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Tropical_Man 68M
6573 posts
12/24/2007 4:24 am
Does Chemical Imbalance hold water?


Psychologist: Chemical imbalance theory long-dead, but still believed today: This clinical psychologist and author attributes perpetuation of the chemical imbalance myth to profit seeking, and poses other, more common-sense explanations for depression. He states: "It was news to many Americans when Newsweek's February 26, 2007 cover story, 'Men and Depression,' mentioned that scientists now reject the theory that depression is caused by low levels of neurotransmitters such as serotonin. Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health, told Newsweek that 'a depressed brain is not necessarily underproducing something.'" (Huffington Post, October 5, 2007)

The Politics Behind Despair and Depression
By Bruce Levine

Posted October 5, 2007 | 01:52 PM (EST)

On September 14, 2007, New York Times reporters Alex Berenson and Benedict Carey foiled, at least temporarily, Big Pharma and its psychiatry allies' attempt to eliminate the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warning label about increased suicidal thoughts and behaviors in minors using antidepressants.

Berenson and Carey refuted a September 2007 American Journal Bruce Levine of Psychiatry article that had claimed an increase in the youth
suicide rate in 2004 was related to declining antidepressant prescriptions
for that group (caused by the FDA warning). Berenson and Carey reported that, in fact, in 2004 the "number of prescriptions for antidepressants in that group was basically unchanged and did not drop substantially." The New York Times did not, however, report that the lead author of the American Journal of Psychiatry article had served as an expert witness for Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, makers of the antidepressant Effexor.

NOTE:: Joseph John Mann, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry and Radiology, Columbia University; Chief of the Division of Neuroscience and Chair of the Department of Neuroscience at New York Psychiatric Institute, New York. Received research support from GlaxoSmithKline; served as an adviser to Eli Lilly and Lundbeck. ("Early Evidence on the Effects of Regulators’ Suicidality Warnings on SSRI Prescriptions and Suicide in and Adolescents," Am J Psychiatry 2007; 164:1356‒1363.) Attended a 2002 GlaxoSmithKline advisory meeting on lamotrigine. (Preliminary Report of the Task Force on SSRIs and Suicidal Behavior in Youth, American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, January 21, 2004, p.16; On file with CSP Consultant and expert witness for Pfizer for the Drug Zoloft (sertraline), submitting a deposition for the company in 2000. Expert witness for SmithKline Beecham (now GlaxoSmithKline). In 1990, received funding from Eli Lilly for a study on the safety and biological mechanisms of action of norepinephrine and serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants.

While the recent smoke and mirrors of Big Pharma and the American Journal of Psychiatry was detected by The New York Times, the media, once again, is losing sight of a more important revelation: scientists currently agree that "the neurotransmitter-deficiency theory of depression"--the rationale for antidepressants--has no validity.

It was news to many Americans when Newsweek's February 26, 2007 cover story, "Men and Depression," mentioned that scientists now reject the theory that depression is caused by low levels of neurotransmitters such as serotonin. Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health, told Newsweek that "a depressed brain is not necessarily underproducing something."

This appeared to be news because since the advent of Eli Lilly's serotonin-enhancer Prozac in the late 1980s, the general public and doctors have received a multi-billion dollar marketing blitz proclaiming that depression is caused by a deficiency of serotonin, and that this deficiency could be corrected by Prozac or other serotonin-enhancer antidepressants such as Zoloft, Paxil, Celexa, Lexapro, and Luvox.

This rejection of the neurotransmitter deficiency theory of depression should not in 2007 be considered news. In 1998, Th

Tropical_Man 68M
6389 posts
12/24/2007 7:38 am

Beth

its scienticifally proven:

scientists currently agree that "the neurotransmitter-deficiency theory of depression"--the rationale for antidepressants--has no validity.

also, catscans are proven also to detect nothing regarding depression in the brain.


Trollhunter
(Tom L)
61M

12/24/2007 8:32 am

    Quoting busykydad:
    Having worked in the medical field for over 22 years, I know you can find counter views for every medical practice. That does not make either side correct, but I would lean toward a more mainstream approach. With the medico-legal issues, its unlikely mainstream medicine is in a conspiracy.

    There are conditions (chemical imbalance if you will) that does effect the production of neuro-receptors...just like there are conditions that effect the islets of langerhans in the pancreas that cause diabetes...I could go on with adrenal, thyroid, pituitary conditions that cause conditions...

    Mental issues should be treated with both medical and psycho-therapies (talk therapy - Christ centered of course!). Hopefully, with correct intervention the medical therapy can be short term. Similarly as someone with diabetes or elevated cholesterol...with change of diet and exercise hopefully they can prevent or delay the need of medical intervention.

    Mental health is the most misunderstood medical condition - especially among Christians, and we should be the most compassionate of all people groups on this issue.

    Just another viewpoint...
agreed

OMNI means ALL
ALL MEANS ALL


Tropical_Man 68M
6389 posts
12/24/2007 8:41 am



Science has come out and proclaimed that there is no validity to the chemical imbalance.

Psychology is this....labeling something. It has no bonifide answers and the fathers of it were against Christ. Jung, Freud. They are into humanism.

All of the answers are found in Christ. We arent called to be perfect.

If something were good. Balance could be defined as a good thing. Giving people drugs that destroy their brain and organs is not a good thing.

calling things a disease when it is not, that is also bad.

People like james Dobson have been leading people down a bad path for a long time.


Tropical_Man 68M
6389 posts
12/24/2007 2:12 pm

busky...it has absolutely NEVER been proven. That is a scientific fact. You have the right to disagree but you have absolutely no grounds to stand on. If it were true it would be universally accepted and papers proving it. It is a theory that has been disproven.

2nd thing...its not a disease. It is presented as such.

Actually it is accepted that the chemical in the brain is not balanced, and chemical imbalance is not treated. The fact is these drugs are not creating balances.