NO EVIDENCE THAT DEPRESSION IS CAUSED BY CHEMICAL IMBALANCES IN THE BRAIN! WHY THEN THE RISE IN ANTI-DEPRESSANTS?

I shared this article about three weeks ago (which I had known about after its publication last year), but I thought that it would be important for me to share it again and in more details in my current newsletter, so that more people could become aware of this truth and gain insight knowledge of the facts about depression. 

It is alarming to know that 1 in 6  adults and 2 in 100 teens in the UK are prescribed antidepressants yearly! I am shocked by this finding, and I can’t be indifferent. I have always known through my work with a wide and diverse range of individuals and professionals, that the number of individuals/ professionals on antidepressants is constantly increasing and getting out of control, but would never have imagined it’s gotten this bad… 1 in 6 adults!!! 

Now beloved, you deserve to know the facts and truth before engaging in any medical procedures and treatments, why does this seem to be different in the case of depression and some other recent conditions? Ponder… I am immensely grateful for my medical and pharmaceutical knowledge and background, and it troubles me a great deal, whenever I see people being misled or perishing due to ignorance/ lack of knowledge about existing peer-reviewed medical/ scientific publications on specific pathological conditions that directly/ indirectly affect them. 

A recent study and review (the largest ever in the field) by UCL in July 2022  questioned the “scientific theory” that depression is caused by chemical imbalances in the brain, and revealed that there is no scientific evidence to back this theory… (Note, it’s been a theory and hypothesis all this while – which I have always emphasised to my stutudents/ clients, with no available scientific research to back this theory/ hypothesis). I totally understand why a lot of people are not aware of this, as ordinary people will not be checking scientific research papers and available data on a daily basis or even on an annual basis or in their lifetime! Have you ever thought about the fact that no one really ever measures how much serotonin, adrenaline, dopamine, etc, someone has in their brain before prescribing them an anti-depressant which is supposedly given to ‘normalise’ or ‘balance’ an ‘imaginary’ or ‘assumed’ ‘abnormality’ or ‘imbalance’? 

Lead author of the UCL study,  Professor Joanna Moncrieff, a Professor of Psychiatry at UCL and a consultant psychiatrist at North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT), said: “Our view is that patients should not be told that depression is caused by low serotonin or by a chemical imbalance, and they should not be led to believe that antidepressants work by targeting these unproven abnormalities. We do not understand what antidepressants are doing to the brain exactly, and giving people this sort of misinformation prevents them from making an informed decision about whether to take antidepressants or not.”

Co-author Dr Mark Horowitz, a training psychiatrist and Clinical Research Fellow in Psychiatry at UCL and NELFT, said: “I had been taught that depression was caused by low serotonin in my psychiatry training and had even taught this to students in my own lectures. Being involved in this research was eye-opening and feels like everything I thought I knew has been flipped upside down.”

Professor Moncrieff went on to say  “It is always difficult to prove a negative, but I think we can safely say that after a vast amount of research conducted over several decades, there is no convincing evidence that depression is caused by serotonin abnormalities, particularly by lower levels or reduced activity of serotonin.”

“The popularity of the ‘chemical imbalance’ theory of depression has coincided with a huge increase in the use of antidepressants. Prescriptions for antidepressants have risen dramatically since the 1990s, with one in six adults in England and 2% of teenagers now being prescribed an antidepressant in a given year.

“Many people take antidepressants because they have been led to believe their depression has a biochemical cause, but this new research suggests this belief is not grounded in evidence.”

My work involves a lot of listening, empathy, love, compassion, care, honesty/unfiltered truth, and of course empowerment and transformation! I could never be indifferent to the concerns of any individual I meet, interact with or work with… and I am deeply and intrinsically driven and inspired more than ever before to make a difference and share my unique/authentic gifts, knowledge and wisdom, each time I encounter a scenario of unfairness, oppression, abuse,  lies/ deceit, injustice and/ or ignorance… I am naturally inclined to do this with or without invitation or financial support/ reward – I always grant myself the ultimate permission and authority to bring knowledge where there is ignorance,  light where there is darkness, hope where there is hopelessness,  peace, where there is strife, chaos/ unrest, and love where there is hatred… This is my purpose, this is my calling, this is why I was born and this is why I live… I can only be me and authentically/ unapologetically me! 

My greatest reward in all this, is in witnessing lives transformed, people becoming knowledgeable, empowered and transformed because I answered the call and showed up to serve – UNINVITED! I create the platforms, I access and create/ bring forth the resources, I create the opportunities, I create the invitations, and I present myself in the most integral, unwavering and convicted manner as the vessel to serve and deliver the message/ resources… and give you permission to use me to the fullest, because my source never runs dry… I serve from a place of abundance, love, peace, joy, and purpose –  called SOURCE! 

Hence, I am determined more than ever before to develop a series of resources/ books/ workbooks and run diverse programs and training to empower young people, individuals and professionals to prioritise and take care of their mental health and wellbeing and unlock the infinite power within them to overcome depression naturally; backed by research, science and natural laws that govern optimal mental health and wellbeing. 

Join me on one of these free sessions at the Transformation Centre or online via zoom and take control of your mental health and thrive in optimal health and wellbeing – because you deserve this and I care deeply! 

Read the full research paper below and be empowered: The serotonin theory of depression: a systematic umbrella review of the evidence | Molecular Psychiatry (nature.com)