psycho-analysis based treatment? Maybe, but for 8 years, I tried that, and it didn't do a thing for me.

There is also no information as to how long a patient was on the drug in the studies. In other words, have studies been done that provide feedback on how well placebos are working after 6 months? One year? Five Years? Ten Years?

We all get a boost from positive thinking for a short while. What's it's staying power like? And how well do patients describe the effects of the treatment? You can't, after all, imperically measure the results. In my mind, people have a tendency to 'cut off' the highs and lows of there experience, If you ask them to rate something on a scale of 1-10, for example, there is a tendency to stay away from the extremes, and rate somewhere between say 3 - 7. This very phenomenon wll tend to move the results of real drug vs. placebo closer together.

The inclusion of patients with transient episodes of depression would itself throw the study off, because those patience are going to feel better at the end of the study no matter what they take.

I don't see anything here that would cause me to question the efficacy of the anti-depressant that I am on. Nothing at all.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

spynee — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 14:47:00 GMT

mommy1264 "Two years ago, he had to come off of it for a back surgery. He suffered through 6 weeks of horrible withdrawal symptoms " Only 6 weeks of withdrawal what a lucky guy.

First off if you ask your Dr. it is not withdrawal it is discontinuation syndrome

but between you and i there is no difference. Lexipro is the current drug of the day. Wait till he has to get off of this one.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

livilla — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 14:50:12 GMT

Almost three years ago I was shot in the head by a "friend" who is now in bankruptcy for over a million dollars--evidently the casinos were too close and very friendly, among other things. I had the temerity not to die, and when left alone by my captors--one of whom made a food run because, evidently, killing is hungry work--I dialed 911 and was rescued. We are just getting around to trial--uh-huh--and without the help of my family, my friends, a wonderful psychiatrist and psychologist who specialize in brain injury, the doctors and nurses who saved my life, the rehabilitation therapy--and my LEXAPRO--I wouldn't be where I am today. For many who are depressed, giving up before you find the right combination of therapist and anti-depressant becomes a fatal mistake. A pill--any pill--is not the miracle cure we all want it to be. For some it may very well be a placebo that gives them enough time to work themselves out of a blck mood that may be situational; for others, it may be hope in a bottle. Either can work if the mind accepts it as something that will make them better. Drugs don't work immediately . . . and they seldom work without some sort of therapy--even just talking things out with clergy, family or friends--or adopting some form of regular exercise to stimulate the brain's own ability to produce endorphines. People taking anti-depressant medication often return to old habits of self-medication . . . often with certain drugs or alcohol that are very effective depressants in themselves. The results nullify any positive effect the anti-depressants may have--and may, indeed, prove fatal. The brain, given a chance, tries to heal itself any way it can. In my opinion, anti-depressants--the correct ones for each individual--and trial and error is unfortunately the only way to determine this--are no more than the sign post that points the way for the brain to find its way through the fog of depression. Once that fog is lifted, the brain will find its own old or new pathway. Not over medicating on antidepressants is as important as finding the right anti-depressant--and this is all too common. If a little is good, more must be better--or faster. These medications are, unfortunately, too often prescribed by someone who does not take them seriously enough, does not do the proper follow-up, and does not recommend that the patient also get counseling or therapy of some sort--and that almost guarantees failure. My first experience with Paxil was a prescription by a family doctor who misdiagnosed my persistent neck pain and tension as stress related. Stress was involved, but the problem was a bulging of the right cervical vertebrae of the neck from consistently holding the telephone with my head and shoulder. My second Paxil resulted in an allergic reaction so bad I called the paramedics and later went to the emergency room. Therein lies the importance of finding the right drug--in the right dose. I am no great friend of big pharmaceutical. Even with health insurance, my medicine is extremely expensive--and that of my mother is worse. But as long as we demand miracles in pill form and aren't content --or able--to help the body get in shape to maintain a healthy state so that the mind may take care of itself, we will remain a chemically driven nation. I am living proof of what medicine and therapy--and yes, anti-depressants--can do. They may be crutches . . . but they helped me get where I am today. And even though I have a long way to go . . . and I will never get to where I was before I was shot, with help, I am striving toward that goal. And I want others to know that there is hope, there is a very worthwhile life beyond unbelievable, almost unbearable, tragedy. "There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your poor philosophy." I wish I'd said that, because I have found it to be so true. If your anti-depressant isn't working for you--and you have taken it as prescribed for some time, work with your psychiatrist or therapist to find another more suited to your brain chemistry. Don't give up. Never give up. Life is yours to make better, then live to the fullest. livilla

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

deepinthought — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 14:53:09 GMT

Depression is trigured my many things ,sometimes people say for no reason,but Igaurentee there is they just dont considerate all the possibilities. Whatever the reason it most defenitly is a self destructive behavior. My ongoing theory suggest that since the dawn of man people have engaged in some form of self detruction,some of the obvious behavoirs smoking, drinking ,drugs

overeating and so on. Some not so obvious staying in a doomed relationship staying at a job they hate,essenatly living in a state of denial about their on actions. I think the doctors should study the nature of mans self destructive behavoir instead of antidepressants

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

purpledolphin222 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 14:57:36 GMT

Well, I have read this artical. Having a mental breakdown of my own after I gave birth to my 3rd child. No history of depression in my family, I was diagnosed with depression (not post-partum). I took Prozac with no change. The medication was increased and I was still waiting for something to happen. I was determined to beat this so called depression. I went to group therapy, which I highly recommend......I learned better ways of dealing and helping my depression. It's all about mind control. You put yourself in your own depression. Depression just doesn't happen, it's a compilation of many things eating at you inside. The racing thoughts, the seclusion, the "i need to get away" thoughts, feeling bad about yourself. They are all thoughts, thoughts that you are thinking, Really, say to yourself......I want to feel better, imagine what you look like when you are feeling good. Remember that......and think of it everytime if see yourself zoneing out.

