There is still benefit for many people who take SSRIs and other antidepressants/antianxiety. I have found sertraline to be pretty helpful, personally. That said, this review is consistent with the notion that depression is not simply a serotonin deficiency. I've seen some arguments that neurotransmitter reuptake inhibitors work for more complicated chemical reasons because of the way that serotonin and other neurotransmitters interact with each other. I've also heard the argument that while SSRIs are good, it's no better than a true active placebo that mimics the side effects of an SSRI. I'm certainly not a medical expert, but I'd caution against telling people that a medicine someone is taking is actually doing nothing. It's not uh...it's not really what you want to hear someone else put on you, especially for political reasons. Much better I think to simply acknowledge that the drugs can help some people's symptoms, and then pivot into the myriad social material causes of depression and anxiety, namely being human in an inhuman capitalist hellscape.
That would make a lot of sense to me. I'll also add for what it's worth that I only tried them because I was at my wits end and talk therapy wasn't helping my feelings of constant guilt at living within the imperial core.
Especially when the symptoms so often leave you unable to do anything. I'd rather be able to actually decide to fight the system than not have the choice and have to sit and do nothing.
There is still benefit for many people who take SSRIs and other antidepressants/antianxiety. I have found sertraline to be pretty helpful, personally. That said, this review is consistent with the notion that depression is not simply a serotonin deficiency. I've seen some arguments that neurotransmitter reuptake inhibitors work for more complicated chemical reasons because of the way that serotonin and other neurotransmitters interact with each other. I've also heard the argument that while SSRIs are good, it's no better than a true active placebo that mimics the side effects of an SSRI. I'm certainly not a medical expert, but I'd caution against telling people that a medicine someone is taking is actually doing nothing. It's not uh...it's not really what you want to hear someone else put on you, especially for political reasons. Much better I think to simply acknowledge that the drugs can help some people's symptoms, and then pivot into the myriad social material causes of depression and anxiety, namely being human in an inhuman capitalist hellscape.
IIRC, antidepressants work better for worse conditions, while barely helping mild depressions.
That would make a lot of sense to me. I'll also add for what it's worth that I only tried them because I was at my wits end and talk therapy wasn't helping my feelings of constant guilt at living within the imperial core.
For sure. I heard a doctor put it well "A headache isn't caused by a paracetamol deficiency, but that doesn't mean it won't help.".
If such antidepressants are helpful for you, then by all means go for it. We can treat the symptoms while still fighting to cure the root problem.
Especially when the symptoms so often leave you unable to do anything. I'd rather be able to actually decide to fight the system than not have the choice and have to sit and do nothing.