Interesting questions. My question would be if any of the anti-depressants cause cancer down the road? That would be a great reason to get off of them now. I am curious.

This is so very TRUE!
WATCH THIS DOCUMENTARY!!!

This is so very TRUE!
WATCH THIS DOCUMENTARY!!!

so true, Doctors have been dishing these out to my friends for all sorts of reasons, Usually not depression and the pills cause more side effects than they do any good.

I have weaned myself of anti depressents; not that my doctor knows. Whilst on them,I was aware enough to realise that I was behaving strangely. I have changed my diet and I exercise on a regular basis. Life is looking good.

My spouse suffers from depression. She's tried going without the medications, and she plummets into darkness--close to suicidal--and certainly incapacitating. Is there a way to make the transition safely?

Also, unless you were born with the inability to be happy, and have always been depressed, then you are a normal person who's got normal emotions, reacting normally to extreme situations. Depression is, for nearly everyone, situational. Change your environment to one where you are getting what you need to be healthy (nutritious food, pure water, fresh air, warmth, light, and the freedom to express yourself physically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually, and the depression will recede, being replaced by hopeful enthusiasm for life. Studies show the value of these basic human needs (Maslow's bottom two sets of needs), and we all know it as "common sense", so we really do know the cure for depression, naturally.

I had been on antidepressants for a year, my doc was changing them almost every 6 weeks as I did not feel any difference in feeling better. The pills made me feel only more sleepy, tired and numb to the people and life around me. I experienced suicidal thoughts which I had not had before, it was weird feeling because I did not want it to die!. I notified the doc about these thoughts and, no problem- I got different pills which this time made my memory so bad that I forgot my house street number . I stopped taking the pills, stopped going to the doc who was prescribing them-going there only was making me feeling more sick, feeling like I am a genuea pig that the doc experiments at...
I still live with the chronic pain but decided to change my perception of it with meditation, herbs and acceptation of limitations I have. At least I feel myself again.

depression is often a 20th century lifestyle disease, if you are motivated to do the work, see a good psychologist and you can work through whatever is the root cause of your depression. this used to be called the blues and is part of normal human emotions. For a small percentage of people there is no apparent cause of the depression but this is a small number. Often the person is unaware of the origin of their depression and it may be diet and lack of exercise are a contributing factor, this is why you need a professional psychologist. Drugs alone are never the answer.

I was in an accident when I was a child and it caused damage to my parietal lobes, temporal lobes and what is known as PTSD, which I believe resulted in ADD/ADHD the prefrontal cortex. I have had spect scans at the Amen clinic to confirm this. Needless to say, I have had a myriad of difficulties. NONE of the prescribed medications helped. NONE. They did cause far more issues. However, through NUTRITION, Supplements (ADD-Care.com) , Sensory integration therapy (Tomatis and Solisten) and a fantastic therapist who used a variety of methods to help me, I was able to "heal" those areas of the brain and the SPECT scans verified this. I have pictures of my brain showing when I take the supplements etc that the areas that had previously shown decreased activity had increased and those areas that were "inflamed" were "normal". The drugs didn't work. They caused so many issues and without the SPECT scans, I would have continued to be misdiagnosed. So, ask questions, research, find honest people to give honest feedback. Delusion is pretty hard to see if you are the one who is delusional...LOL. Get hard facts and I can tell you, based on results, you can find natural solutions as well. PS. Wheatgrass is awesome too, I found a raw food diet and at least 4 oz of wheatgrass a day keeps any chronic pain away for me. It took awhile to get there, but cleansing and staying 80- 100% raw seems to work. Good Luck!

The doctors that prescribe these drugs haven't a clue to what causes depression. The chemical imbalance theory can never be proved so why let a doctor toy with your brain? Rather it should be termed the chemical imbalance myth. There is only one way to a healthy mind, body and spirit. Stay chemical free and practice good nutrician, no sugar, alcohol or caffeine, and absolutely no drugs! check out: http://www.doctoryourself.com/depression.html

A great solution is to read and follow the instructions in the book *Depression-Free for Life*, by Gabriel Cousesn, M.D.

Please do not be overwhelmed by the info in the book. Take it in stride and consider working through the book with a supportive friend, consultant, or health care professional.

Blessings!!

No says a sane way to get off them. I 've tried and its very physicaly difficult . dizziness , strange feelings, etc.