I belive any drug that is ingested into our body "Works". It's works to make our body fail so that we can take more drugs and become dependent on drug all our lives. I believe if you take any drug to be able to live the life God has intended you to live then you must say that your a drug addict, you know like someone on crack. You need it to servive!.......The Federal Trade Commission only sues companies who sale real "natural" cures. They sue companies that research "natural" cures. They consistanty sue individuals who promote "natural cures" ie. Kevin Trudeau. But these pill making companies never get sued for the human sacrafices (Gardisal). Or there side-effects (why should there be one or many)

It is true that depression is a chemical inbalance in the brain. But think of all the foods you eat with pesticides, hormones, anitbiotics, the stress levels of the animals you eat - like the cow. Have you ever thought of that. The FDA says that only drugs can treat symtoms. So because of the "drugs" in our food we eat daily, we have to take another drug to just off-set that. Anyways, I can keep going on and on about this.

The mind is a wonderful medicine, the sun is our friend, and anything that isn't natural (organic) is a drug.

Read the book, or better yet, get the DVD "The Secret". Get Kevin Trudeau's books, many times it's free if you watch the infomericals. Read the book "Skinny ***". Get the book "Foods that Harm Foods that Heal". Get a PH Balance of your body and get balanced, Get a 7 day herbal Colon Cleanse from your local health food market. Have your spine realigned everymonth.

Drink a glass of water in the first 5 minutes of you waking up and eat a hearty, healty, organic breakfast in the first 45 minutes of you waking up, you will loose 5-10-15 lbs in a month without even trying, Cut out the soda's folks. Read the labels, the first 5 ingredients is the most important.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

schwannomin — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 15:21:35 GMT

The SSRIs do something. I was on Paxil. It definitely does something, and the first day you take it, you notice a difference. The two weeks or more it takes to come off them, you notice a difference. I suspect these studies asked the question, "Do you feel better...less depressed?" Something along those lines. Certainly, a placebo can work to affect the answer to those questions, but there is no doubt SSRIs change your mood.

I'll say what's been said a million times. You don't feel better on these things, you just feel less bad. They give you the emotional breathing room (and sometimes energy) to get back on the horse.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

longing4theshore — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 15:22:54 GMT

I have to chime in on this. I have been on Effexor for 2 years and I want to stop taking it, but it's virtually impossible. This study says that antidepressants don't help depression, but they DO change your brain chemistry. I take the lowest possible dose, and I have tried going off Effexor cold turkey and going off it slowly, and both times I've gone completely wacko-alternatively crying/laughing, my body shakes uncontrollably, I get terrible headaches, I get violent thoughts, and I can't eat or sleep for days. I work a full-time and a part-time job, and I can't afford to miss work because I'm going off my pill and cannot control myself. I wouldn't recommend anyone taking this drug or any other antidepressant because your body becomes addicted to it and you can't get off it no matter how much you want to. The drug companies know exactly what they are doing, getting people hooked on these drugs, whether they work or not.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

greg_thomas42 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 15:35:01 GMT

If the depression is caused by a deficit in neurotransmitters the condition will respond to some of the antidepressant medications available by prescription. Not all types depression are related to neurotransmitter deficits, but dopamine and serotonin deficits are linked to depression. Depression is not one problem, but a group of problems, not all having the same causes. Episodes of depression typically have a situational component, but whether that component causes the depression or whether a existing neurotransmitter deficit causes a person to focus on situational problems is an open question.

To a person who suffers from depression, any relief is welcome. Whether the relief is caused by the placebo effect or is a therapeutic effect is of little importance to the person taking the medication, at least in the short term. If the effect is a placebo effect, that effect will be short lived. Any actual therapeutic effect from a drug should last for a longer period of time, usually as long as it takes the brain to adjust to the effect of the drug and counter its effectiveness by compensating for the effect the drug induces. This is why it is not uncommon for an antidepressant to become ineffective over a period of six months.

I have taken many different types of antidepressant medications. Some had no effect. Some had a placebo effect. Some had therapeutic effect, but came with side effects worse than the depression. Some worked for a time, and worked again later after having not taken the medication. None of them worked over a period longer than six to seven months.

Two of them have worked well enough long to allow me to learn the coping skills I needed to deal with the depression, and one of them helped me make it through a period of severe depression secondary to trauma. My injury caused my brain stem to release norepinephrine into the bloodstream far too easily, which caused me to release too much adrenaline, and to release it too often. While the excess adrenaline presented its own problems, the constant secretion of norepinephrine from the brainstem resulted in deficits in both serotonin and dopamine, as the brain uses norepinephrine as a precursor to make those neurotransmitters.

Two antidepressants were useful during the time it took for me to learn how to manage the condition. For me, those two antidepressants worked, and they worked because they acted on the cause of my depression, which was neurotransmitter deficits. One helped increase the amount of dopamine available in the brain, the other was an SSRI which helped me make the most of the serotonin I had available. I went through a time when my depression was so severe I could not experience any positive emotion... no joy, no happiness, no satisfaction, no pleasure. The medication helped me through the deepest part of this experience, When I learned how to manage the adrenaline release problem, I no longer needed the medications.

It is a mistake to conclude antidepressants are ineffective because a number of studies find no statistically significant difference between the drug and a placebo without considering the structure of the study. I suspect what the studies actually show is that when antidepressants are prescribed by family doctors to patients complaining of generalized symptoms of depression, the effect on those treated will vary between patients, and as group, may have no provable therapeutic effect. Change the parameters of the study to a group of persons shown to have serotonin deficits secondary to a physical problem, and the study of an SSRI will indicate a therapeutic effect.

The problem is that there is money to be made selling the medicine. Pharmaceutical companies peddle their medications across the board, as treatment for "depression" and bury in the fine print that they are SSRI medications, or dopaminic medication, and in marketing the drugs gloss over the fact that they do not work for other conditions. The doctors are the buffer against liability on the part of the pharmaceutical companies as they are charged with knowing the fine print. The truth of the matter is that most doctors who are asked to prescribe antidepressants are probably ill equipped to make a meaningful diagnosis of the root cause of depression, haven't the time to delve into the cause, and hope the medicine helps. Most patients don't seek treatment from physicians trained in the field. The problem lies in economics of the medical care industry and the economics of the pharmaceutical industry. To say the antidepressant do not work based on the studies cited is a generalization that is less accurate than it may appear to be.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

DomesticDiva — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 15:40:54 GMT

Ok, I thought I was done but the reactions to this article are getting me, not the article itself. I have suffered from clinical depression for 20 years. I was very active in highschool - honor student, cheerleader, excellent scholarship to college, but something was wrong. I didn't know what but it resulted in my suicide attempt.

