Antidepressants often don’t work as advertised. Every scientist who studies depression knows it. And every doctor who treats folks battling the illness has seen it firsthand.
But most patients find it out the hard way. Because no one bothers to warn them about what might REALLY happen when they start taking antidepressants.
And I can assure you it’s not what you see in the commercials. When you take antidepressants, you don’t suddenly transform into the kind of person who pedals his bike through the park laughing, happy, and without a care in the world.
But that’s not all. There’s something else they won’t tell you.
You don’t need always need prescription medications to…
- BEAT the blues
- RESTORE your mood
- FEEL GREAT again
In fact, many folks can reach all three of those goals without ever resorting to antidepressants.
The truth about antidepressants
The truth is antidepressants just aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. They promise a lot and all too often deliver very little.
There are three core problems with mood meds…
- They often don’t work at all.
- If they do work, they’re often only minimally effective.
- They can take a very long time to kick in.
When you throw in all of the potential side effects, including personality changes, weight gain, and increased heart risks, one thing becomes obvious. In many cases, the best place for these drugs is the trash.
The humongous new study tracked some 17 million people with depression. It included 10 million folks who were taking antidepressants and 7.5 million who weren’t on mood meds.
All the participants were given surveys to evaluate their physical and mental wellbeing, both at the time of diagnosis and again up to two years later. And with all those people… and all those meds… there were virtually NO differences at all.
At the start of the study, folks taking antidepressants scored an average of 41 on the mental component and 44 on the physical one. The second time around, it was an average of 42 on the mental part of the survey and 43 on the physical health section.
That’s a total score of 85 before and a total score of 85 after. Now, if you sold these drugs for a living, you might argue that the meds may have at least stopped the depression from getting worse.
Except the same thing happened to the folks who didn’t take the antidepressants. They scored a 43 on the mental and 46 on the physical at the start of the study. And then a 45 on both parts of the survey at the end of the study.
That’s a combined score of 89 before and 90 after. IN other words, essentially no difference at all.
Ditch depression without drugs
Doing nothing isn’t exactly a great option either. And it’s clear some people do get some help from some meds in some situations.
If you’re taking antidepressants now and find they work for you without side effects, there isn’t a reason to change.
But if you’re feeling blue and are looking for a drug-free option… or you’re taking the meds and find, like most people, that they don’t work for you… then I’ve got a backup plan to consider trying. (Just be sure to check in with your doctor first.)
Curcumin is one of the best options backed by both science and real-world use.
This natural anti-inflammatory is well known for how it can enhance circulatory health and protect your heart. But it’s also a powerful brain protector. In fact, research shows it could help shield against dementia and depression.
It’s even been put up against one of today’s most popular prescription antidepressants in a head-to-head test and matched it… but WITHOUT the side effects.
Need a bit more help beating back the blues? Check out this produce-aisle solution I shared right here in Healthier Talk last year.
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