Here’s a hard truth about the pharmaceutical industry… Drug addicts make the best customers.
Unless they want to go through withdrawal, addicts must buy drugs. So Big Pharma actually has a financial incentive to foster drug dependency in its customers.
Lest you think they are above that, take a look at the current opioid crisis in the U.S. About 2.1 million Americans have become addicted to painkillers that drug companies claimed were perfectly safe. They made billions.[1]
And now 130 Americans die every day from overdoses.[2]
Now we’re seeing the same scenario play out with another type of medication. Some 30 million Americans take antidepressants.
Many users said they suffered severe withdrawal symptoms when trying to quit. Drug companies insisted these drugs were not addictive.
But new research confirms what antidepressant users have known for a long time… Antidepressants are physically addictive.
The study was published in The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.[3]
It found that people who try to go off the drugs experience antidepressant discontinuation syndrome (ADS). The symptoms include:
- Nausea
- Insomnia
- Imbalance
- Flulike symptoms
- “Brain zaps” (A strange feeling like an electrical shock in the head.
- Hyperarousal (Consists of angry outbursts, panic, constant anxiety, and self-destructive behavior.)
People who take older, first-generation antidepressants (TCAs and MAOIs) often have even more severe symptoms. They may become catatonic or psychotic.
On top of all that, when you stop taking any kind of antidepressant, you run the risk of relapsing into depression and anxiety, and becoming suicidal.
A recent report from the CDC shows that a quarter of people taking antidepressants have been on them for 10 years or longer. That’s not surprising, considering how addictive they are.
The study’s lead author, Dr. Mireille Rizkalla, said antidepressants are “mind-altering drugs that were never intended as a permanent solution.”
Antidepressants can be lifesaving for people suffering from severe depression. But too often doctors prescribe them for conditions they were never meant to treat, like bereavement, student exam anxiety, insomnia, or pain.
Half of antidepressants are prescribed to people who aren’t depressed.[4]
Before you start an antidepressant, it’s important you know the risk. If your depression or anxiety is not severe or life threatening, try a natural remedy before going on an addictive antidepressant.
5 Natural Mood-Lifters
- Probiotics. Your probiotic gut bacteria make 95% of your body’s serotonin. That’s a chemical that fosters a sense of wellbeing and happiness. Some researchers go so far as to call some of these bacteria “psychobiotics.”
Probiotics also lower the amount of inflammatory cytokines in your blood. Those are toxins that can cross the blood-brain barrier and make your depression worse.[5] - Yoga. Researchers at Boston University’s School of Medicine looked at 30 depression sufferers. The subjects took yoga classes and did yoga at home.[6]
After 12 weeks, their symptoms improved. They felt calmer and more positive. Feelings of anxiety and depression diminished.
Subjects who did more yoga had more depression relief. But the difference in benefits between them and people who did the least amount of yoga was small.
Antidepressant drugs raise levels of a brain chemical called gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA). The researchers say yoga seems to work by doing the same thing naturally. - Dark chocolate. Researchers at University College London reviewed studies to find foods that might provide depression relief. They found that people who ate dark chocolate had 70% lower odds of reporting clinical depression symptoms.[7]
Milk chocolate won’t work. Look for organic dark chocolate that contains at least 70% cacao. - S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe). You might not have heard of this amino acid derivative. But it’s in every cell in your body. Not having enough can reduce neurotransmitter function.[8]
When you use it to treat depression, SAMe is just as effective as a prescription antidepressant. The key difference is that people taking it tolerate it much better. It has fewer side effects.[9] [10]
SAMe supplements are available from health food stores and online retailers. - Posture. A study from the University of Auckland in New Zealand found that making a habit of sitting up straight with level shoulders fights depression. Subjects who practiced good posture were more confident and less prone to fatigue. They had more energy and experienced fewer negative moods.[11]
Don’t let Big Pharma turn you into a captive customer. Before taking an antidepressant, know the risks. And consider natural, non-addicting alternatives.
Editor’s Note: Unlike much of the mainstream media, we don’t accept advertising from Big Pharma. That’s why you can count on us for unbiased medical information. Our only motivation is your good health. Subscribe to our newsletter, Independent Healing. Each month it brings you important health news you won’t find anywhere else. To subscribe, go HERE.
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[1]https://www.addictioncenter.com/addiction/addiction-statistics/
[2]https://www.addictioncenter.com/addiction/addiction-statistics/
[3]https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-02/aoa-rse021820.php
[4]https://time.com/4345517/antidepressants-depression-insomnia-depression-migraine/
[5]http://chriskresser.com/5-uncommon-uses-for-probiotics
[6]https://consumer.healthday.com/mental-health-information-25/depression-news-176/can-you-beat-the-blues-with-downward-dog-752369.html
[7]https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325944.php
[8]http://www.originaldrugs.com/blog/general/antidepressant-alternatives
[9]http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12418499
[10]http://www.med.nyu.edu/content?ChunkIID=21460
[11]http://www.additudemag.com/adhdblogs/19/11091.html