After years of talk thearpy I my thearpist advs to enter into the medications and once I hit on a combo that worked it has been amazing. At first I thought I was experiencing mania - I could clean my entire house in 1 day, not just a room a day, get laundry done and still have engery for my kids - she then explained to me that this is what "normal" feels like. I have never looked back. However I have been discrimated against.

As an insurance agent for many years I am still upset that Life Insurance Companies discrimate against those on depression medications or those that have been treated for any mental illness. Health insurance companies discriminate against it by charging higher rates. I have experienced both.

True - those of you that feel we are just sad or can't cope, or are eating an unhealthy diet (I have been organic for 5 years and now support local sustainable farming) will never listen. It is because of people like you that we are discrimated against. Again, until you walk in our shoes don't pass judgement.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

fbristow — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 15:41:52 GMT

How ironic. The FDA, in their drug-company-influenced "wisdom", just last Thursday forced a cherry growing company to a consent decree of permanent injunction as a result of the company supposedly making unapproved drug claims about their products, such as "Chemicals found in cherries may help fight diabetes." Note that they said "may". Now more and more evidence is surfacing showing that the drug companies do not submit articles to medical journals which demonstrate that their products do not work. In fact, especially when prescribed by physicians for adolescents, these drugs have probably caused many more suicides than they have prevented. FDA says that for any drug to be approved and sold, it should be proven to be safe and effective. These drugs have never been shown to be either.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

fbristow — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 15:46:30 GMT

By the way, show me even one study anywhere that proves that depression is a result of a "chemical imbalance in the brain" and that "anti-depressants" resolve this imbalance. I have reviewed over thirty years of research articles in this area, and so far, I have not found any.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

mountain_laurel1183 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 15:56:13 GMT

I am not at all questioning the validity of this article, but I do know that you have to be careful receiving medical and psychological news from news sources. In order to write in lay terms, they often don't give enough information for people who do know how to read a study to tell whether or not the study they are reporting is any good. Also, I have read many "new discoveries" that I heard about in my psychology classes several years ago. So often, the stories they report are old news in the field, and are occasionally distorted. So read things like this with a grain of salt. They aren't saying drugs NEVER works, just that there is a LARGE placebo effect, so people should be careful spending money on them.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

herfan — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:01:20 GMT

Many of us have warned repeatedly that these drugs do very little for you. But the side effects of these drugs have killed tens of thousands of you. And injured millions. Not to mention the cost.

The American Medical health care has become completely incompetent at treating emotional, and mental illness without overuse, and dependence on very dangerous, and powerful drugs. Sad...:-(

The plea to “First do no harm” has been replaced with “above all, make as much money as you can.” All those needless deaths...:-(

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

Bcanter10 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:02:07 GMT

Wow...as a 15 year user of Zolfot, I can sinecerly say it has dramatically chnaged my life for the better. Diet & exercise did not work, nor did consuling. Therefore anyone who hasn't been there, should keep their opinions to themselves. So what that there were negative studies, as there were positive studies as well. I would honestly like to know the adgenda of those trying to de-bunk the benefits of using these drugs. To say the negative studies are the catchall and not the positive ones is just as bad. There has to be a balance. I know that differentr drugs worked differently for different people just as the does one takes needs to be adjusted. I started with a small dose and it didn't work until I found the right one. I did not see in the "negative studies anything that spoke about dosage.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

ehillmuv2u — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:02:44 GMT

I think there is a serious problem with making a broad sweeping claim that "anti-depressants" don't work. The drugs that are in these studies are of the SSRI type, not some of the others on the market. There are some very sound studies that indicate that anti-depressants like Wellbutrin XL and others ARE effective. I was on Effexor for 2.5 years and it didn't do much except make me sleep a whole lot and gain 40lbs. I requested a change to Wellbutrin XL and can tell you that I have been greatly helped by this drug (before I went on Wellbutrin, I lost 20lbs within 2 weeks of stopping taking Effexor). People could say I am having a placebo effect with Wellbutrin, but why didn't I have one with Effexor?? There was no reason for me to believe that Wellbutrin would work better than Effexor for me, except that it was clear to me Effexor was NOT working. There needs to be more studies and more sound research to be able to conclude that they don't work, and all the different types should be included in the study, not just a select few.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

crafty375 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:05:18 GMT

MNtoFL... I completely agree with you and also karen1109, If it weren't for these little blue "happy pills" I don't know where i'd be today. These pills aren't for the sad, they are for the chemically imbalanced. I am in such a better place now than i was before and i thank my doctor for recognizing what i needed. BOOHOO on you Tom Cruise!!

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

herfan — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:17:08 GMT

Your all just lab rats, and cash COWS to the doctors, and drug companies. Haven't you figured that out yet!

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

Kammeyer4 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:19:58 GMT

This would explain why it took me 40 years of suicidal depression to find one that works. It might just be that, rather than not working at all, patients and medication are not being paired up right. To everyone out there suffering as I did, hang in there. There's an answer and life is WONDERFUL once you find the right one. Now if I can just lose all the weight I gained on the wrong medications.....

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

smellthetrees — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:33:19 GMT

I take Paxil daily for anxiety and severe mood swings due to hormonal fluctuations. The older I get, the worse the hormonal fluctuations I have tried herbs, therapy, bio feedback, hormone replacement, and nothing at all. You name it - I have tried it. There is something to be said for whatever "slight spread" that these drugs provide. Even if I inadvertently miss a dose, I feel different and off kilter, I am tense and unpleasant to be around, my mood swings are severe. While I know that some people benefit from the placebo, I also know that others need the real thing. This article proves that. Oh, and FYI - I am one of the few that need the real Paxil and not the generic. I would love to spend $9/mpnth for the generic instead of $109/month for the real deal. My insurance does not cover either, and the formula is just off enough to render the generic useless for me. So trust me, the extra $100/ month is a small price to pay for not only feeling human, but being the best mom and wife that I can be.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

sregis — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:34:16 GMT

"One gram of niacinamide (vitamin B3) and one gram of vitamin C each taken three times a day (total of three grams a day of each) cures most depression."

my mother's been taking high doses of both since the early 70's and she's both highly depressed and arthritic. but maybe that's what you mean by "most depression"?