The problem is that for every one of us that wants to be healed naturally, there are two people who just want a "quick fix" with medication. I think we should blame our culture, not so much the medical establishment.We live in a time when everyone wants an immediate cure without any sacrifice or lifestyle change. My solution is to let all of the "quick fixers" continue to go to regular doctors while the rest of us seek out NMDs. That's my plan - good luck to you all.

I would like to stop taking my antidepressives which I am taking for 11 years now but I am afraid to because I already did it four times and four times I ended up in hospital because I get suicidal. I already changed my eating habits, raw, biological, no preservatives and colourings etc and it feels good. I am stabil since 9 months but afraid to fall back and again no be able to take care of my 2 children. On the other hand I know my meds are also poisening. ?????

It's a shame that psychiatrists who can prescribe anti-depressants willy nilly for months until a patient commits suicide can't be held accountable. The particular one that our family had experience with has gone on to be promoted in the medical field....goodness knows how many lives he will be allowed to ruin. We've now discovered the reason for our family member's depression was most likely from a childhood traumas. The psychiatrist didn't try to address these problems, simply changed anti-depressants at each monthly visit. In the end there was a grocery shopping bag FULL of partly used bottles of these drugs. Keep up the great work in helping expose this problem.

I feel sorry for people who have been convinced that they need to take a mood altering drug to feel "normal" (Normal is a setting on the Dryer).
I love the fact that I'm able to be depressed sometimes. It means I have emotions, and that I'm alive. I say get off the drugs and find a natural solution.And get a good counselor who can help you get to the source of the depression. It's usually a symptom of something much deeper.

Today I was scheduled to drive one hour to retrieve medication for a friend who has recently moved to North Carolina. He has issues and I believe this med will just mask the situation ever more. I am going to try to convince him to "clean up" his eating habits and his life in general. He needs to feel alive again not drugged. Thanks for the reminder. I found a terrific supplement program called ISAGENIX that helps to cleanse and provide good nutrients. I need to promote this program to my friend rather than retrieve drugs for him.

Dear All, depression is a horrible state when it is comming on us unexpectedly and we do not know what is happening. this first experience of this state is crutial and crutial to know is to know that it will pass, and maybe come again. This is a sign of fatigue, boredom, unfullfilment and bad environment very often bad familly influence. So please prepare yourself that the state will come back and learn each time find life in this dead state where is no emotions just emptyness, because if you will find life in this state you will find it enywhere else - and that is a huge success. And go to psychologist that is what is extremely helpfull!!! And remember 2 handfull of cachews will give you what prozac will just without side effects !!!

Nuts are a great prescription for when you are feeling nuts (seriously). They feed your entire nervous system and you immune system and provide the optimal fat and protein source for operating your body.
Depression is a feeling, whereas "no emotion" is a state of apathy which can accompany depression, or a state of neutrality which has no accompaniment.
Pharma is the branch of witchcraft that uses posions to control people in body and mind. (Check the dictionary.) Pharmacology is the study of posions.
Stop posioning your self in your air, water, and food and you will discover far better thoughts, feelings and actions in life.
Eat small amounts of quality food every two to three hours to keep the blood sugar stable and 90% of depression will be gone.
The rest comes from issues that need to be dealth with in an empowering way free of guilt and shame.

While I agree that there is irresponsible and indiscriminate over-prescribing of SSrI's, they certainly have a place and are extremely effective when prescribed and taken properly in appropriate circumstances.

I was prescribed Paxil for it's off-label purpose in eliminating anxiety disorder, and it changed my life. I've been taking it for 12 years, and remain anxiety-attack free. When I lower my dosage (carefully determined over time with my very attentive GP), symptoms return.

I have been able to live a completely different, fulfilled life, full of travel, nuturing relationships, too much to list here.

I also completely stopped drinking - I had been abusing alcohol to reduce anxiety and stress, a stupid solution but the only thing that had helped.

I'd also like to point out that I did yoga and meditation, I was not passive in my attempting to deal with my disorder, I was as educated as possible on the issue, I ate farm-raised organics including chickens and beef we raised ourselves, but was still plagued with debilitating attacks and the constant 'hum' of anxiety inbetween.

So again, I agree that this family of drugs is abused and overprescribed, as all ALL prescription drugs these days, they have their place in the world and they serve a great service to those who truly do have a seratonin imbalance (or whatever else that causes these symptoms).

I have been taking anti depressants for over 8 years for panic attacks and they has literally saved my life, without them I don't know where I would be today. I don't have any problems with them except the weight gain, but at age 54 I am over the thin lizzy thing. I have tried to come off them but do experience brain zaps, it is a matter of patience with me. Also I don't suffer hot flushes like all my friends do of the same age, which is a rarerity among menopausal women. So for some people they are ok to take and do save lives but they are not the panacea for all ills and worries.

