A recent study shows women taking antidepressants are 45 percent more likely to suffer a stroke.

The same study shows women taking these drugs increase their risk of early death by 32 percent. That’s pretty scary… especially when you consider that antidepressants are the most prescribed drug in America.

As frightening as those statistics are… they’re not even the real issue. The real issue is that antidepressants don’t actually work. Over 200 million desperate Americans take them… convinced that they are working….and the only result is revenues of billions of dollars for the medical industry.

The people who need to feel better are getting no help at all….

Truth and Dishonesty

Depression is a modern epidemic. As many as 18 million Americans are diagnosed with it each year. Productivity lost in the U.S. alone through clinical depression equaled about $50 billion last year. Analysts say one-quarter of all teenagers will have a bout of major depression before they are 20 years old.

Most of those diagnosed with depression will be given these drugs. Five years ago, U.S. doctors were writing 189 million prescriptions for antidepressants each year.

Leading depression expert Dr. James Gordon says it’s all about money.

These drugs mean huge business. In 2008, Americans spent $12 billion on them.

People who don’t opt for them are seen as “poorly informed, resistant or self-destructive.” Doctors who don’t prescribe them “may be accused of malpractice or worse.”

And 10 years ago, one of the most powerful health administrators in America – Alan Leshner – was quoted as saying “you should be put in jail if you refuse to prescribe SSRIs for depression.”

Thankfully, doctors like James Gordon… Mark Hyman… and Al Sears are speaking out. And they have loads of evidence to back them up.

Science Debunks Drug Myth

“I have patients come to me after taking antidepressants,” says Dr. Al Sears. “The drugs aren’t doing anything for them. This is something I see all too often. Unfortunately, they rarely work. In fact, they can do more harm than good.”

Science supports this.

A 2001 review looked at clinical trials between 1987 and 1997 and found:

• Tricyclic antidepressants were only 12 percent better than a placebo.
• Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) were only eight percent better than a placebo.

Another review found that 69 percent of studies showed no difference between a placebo and the drugs.

In 2008, the New England Journal of Medicine published a “Special Article” which confirmed bias in the initial studies supporting the drugs.

They looked at 74 FDA studies and found that positive findings were always published. But two-thirds of the negative findings were never released. Reviewing these findings, they concluded that these drugs were only slightly better than a placebo.

“The benefits antidepressants provide simply don’t outweigh their risks,” says Dr Sears. “I always tell my patients they need to ditch the drugs and start making real changes in their life.”

The Dangers of Antidepressant Drugs

There’s a wealth of credible evidence showing these drugs don’t work. And findings show that our faith in them has been manipulated.

The skewed reporting of antidepressants’ efficacy “warps our view of [them],” says Dr. Mark Hyman. “That leads us to think that they do work. This [is] a big problem. Millions of depressed people with no effective treatments being offered by most [doctors].”

The dangers these drugs pose are very real: they can cause headaches, heart problems, and sexual dysfunction.

But they’re such big business that doctors are prescribing them to millions of people who don’t even need them.

Dr. Gordon says millions of people get them who are simply “inhibited, shy, anxious, unhappy, or just plain out of sorts.”

Seeking Safe Solutions for Sadness

The tragic truth is that there are many safe solutions that can improve mood.

All three doctors agree that there are literally dozens of options that really work.

Here are just three… each backed up by the best scientific research.

• Meditation changes our brains. It reduces activity in the brain that is linked to sadness and increases activity linked to happiness.
• Food dramatically affects depression and mood.
• Exercise stimulates brain cell growth to promote happy feelings.

“Each of these [options] improve[s] mood,” says Dr. Gordon. “They can bring change without blunting the emotions or producing [negative] side effects.”

These options tackle the cause – rather than the symptoms – of depression. And all are easy, safe, and affordable to implement.

“Each by itself may yield results better than [drugs],” Dr. Gordon says. “Combining [them] is likely to produce far better results at less physical and emotional cost.”

There are tried-and-tested ways to recalibrate your brain and endocrine system to have the optimism and energy of youth… and we have created a special report based on the latest new findings of some of the best researchers and clinicians.

About Dr. Gordon

James S. Gordon, MD, is a Harvard-educated psychiatrist. He’s a world–renowned expert in using mind–body medicine to heal depression and anxiety. He is a Clinical Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Family Medicine at Georgetown Medical School. Dr. Gordon recently served as Chairman of the White House Commission.

About Dr. Hyman

Mark Hyman, MD, is a Massachusetts physician who serves on the Board of Advisors of Georgetown University.

About Dr. Sears

Al Sears, MD, operates an anti-aging clinic in Royal Palm Beach, Florida, with over 20,000 patients. He is a graduate of the University of South Florida College of Medicine and is board-certified as a clinical nutrition specialist.