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

retnep — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:38:10 GMT

Having studied anti-depressants for years, I am extremely happy to finally see this report coming out. As much as most people hate, are loath to admit, Tom Cruise was right, has been right. The drug companies has squashed numerous scientific studies showing the ineffectiveness of these drugs. Instead, drug companies have focused 'testimonials' for evidence. While testimonials are nice, they aren't scientific. Testimonial evidence is reserved for diet pills and the like.

One of the reason why testimonials are so strong in regards to the anti-depressant debate is because people firmly believe the drugs work. This belief is re-inforced when users of anti-depressants attempt to get off of them and find themselves suffering from real debilitating symptoms. These symptoms are often the side effects of chemical dependency on the anti-depressants. Many users of anti-depressants are 'hooked' and they often go from one anti-depressant to another when their doctor thinks that the dosage of one is too high.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

warbler11 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:40:02 GMT

I agree with zzrider. Many people treated for "moderate depression" (and thus many subjects in the studies) are not depressed to begin with. What we need is a better diagnostic tool.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

XXSASSXX31 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:42:53 GMT

I just can't really agree with all that and believe there needs to be more studying. How about people with OCD??? I take zoloft which gives my brain a chemical it lacks in seretonine. This helps my OCD lessen significantly. Since I started taking zoloft my repeat thoughts in my head have gone away by 90-95% and my rituals about 80% so saying zoloft hasn't heped me is b.s.!!!! I don't know about depression...but surely with OCD it helps!

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

Nicole576 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:50:26 GMT

I think the bigger problem is that anti-depressants are overprescribed and don't work for those who DON'T really need them. However, there are people who DO NEED them and this is the group for which the drugs work more effectively than the placebo. Anti-depressants aren't a quick fix for our problems...but they are a good solution for people who have real chemical imbalances. Doctors need to quit overprescribing them and drug companies need to stop pushing them as if they will make everyone feel better. They can actually make people who really don't need them feel worse.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

plc223 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:52:09 GMT

To timm553,

WOW. You're one of those people who thinks they know everything, I guess. Read the article again, genius. It doesn't say what you obviously think it says. And you may want to work on your delivery. There are ways to say things without being rude and insensitive, like you were to karen1109.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

cj789 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:16:20 GMT

Complete dribble. Statistics and studies prove whatever you want them to prove...I smell an agenda here. From personal experience I know they work...and that not all of them work the same. Another article recently released presents an interesting argument: Do animals also experience a placebo effect? I think not!

Suicidal pets get anti-depressants

February 25, 2008 02:19pm

PETS at risk of self-harm are increasingly being prescribed anti-depressants because they cannot discuss problems in their lives with others, a leading veterinarian says.

Zoo and wildlife medicine specialist with the UK’s Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, Romain Pizzi, told the Telegraph that more pets were being prescribed Prozac.

Tropical birds such as parrots seemed to have been the most affected by depression, Mr Pizzi told the newspaper.

But Mr Pizzi said anti-depressants were only used in the most extreme of cases.

“Firstly, we will change the environment of the animal and make sure it has more stimulation and toys,” Mr Pizzi told the newspaper.

"When we have ruled out underlying medical problems, we try to break the cycle by using Prozac… (which) is given to the parrots in liquid form.

"It doesn't cure all animals, but around two-thirds respond to the treatment. In a small number of cases things will go well until we wean them off Prozac and the problems return."

Mr Pizzi said the severity of some pet’s depression often put their lives at risk.

"Typically if people go out to work all day their parrot will get very bored and frustrated and eventually develop depression,” he said.

“Symptoms often include plucking out their feathers or self-harming, which is obviously very dangerous.

“When cockatoos in particular are depressed they can start to self-mutilate and peck their own legs to the bone."

Some of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies have also recognised the need for anti-depressants for animals.

Last year, Eli Lilly released a chewable anti-depressant for dogs onto the US market.

The manufacturers even gave the “Reconcile” drug a beef flavour.

Pfizer has also created a diet drug for dogs, as well as motion-sickness medicine for all pets.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23271578-1702,00.html

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

jackjack — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:20:25 GMT

I was on Prozac for a short period of time and it had a significant effect on me. I was taking it to address PMDD (racing hormones and raging mood swings), not depression though. I became SO mellow, my husband made me get off them. I realized it was just a bandaid to the deeper issue though of personal frustration. The best solution for depression is God. I was sinking into a depression late last year and God snapped me out of it. No meds, no therapy...just Him.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

MomWiz — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:21:09 GMT

Antidepressants are prescribed for anxiety as well, and can work quite well for that. The calming effect from fluoxetine is the only thing that gets me through the daily grind dealing with several painful chronic conditions, and frequent windstorms in the area I moved to following the destruction of a home due to hurricane. When considering whether a drug should be available, it's total effect should be examined. Our system too often goes on witch hunts and ends up shortchanging a certain percentage of folks.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

MTK8 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:31:16 GMT

Nearly all of the people commenting here are missing the point, IMO. The question is not whether these work or not, because the answer in many, not all, cases is "They will if you believe they will!" So the conclusion you should take from the study is not "I'd be better off taking a placebo.", because if you knew it was a placebo, it wouldn't work at all.

The upshot of that is you can't even claim the pharma companies are ripping you off, because for the sugar pill to work, you'd have to be told it's something else and charged accordingly. If it was cheap, you'd be less inclined to think it would work, so in fact it wouldn't. So take your choice, ripped off by pharma or ripped off by sugar companies. And for those of think that at least side effects would be diminished, think again. The side effect rate for placebos in these studies is as high as the drug, because, well, you think it must be doing something. So in a twisted way for those railing against the pharma companies, you should be laughing at them instead. The joke is on them. They've spent untold billions on developing, making, and marketing something and much of it is all for naught.

My favorite was the guy who advised against the scripts because now they've been proven "not to work", but suggested B3 and vitamin C because they work. That's because you believe they will work! You're falling into the exact same trap.

