Antidepressants Research Paper

Antidepressants result in the death of over 40,000 people each year (Mercola).Due to a fundamental misunderstanding of what depression is and how it should be treated, people who do not need them are often prescribed antidepressants by doctors. The result is dire. A ban against the use of antidepressants would prevent the deaths and health problems of hundreds of thousands of people (Mercola). However, there is a minority of people with chronic depression for whom the use of antidepressants prevents an early death and allows them to better function. Therefore doctors should prescribe antidepressants sparingly and with great caution, using them as a last resort in order to prevent a death. Alternative methods must be used to treat depression,
Historically, psychologists and physiatrists have looked for biological evidence for the purpose of backing up their claims and improving their poor image in the scientific community (Mercola). Sigmund Freud greatly contributed to the cocaine business, writing dozens of articles praising its ability to cure diseases such as tuberculosis and to curb addiction to morphine. He conveniently ignored its highly addictive qualities. This led to a cocaine epidemic in Europe at the turn of the 20th century similar to our own infatuation with antidepressants. People believed that the drug was a miracle pill, and that through the power of medicine could easily cure their ailments. Eventually, however, the facts could not be ignored. People realized the addictive effects of cocaine and stopped using it to attempt to cure their diseases. This has happened many times with several other drugs, including amphetamines (Freud’s Cocaine Cure for
Studies show that the relapse rate for people with depression was 5 per cent for those who received therapy, and 40 per cent for those who were on drugs (Burne). Therapy changes the negative mindsets and works through the emotional struggles that cause depression. Often times, depression can be caused by lifestyle factors, such as eating habits, too little sleep, and vitamin deficiencies. The toxins in processed foods and too high a sugar intake can result in behavioral changes and depression. In one study, people with the lowest levels of vitamin D were eleven times more prone to be depressed than those who had normal levels (Mercola). Although antidepressants may help people for a short period of time, long term, therapy and health changes are more effective with less