Antidepressant efficacy may be overblown-experts
Reuters - Antidepressants, for the most part, do not provide meaningful benefit, two investigators in the UK argue in a report in the British Medical Journal this week, having reviewed published medical evidence on antidepressant efficacy.
Ref. https://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...nt_overblown_dc
I have mixed emotions about this article. On one hand, I can testify that some anti-depressants make a world of difference depending on the situation you are in. Some times you cant stop the depressive feelings and some meds do help. But the argument they make is completely valid. There are meds that don't do anything, and there are times when people take meds and just need to learn to deal with life in general. But the argument that all meds to no good and all people can deal is false. I hate taking meds and I have had to take anti-depressants before. I don't now, but I most definently did need them and they did help.
I think the main problem with antidepressants is doctors seem to just hand them out without offering any kind of counselling, this is fine if your just going through a bad patch and need a little help, I too know many people who have been helped by antidepressants but for alot of people, as soon as they come of them the problem that caused the person to be on them is still there and all the tablets have done is blocked it out for a while which to me is no more productive than drinking to forget your problems! I think a better solution to depression would be antidepressants coupled with cognitive behavioural therapy which has a huge success rate with patient suffering depression, rather than handing out tablets and hoping the problem goes away on it's own!
PANEL URGES BROADER SUICIDE WARNING ON ANTIDEPRESSANTS
Antidepressants increase the risk of suicidal behavior for people up to age 24, the government said Wednesday. It plans new warning labels, and says users of all ages should be closely monitored.
Ref. https://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/12/13/antid...e.ap/index.html
CDC: ANTIDEPRESSANTS MOST PRESCRIBED DRUGS IN U.S.
Dr. Ronald Dworkin tells the story of a woman who didn't like the way her
husband was handling the family finances. She wanted to start keeping the
books herself but didn't want to insult her husband.
Ref. https://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/07/09/antid...ants/index.html
EDITORIAL: SUICIDE RATES ALARMING
The link between suicide and youths using antidepressant drugs is not fully understood. Some researchers say the use of antidepressants increases the risk of suicide in a small percentage of youths who take them. Others say untreated depression was a factor for committing suicide and that antidepressant drugs are more likely to reduce suicide risk.
Ref. https://deseretnews.com/dn/view/1,1249,...08637,00.html
Anti-depressants 'of little use'
Anti-depressants have little clinical benefit for the majority of depressed patients, research shows.
Ref. https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7263494.stm