My advice: if they work for you and your happier then keep it up. If not, give it up, and move onto another med, sugar, exercise routine, whatever.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

Holden Caulfield — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:31:27 GMT

'Moreover, Prof. Healey reported his concern that results had not been published of a controlled experiment undertaken by GSK in which 85% of healthy volunteers suffered adverse effects and one committed suicide. Prof. Healey claimed that GSK knew that approx. 1 in 60 adults on Seroxat made a suicide attempt while the figure for placebo was 1 in 550. It would therefore appear that GSK were aware of the risks Seroxat posed prior to their licence application.'

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

guns43 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:38:09 GMT

this article is so sickening to me (to a degree). i would agree that there are probably a lot of people on these drugs that could use alternative means to get better, and avoid spending money on drugs they may not need. however, i am positive about how well these drugs work, especially effexor. i went through a period of absolute hell and it wasn't until i took this drug that i slowly regained a normal state of mind. then after an extended period on the drug they gradually took me off because they felt i had recovered to the point i didn't need it anymore. shortly after my original symptoms returned and they had to put me on it again and i remaind on it until last year. there would also be times i missed a couple days of my dosage (do to stupidity) and that caused the rapid onset of physical symptoms (migranes, being extremely lathargic) plus sever mood swings. something tells me that being taken off of a placebo would not have the same effects. physically especially. then within the last year i found out that the drug which had helped my axiety and such had also magnified my latent symptoms of bipolar disorder (that is what i was told, i may have that wrong). i was in turn committed to a hospital to start a new medicine, depakote. i have never felt this good in my life. now to clear up some confusion, how can i say that the original drug (effexor) helped me when i began to show symptoms of bipolar disorder? they were

different symptoms - the original symptoms were SEVERE anxiety and also some parts of depression but it didn't help with solving manic episodes. well before this gets too long, it is already, my point is that i am extremely positive that the drugs i have taken worked well (for what they were meant to deal with) and i would bet my life that a placebo never would have done what the drugs i took/take have done for me. i just worry that, especially after articles like this, that these medicines are not needed and they should just give placebos. that, i assure you, would be a mistake and it would be a monumentally stupid decision. and beward, these studies can be misleading, on either side of the fence.

p.s. in light of the recent tragedy in dekalb, illinois. can they say that if that young man was on placebos, quiting his dosage would have had as devastating of an effect, or for that matter, have helped to begin with.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

Chavtastique — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:38:52 GMT

The article above is a dumbed down 'for the lay person' interpretation of a NEJM paper. Even a superficial review of the study structure reveals deep flaws in the NEJM paper. This fact is acknowledged by the authors. The paper does NOTconclude that antidepressants do not work, simply that in some patients their effect cannot be separated from placebo. What the article above demonstrates is the hysteria that can be created whan a non-medical person (ie without a medically related doctorate) draws their own sensational conclusion to boost magazine sales. Take your medical advise from physicians, NOT journalists!

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

rlj63 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:39:42 GMT

Why do I get the feeling that this study was performed by a bunch of Scientologists? It never ceases to amaze me how afraid so many people are of treating the brain. As a life-long sufferer of depression, I can tell you that chronic depression is no different than diabetes. It is a chemical imbalance that can and is treatable with the right medication. As a society, we need to let go of our fears and face the fact that the brain is another organ in the body that is capable of malfunction. The idea that the study in question shows that anti-depressants don't work only proves to me that the study was fundamentally FLAWED. Anti-dpressants have given millions of people their lives back, including me. And, no, I am not delusional!

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

Barryboy — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:42:39 GMT

It seems to me you are putting the cart before the horse. Antidepressants like Paxil are not primarly antidepressants. They are medications used primarily to treat anxiety disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder, which, if left untreated, will undoubtedly lead to disorientation, anger and ultimately depression. I can tell you from personal experience that they unquestionabily work to curb those disorders before they get out of hand. They physiological slowing of seratonin reuptake into the system clearly keeps a person from "surging" with strong feelings of insecurity, anxiety, and compulsive worry. How could you focus simply on depression when you are talking about anti-anxiety medication?

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

sofialila — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:44:48 GMT

I have to agree with MNtoFL, there is a difference between being sad/depressed and having a chemical imbalance. Several years ago I developed a panic disorder with an eating disorder twist. I tried yoga, meditation, therapy and exercise but I would still randomly have crippling panic attacks. My doctor prescribed Paxil and slowly the panic attacks stopped and all the yoga, meditation, therapy and exercise finally started to work. I was able to sleep again, go out in public and have a life. I doubt a placebo would have had the same effect.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

timm553 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:45:34 GMT

To plc223:

yada, yada, yada.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

JWilly48519 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:54:16 GMT

How powerful would the placebo response be in studies if, when you sign the informed-consent paperwork, instead of telling you that there was some likelihood that you would receive a placebo i.e. simulated treatment, it said that the *only* thing being administered was simulated treatment?

Placebos work because of the belief in the supposedly real treatment that is the other half of the study. Shatter that belief by sufficiently communicating that the supposedly real treatments don't work, and placebos will stop working as well.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

thymelee — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 18:07:23 GMT

It just blows me away that this one study, from some obscure University (of Hull in Britain?), has everyone ready to believe that antidepressants are practically useless. If you were ever as depressed as I have been for even a week, you'd be willing to try almost anything to make the sadness lift. I am thrilled that science gave me the option in a pill to try to get out of a very black hole. I'm even happier that the first drug I tried (Zoloft) gradually began to work almost 3 weeks to the day after beginning the medication. I won't even try to explain to all of the doubters out there how I suffered numerous and severe episodes of depression for almost 20 years prior to taking Zoloft, and for the past 10 years on the medication, I have not even had one episode of depression. No life circumstances changed, still married to same man, same house, same kids, same everything. Only change, Zoloft. Who cares what you all think? It's just another excuse to manipulate the media and see how 'crazed', no pun intended, everyone gets!

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

virtuoso — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 18:09:34 GMT

I started having depressive episodes when I was 16 years old. We didn't know what it was. I was finally diagnosed with chronic depression when I was 32 years old. My doctor prescribed several different anti-depressant medications. All of them had nasty side effects, and none were effective. After a year of trying those medications, she prescribed Prozac. After a few weeks I felt a huge difference. I was again finding pleasure in daily life. I could prepare dinner for my family. I took up my hobbies again.