These drugs are now in our water supply and cannot be gotten rid of, thanks to the thousands if not millions of people taking them and excreting them. So we are ALL taking them, directly or indirectly. Even the internal organs of the fish in our rivers and streams contain chemicals from these drugs. Long term effects? No one knows because this has never happened before. Poison one/poison all.

My wife tried to commit suicide last week. She was on Effexor for over 6 years and it lost its effect. She was working with her doctor and she switched to Paxil. 2 weeks later she was so depressed that she overdosed. She didn't want to die but the pills got the best of her. She is now slowly tapering off of Effexor and going on Celexa. She is reading a book called Reinventing your life and it is helping her find ways to cope with the problems that contribute to her depression. She is also receiving help from a psychiatrist. For everyone the process is different. Those who have severe depression cannot always get buy without the help of drugs.

I am so tired of hearing how bad anti-depressant drugs are. I have had depression from approximately the age of 8, with it going undiagnosed until I was 25. I've now been on antidepressants for 12 years and my life is so much better for them. The dark thoughts have gone, I don't think that all the bad things life are my fault. Since taking the drugs I understand how bad my life was and what I now have to live for.

Don't get me wrong, I know that these drugs don't suit everybody, but reading posts on this site has made me really angry. THESE DRUGS DO GOOD, it's as simple as that. They have in fact stopped my suicidal thoughts. I know that if I were to run out of the drug before getting a new script my mood and thoughts about myselft and the world will quickly deteriorate.

If you disagree with me, that's okay as everyone is allowed their own opinion. But I am quite prepared to continue to take these med's for the rest of my life as they make me feel really good about myself.

Anyone wanting to alleviate mental health problems including manic depression and schizophrenia should look at www.truehope.com and read about the nutrient formula Empower Plus.You can cure these conditions without drugs.I also recommend high strength fish oil-this has cured depression in some people alone.

Using the assumption that cancer is only in individuals who have dna damage; if drugs harm the dna, then these drugs are linked to cancer

Anybody have information on natural treatments for panic disorder? Extreme anxiety? I really want to treat mine without any sort of SSRI drugs (or any drugs with serious side effects, for that matter.)

I was on anti-depressants for 6 years. It's a mask rather than treating the issue. Easier for a doctor to cover you with a band-aid and helping the pharmaceutical industry to make millions. Almost 1 year ago I was weaned off the drugs and it was 6 weeks of pure hell. But I did it! I have taken my life into my own hands, eat healthier, take wonderful supplements and exercise frequently. I feel amazing and so happy to be drug free!!!

I have been bi-polar since puberty just about and I have to say NO MEDICATION for that condition ever helped me! What would happen was that I would take the meds for months, all the time having somewhat strange physical side effects, eventually the side effects were what made the treatment unbearable! All the meds were horrible...and they often made things so much worse. I know that it seems really acceptable to take medication for psychiatric reasons but there really is no need, and if you are one of those people who thinks it is just impossible...THINK AGAIN! It is something that we carry inside ourselves and we really have to know that we are stronger than we think we are. Give yourself a chance, try something else and be grateful for yourself, the people around you, and for what you have. Look around things are not that bad, and if you can't laugh, then you're not really looking. For me it took a long time to get used to accepting this point of view, and no one told me, that I didn't really appreciate. Now I know that I can do it, and it really is no problem, just another challenge. If I weren't challenged then things would be really boring.

Im currently suffering from anxiety and suffering pretty bad with panic attacks. I suffer from anaphalactic shock, however my allaergy is unknown as it did not show up in any of the tests. Everytime i eat now... (which is getting rarer and rarer) i have a panic attack a i think im going to have a reaction to whatever food it is. My doctor has prescribed me anti-Depressant's yesterday. I took one this morning and ive been feeling awful allday. Im not sure whether to carry on taking them. Any advice would be great.

Hi Hurting,

Please email me directly jess@foodmatters.tv and I will try to point you in the right direction for some advice.

- Jess from the Food Matters Team

I also completely stopped drinking - I had been abusing alcohol to reduce anxiety and stress, a stupid solution but the only thing that had helped. I'd also like to point out that I did yoga and meditation, I was not passive in my attempting to deal with my disorder, I was as educated as possible on the issue, I ate farm-raised organics including chickens and beef we raised ourselves, but was still plagued with debilitating attacks and the constant 'hum' of anxiety in between.