Antidepressants are Not the Best Ways to Cure Depression After All
Antidepressants are Not the Best Ways to Cure Depression After All
Study Reveals: Antidepressants are Not the Best Ways to Cure Depression After All
Are you feeling down in the dumps? You might think antidepressants are the solution, but do hold that thought. One report in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) publication now says that mild to severe forms of depression can use alternative treatment methods besides popping one or two antidepressant pills.
No Longer Depressed About Antidepressants
University of Pennsylvania researchers put together info from six different studies of mipramine and paroxetine, the popular antidepressant prescription medications. GlaxoSmithKline's Paxil is the brand name for paroxetine. It was discovered that both drugs had only slightly more benefits to patients than inactive placebos.
Around 800 patients were involved in the said report according to Reuters. They were graded using a score system, indicating the degree of severity of the depression. People diagnosed as 24 or higher, which pointed to severe depression, experienced a drop in their scores by 13 points after receiving antidepressants. A nine-point dip was noted among those who were given dummy meds or placebos.
Patients with scores under 24 saw the number cut by eight points after taking an antidepressant. Seven points meanwhile were shaved off the scores of those who took a placebo. University of Pennsylvania psychologist Robert DeRubeis remarked that the patients would have fared roughly just as well using placebos. Rubeis also helped generate the report, adding that physicians prescribing antidepressant meds might perhaps consider other treatment options.
It came as no surprise that spokeswoman for pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline Sarah Alspach downplayed the findings of the report. She appeared to need more convincing on the matter. Alspach claimed that the studies utilized for the JAMA paper's analysis differed in methodology from that of studies tapped to support and have paroxetine approved as medication for major depression disorders, making it difficult to establish direct comparisons between the two results.
Drug companies find depression a great source of business. Just look at the statistics. Since the middle part of the 1990s, the number of people in America who take antidepressant medications is now twice as many. Roughly 27 million of the population take pills in an effort to fend off depression. This info is based on the paper published in the reading material called Archives of General Psychiatry.
Back in 2008, IMS (Intercontinental Marketing Services) Health reported that over 164 million prescriptions for antidepressant medications were made in the United States. This translates to an estimated $10 billion in additional sales.
Antidepressants work for lots of individuals. They make people feel better and even relieve the symptoms entirely. However, some people harbor unrealistic expectations and fears about them. There are those who hope to recover overnight. Others are concerned the medications will alter personalities in unpleasant ways. These two extreme assumptions are highly unlikely. Remember " the road to becoming better and remaining that way starts off with taking medications exactly as the doctor prescribed them.
The good news is there are alternative remedies to the usual antidepressant. Many supplements, herbs and minerals are now promoted for effective anxiety and depression relief. Still, it is best to see a doctor before actually taking anything tagged as alternative depression treatment.
Like most antidepressants, some supplements, minerals or herbs interact with foods or drugs and generate side effects. Being all-natural does not automatically mean a particular herbal product is 100-percent safe. Always check with a trained medical professional before using something. This applies whether it is alternative remedies or old-fashioned antidepressants.
Best Way To Conquer Depression Understanding Postpartum Depression How to Reduce Stress and Depression Spirituality's Take on Stress and Depression Natural Treatment for Depression Arthritis Cure: Dealing with Depression and Osteoarthritis The Media And Anxiety Disorders And Depression Elderly Depression And Senior Care Placement Depression and Mood Disorders Depression in Married Couple's Life Understanding More About Clinical Depression The Downward Spiral of Depression How to Deal With Depression Naturally