Over the years since then (1986) I have stopped taking Prozac several times. Who wants to have to take medication every day? I was doing fine, and thought I didn't need an antidepressant any more. At first there seem to be no difference. Then suddenly I would crash into feelings of hopelessness and despair. I again tried different "new" antidepressants, with no success. I tried taking St. John's Wort, which is supposed to be a "natural" mood elevator. I hoped it would be the answer. It wasn't. When I started taking Prozac again, I once again could function. My question is this: if anti-depressants don't work any better than a placebo, it would seem that I would have responded to the very first antidepressant my doctor prescribed back in 1986, and to the various others I have tried over the years. I wanted them to work; they didn't. Prozac does. I won't stop taking it because of the research stated in this article.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

libbyfee — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 18:10:44 GMT

Don't tell me anti-depressants don't work. Paxil saved my life.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

AntiDepressed — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 18:18:41 GMT

This is horrible news. My wife lost custody of her two children because she was prescribed Lexapro, Xanax, and Prozac over a 30 year period. In Pennsylvania, over 80% of parents lose custody of their children if they are prescribed anti-depressents. Keep in mind, she was diagnosed with plain old depression - she makes over $50K per year, owns two homes, four cars - just a normal person who was in a bad marriage. If these drugs do not work, then why does a person who takes them face the persecution of our court system?

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

mulembo — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 18:21:33 GMT

To my understanding, depression comes mainly from how we feel inside and our outlook about the world and life. I never believe in antidepression drugs as I've told everyone I know. My human intelligence and feelings tell me that it's myself who make me depressed. It's not the world, it's not life itself, it's not anybody's doing. The world and life have always been as they are with or without us. I don't have deprression issues like many people claim or think they have. I always keep my mind and spirit on the positive side. I live to love and enjoy life, every little things life can offer me.

Love and Peace, everyone.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

myclassybenz — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 18:33:57 GMT

In 1997 I was diagnosed with panic disorder. I read many trial studies on the different anti-depressants available to me, and my doctor and I decided on Paxil. Paxil was the first drug we tried and the only one I've ever used since.

To say the least, Paxil saved my life. Not only did it stop my panic attacks from 4 to 5 a day, to none, but it allowed me to finally leave my home. I had become agoraphobic.

There is no doctor, study, research, etc. that would ever convince me that anti-depressants do not work. Maybe anti-depressants don't work for depression, as well as it was once thought, but they sure work for panic/anxiety. A panic attack can't be stopped by a placebo. The symptoms your body experiences are physical and some people can't make these attacks stop without meds to slow the body down. In the past I've tried to quit taking Paxil. Many times I thought I was in a place where I no longer needed the med. I tried a very slow withdrawal process that took 6+ months. Within a week, I was back to having panic attacks,

My doctor has explained that it is highly likely that my attacks come from a chemical imbalance. No placebo is going to "cure" a chemical balance.

In conclusion, don't believe everything you read....especially when a new study is released. There are many, many, differing opinions between those in the medical field, researchers, drug companies, etc. If an anti-depressant works for you, then that's all that matters. Take care everyone.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

This Guy — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 18:35:17 GMT

I've been dealing with clinical depression by myself my whole life (32yo), and will continue to, I'm sure. I've never been interested in pills, or a chemical "fix", because I really don't believe in them, or their effectiveness. Besides, though I have a few screws loose or whatever, I'm still me, and I don't want a pill altering my personality. I believe, like an addict trying to get their feet under them, you've gotta start with yourself, with your core. Communication, introspection, and reflection - coupled with positive, purposeful actions are the only path towards lighter times. It takes time and daily effort - like a recovering alcoholic. I'm kind of losing my battle as I'm this age and still leaning on drugs, and alcohol (among other things), so I've decided it's time to get my butt into therapy and get another perspective on how to get to those positive, purposeful actions that'll lead me to the right place. Screw the pills, and face the problem. Admit your disorder. Accept it. Start making changes in your life and begin fighting. Wish me luck, and good luck to you . . .

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

oran57 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 18:36:24 GMT

Since when does one group of individuals opinions and interpretations of some scientific studies make it true? I have suffered with depression most of my adult life and there is no way anyone will ever convince me that the antidepressants that I have and am taking did something that a placebo could have done just as well. Common sense would say that a chemical imbalance in the brain and body needs the right chemical intervention to help to acheive balance. Believing this article can do more harm than good for a person suffering from depression who is on the fence about taking medication for relief.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

mollybaynor — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 18:57:02 GMT

If placebos help people with depression, does that imply that "change your mind change your life" theories have something to them?

I have had depression for as long as I can remember and I am skeptical about claims that people can think their way out of depression. Medicine, Wellbutrin, helps, but I am not turning cartwheels. I still feel that most people must feel much better than I do. It is still hard to get things done. Everything feels like and effort. But I would feel worse without the Wellbutrin.

It seem that professionals are treating only part of the problem when they prescribe medicine and do not look at the problems in people's lives which might be making them miserable. Simply giving a person medication implies that they must simply have a better attitude about their situation even when it may be a bad situation.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

libertarian99 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 18:59:12 GMT

Three (3) Points:

1. Don't doubt that depression is a disease. Since the hypothalamus part of the brain actually shrinks when the patient is clinically depressed, and I do mean clinically depressed, we can see physical evidence of depression and not just the symptoms. Don't tell me I'm not really sick!

2. Don't be mislead by some scientific studies or some people's anecdotes about how traditional medicine didn't work. Just how sound was the study? Just how objective were the people telling you this? There are too many variables in play: accuracy of diagnosis, family history, lifestyle, severity of disease, age, overall physical health, and depth of social support. Afterall, when I majored in Sociology, it was reported that a shaman (witch doctor) had the same cure rate as a physician! This only speaks to the influence of a placebo and the power of positive thinking often Successfully used in religion and pop psychology. So hey, whatever gets you through the night.......just don't tell me how to treat my depression!

3. Every patient is an individual. Some people can have a little or a lot of depression, just the same way some people can have a little or a lot of diabetes, cancer, head cold....... How many women have asserted that "Tylenol won't touch my cramps; I need to take Ibuprofen"? Tylenol always did fine for me. So don't put me in a study where I'm getting the same medication and dosage of it as the next guy!

Anyhow, I don't take any of those four medications!

Newsweek, publish a better article next time. I'll still make my same points. I lost a lucrative career trying to be valiant and fixing myself with positive thinking.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

cj789 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 19:13:00 GMT

Mulembo - your understanding is incorrect. Often there are clinical/chemical/physiological conditions behind depressive/mood/anxiety disorders...you don't reason them away or fix them by leasing a shrink's couch. Rose colored glasses don't work either.

This Guy - you are NOT "doing it on your own" by using alcohol and drugs as a crutch. You'll find that out soon enough when you try to stop.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

zeusws6 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 19:13:18 GMT

How much does it really matter if there is benefit in taking the drug? If it is a psycological issue, it would make sense that a placibo would actually work...

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

adriane121 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 19:19:59 GMT

As a person who is coming off a very serious withdrawal after taking Effexor for two years (buzzing ears, distorted head) I know it does something. I don't think Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft, whatever really work for depression, but I do think there are a lot of drugs out there that help with anxiety which follows along with depression. I have been going through serious anxiety issues for the last month and some of these depression drugs have really helped my anxiety issues. And some like wellbutrin, topamax, depakote have other uses as well. So lets not throw away the baby with the bathwater, and lets not crucify the drug companies either. I did not walk in front of the bus yesterday, and it was ONLY because of the drugs my psychiatrist gave me.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

semidar — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 19:29:04 GMT

I can tell you w/ 100% confidence that Paxil works as a treatment for social anxiety. I really don't know about the anti-depressant part -- I did not start taking it for that. Were I the type of person who gets depressed over being constantly anxious in social situations, then yes, Paxil would act as an anti-depressant for me too. I can also tell you for sure that when I skip or miss taking a daily dose of paroxetine, I get feedback that I'm cantankerous and moody, which is feedback that I never get when I stay on dose, so paroxetine does have an effect on moods, or at least it does for me, and trust me that I'd wean off of the stuff (due to some specific side effects) if I wasn't convinced that it works.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

popebetsy1 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 19:31:39 GMT

I was on Prozac for 2 years and by the end I felt even more depressed and anti-social. At my daughters insistence I was reevaluated and I started on Seriquel 5 months ago. This drug has been wonderful for helping me remain calm and less manic, less stressed over simple problems. I can manage my anxiety better so that all areas of my life are more satisfying. I recommend studies on this Seriquel/seritonin. It works differently than Prozac.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

willowbuffyslayer — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 19:36:53 GMT

Being someone that was hospitalized for attempted suicide, I would like to say that these "pills" have saved my life. I've been diagnosed with severe depression and take 4 different medications so that I can function. I also do therapy once a week. Without the medications, I become suicidal, have panic attacks, and don't sleep. Maybe people are mistaking depression for sadness. Depression deals with a chemical imbalance, not just a sad event. While I was in intensive therapy I saw a huge difference in one lady that just couldn't find the right medication to work for her. She started Cymbalta and about two weeks later, she was an entirely different person. I have to question who exactly they are using for these studies. Everyone I met in the hospital or intensive therapy desperately needed their medications and I'm willing to bet would say it saved their lives.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

karen1109 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 19:37:54 GMT

To timm553: Yes, I did read the article, and, what should have been obvious (and apparently was to everyone else but you, was that I completely disagreed with it. My point was that my mom had tried one that DID NOT WORK - (hence NO PLACEBO EFFECT). The second one DID WORK - she is healthy and stable, whereas she was definitely not before she took this nedication. IT DOES WORK, and I think a report that was done on shelved studies in the first place is just patently nonsense.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

calgaryshannon — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 19:44:19 GMT

I suffer from very severe depression that began in 1991 (maybe sooner). The doctor's originally prescribed Prozac, that had no effect. Then they tried Celexa and Effexor, still nothing. The last drug they tried was Paxil as it was found that not only was I very depressed but suffering from severe panic attachs and overwhealming anxiety. The Paxil seemed to work at a dosage of 40mg per day (I am a 32 year old, 5'5", 120lb female).

Prior to the Paxil I was very irritable, hopeless, uninterested in anything, couldn't eat, sleep or make a decision and was overwhealmed by the feeling of guilt. I also had to take time off from work and seriously considered and tried suicide several times. The only thing that kept me alive was not wanting my children to believe that they wer not enough to keep me alive. It was the guilt again, but it worked in a positive way.

I have now been on the Paxil for the last 5 years and gone through many life changing events over this time. Two weeks ago I was feeling very irritable and flustered. My family, friends and co-workers all noticed the change. It turned out that I was only taking half the daily dosage prescribed (20mg) due to a pharmacy computer error.

Originally, I wasn't expecting to feel any better when given the prescription because I didn't believe that a little pill could do anything to help me. I was to the point where I was completely cold and unfeeling, I couldn't even cry anymore. I had absolutely nothing left.

Prior to my doctor prescribing antidepressants I saw a psychologist, psychiatrist and attended group therapy. I also tried excercise, aromatherapy, acupuncture, holistic medicine, reflexology, yoga, meditation, (I'm sure I could go on), and saw no results.

I can honestly say that I would not be here today if I had not given Paxil a chance.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

arguels — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 19:53:03 GMT

For Timm553:

Didn't YOU read the article, which states "The difference between drug and placebo was clinically meaningful only for patients at the upper end of the very severely depressed category."

In karen1109's case it sounds like it was severe.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

cam4196 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 19:57:31 GMT

In a week from today I am having to go to court with my son . About a year ago my 16 year old was

prescibed 25mg of paxil for (get this) not being able to sleep or eating very well. This so called cure all drug was prescibed by a local family doctor. My son is now facing the possibilty of having to being locked up for setting his high school on fire.I STRONGLY FEEL that not for this prescribed drug my son wouldnot begoing though this .He was and still is a fine young man that yet going though ocassional sadness,anxiety and just every day life some expert says well try this pill it well help .Well it did not it made it worse. Today he is still on a more monitored dose of SSRI

(THAT I AM NOT TO SUPPORTIVE OF because of the with drawl period that once you start its hard to just quit so that worries me.)and along with counseling , family,friends ,JESUS AND GOD ALMIGHTY my son is alot better. I hope and pray that these ssri are looked at more carefully in the future cause I dont want another family to go through what my family has had to go through. please be praying for him.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

adriane121 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 20:01:09 GMT

You know I am seeing that a lot of us suffer from anxiety. We live in a very anxious world, always having to do something or be somewhere. It also happens to us when we sleep, I get so worked up about not falling asleep. I think ambien is one of the greatest things ever for sleep, makes me less edgy, I take that, seroquel , Depakote, Topamax, Wllbutrin, and granted I've just started most but I was taking Klonopin and Vicodin (nerves and Headaches) and I'd much rather trt to stop them then become an addict.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

cj789 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 20:24:12 GMT

It's amazing isn't it? There are indeed a lot of us...coming together in a "virtual collective roar"... :) ...standing united in our varied collective anxieties. There would appear to be some connection with the demands of today's world and the stresses associated with it. All of us are exposed to different stresses in varying degrees of intensity. Sometimes I think that our brains have yet to "evolve a bit more" in order to catch up with technology and lifes current demands. All of that said...it does NOT discount the real and measurable physiological conditions that contribute to anxiety and mood disorders! (Had to get that in for all the nay sayers.)

I believe that cam4196 illustrates well what is likely the problem in most off-putting experiences with anxiety/mood medications -> incorrect diagnosis or prescription...it's not the drug...it's the prescriber. These aren't bandaides to be "slapped on" at whim. And there frequently is "fine-tuning" required in type and dosage.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

phiomalibumalibu — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 20:33:45 GMT

Interesting, I found that a good thing to try are a good detox formula with milk thistle and dandelion to detox the liver (where alot of anger and depression is stored) Go to FreeTense.com

Also look into GTF Chromium (the liquid form)

Hope this helps, but of course see your doctor.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

Bigsis9108 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 21:49:17 GMT

As a 16-year-old who has been on antidepressants for four years, I certainly have an opinion on the matter! There was a time in my life when I would feel utter hoplessness, lie awake at night thinking about death, and, at best, be overcome with a "gray" feeling of nothingness. After getting the pills, I noticed that I felt better within days. Along with therapy, support from my family and lots of prayer, I began to feel like a KID again. I honestly believe that the 'drugs' are why I am able to hold my baby brother today.

And as for those who think that prayer alone will solve it... would you tell someone with a broken arm just to pray? Deppression is a chemical imbalance that needs to be treated. Yes, praying can help--my love for and trust in God has certainly helped-- but denying people these life-saving drugs is risky at best.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

EE7011 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 21:50:44 GMT

I think we as a society tend to generalize depression. Many of the commercials that advertise anti-depressants make it seem like anyone experiencing depression must be feeling the exact same symptoms and thus need to talk to their doctor about that particular "miracle" anti-depressant. Depression, in my opinion, should be handled on a case by case basis. For many, their depression is situational and can be treated using other methods, for others they don't know the reason for their depression and medication may be helpful. I think we need to accept that some situations in life will leave us feeling depressed and that is normal, but if an individual is unable to function properly on a day to day basis they should most likely seek professional help.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

flowergirl490 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 22:25:12 GMT

Unfortunetly, a number of these prescriptions for anti-depressants are written by family doctors with very little training in psychiatry. very little time to really listen to their patients, and a drawer full of SSRI samples from the pharmaceutical reps. Peple who truly suffer from major depressive disorder need to see a psychiatrist. A psychiatrist will know if an SSRI is an appropriate anti-depressant for you. There are options besides SSRI for treating depression! The study here is looking ONLY at SSRIs, not the many other drugs that can be used to target a patient's specific kind of depression.

I have suffered from major depressive disorder my entire life. I don't know how much money I've wasted on SSRIs prescribed by my primary care doctor. When I finally insisted on a referral to a psychiatrist, he told me I should never have been on an SSRI--the type of depression I have doesn't respond to that kind of drug. He put me on a combination of 4 different drugs--ones he selected based on the type of depression I have, not on some vague list of symptoms. I felt a difference in 48 hours; I was markedly better in two weeks; within three months I was a new person. My psychiatrist literally gave me my life back. To think that I might have jacked around for years with my PCP, trying every new SSRI that hit the market!

SSRIs are NOT the only drugs out there, and this study deals only with SSRIs. If may be that SSRIs are not effective in treating depression, but that doesn't mean some of the other drugs being used right now are not effective.

If you suffer from depression, see a psychiatrist. You wouldn't let your PCP handle your cancer or your heart disease, so stop letting him manage your depression--see a specialist.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

mccasare — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 22:42:25 GMT

The fact that the author even mentioned Zoloft shows they have little understanding of the different drugs. She's clearly grouping all anti-depressants together, as Zoloft was not even one of the medications studied.

As someone who is on Zoloft, I can tell you it DOES have an effect. I am sure of this because when my dose was too high I became suicidal. It was a horrible, horrible time. As for the kid in the shootings who was going through withdrawal, I can believe it. Just like having too high a dose, going off the drugs can be hard, especially for young adults.

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

mccasare — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 22:48:27 GMT

And to add, anti-depressants are not supposed to be a miracle drug. NO psychiatric drugs are. They are meant to be used with counseling etc. Psychiatric drugs are meant to make the playing field more even. For example, you can't treat a severely depressed person if they never get out of bed, but maybe anti-depressants will help them enough that they WILL get out of bed and come in for treatment. Anti-depressants have been known to be dangerous in that they can make a depressed person have more energy and feel a bit better...and then kill themselves since they now have the energy. Clearly, they do have an effect. A person needs to find the right medication at the right dose to be helpful

re: Depressing News on Antidepressants

TicklePig — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 00:14:17 GMT

People often confuse situational depression with chemical depression. Everyone will experience situational depresion (sadness) at one or more points in thier life. Chemical depression is completely different. Maybe I'm a placebo fool, but anti-depressants have worked for me. I go through a honeymoon period and their effectiveness declines, but they deffinately work. Having said that, I don't think they work nearly as well as marketed. They can make a minor difference, but it's up to each person to work through therapy or self awareness to find real change.

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