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PSYCHIATRY

Prozac Nation No More?

In a new book, psychiatrist James Gordon explains why he believes there's a more effective and drug-free way to treat depression and anxiety.

By Anne Underwood | Newsweek Web Exclusive
Jul 8, 2008 | Updated: 8:56  a.m. ET Jul 8, 2008

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  • Posted By: westcare24 @ 09/08/2008 8:05:27 PM

    Comment: I just read this article <a href="http://www.wellsphere.com/mental-health-article/antipsychotics-for-the-masses?/248077">Antipsychotics for the Masses?</a> about <a href="http://www.wellsphere.com/mental-health-article/antipsychotics-for-the-masses?/248077">how drug companies are on a path to have antipsychotic medication be used to treat depression</a>. Dr. Daniel Carlat, a psychiatrist, states the case that the data supporting its effective is not there, yet drug companies with approval by the FDA will be pushing both psychiatrists and primary care doctors to think of "antipsychotics" as "antidepressants." Though I don't think everyone with depression can end it with a good diet and yoga, I believe the vast majority can. For those who can not, it's infuriating to see how the drug companies use these people for testing all for financial gain.

  • Posted By: jennifertom @ 08/14/2008 12:22:50 AM

    Comment: John Travolta says he agrees with Tom Cruise's views on psychiatric drugs and says he thinks these drugs are to blame for most of the school shootings. "I don't disagree with anything Tom says," Travolta says in the July issue of W magazine, on newsstands Friday. "How would I have presented it? Maybe differently than how he did, but it doesn't matter. I still think that if you analyze most of the school shootings, it is not gun control. It is (psychotropic) drugs at the bottom of it."
    -------------------------
    jennifertom
    <a href="http://www.alcoholismtreatment.info">alcoholism treatment </a>


  • Posted By: midnight05 @ 08/12/2008 6:06:23 PM

    Comment: Jim Gordon was wonderful when he trained at our hospoital in the Bronx and is remembered as a man of extraoordinary compassion and depth. It is good to see that he has been able to put his knowledge and talents to work in difficult places around the worlld. We need therapists to treat the victims of violence and we need strategies that can be taught. Maybe someday he can apply his ideas to the victims of the horrible war in Congo.

  • Posted By: girlinbetween @ 08/03/2008 3:06:38 PM

    Comment: I have tried yoga, meditating, diets made to increase happiness, EVERYTHING. And nothing works except medication and therapy, and even then it will never go all the way away. Yes, I eat healthier and excercise more but when you have major depression disorder you really DO have an imbalance of chemicals.

  • Posted By: RosieO @ 07/25/2008 8:39:34 PM

    Comment: I think that one probably has to experience clinical depression up close--even closer than Dr. Gordon did--either for yourself or a family member who lives with you--to truly understand it. There are lots of people who get "depressed"--runaways and victims of war being one group--and that group seems like it could be helped by Dr. Gordon's holistic approach, However, those with bipolar or major depression who haven't had a bad childhood or a traumatic experience are a very different group. They are not depressed because of any events--they have no reason to be depressed, yet they don't want to get out of bed, they don't want to keep living, and guess what? they don't want to meditate or eat right either. While it is true they would be helped by those things, their dis-ease is due to genetic, heritable factors, and brain chemistry--hence that is why lithium can bring a manic person to his/her senses. I doubt it would help that other group. Thus, please understand what kind of depression you are talking about before you make an assumption about all depression.

  • Posted By: carolee44 @ 07/23/2008 6:21:48 PM

    Comment: This is possibly the best news yet. THere are a lot of healthy remedies that are natural. One of my favorite ones is rescue remedy...a flower extract that has an amazing calming effect. The best way to fight anxiety is take a long walk or indulge in a five minute meditation...carol stanley author boomer book "For Kids 59.99 and Over" www.carolstanley1.com

  • Posted By: WendyAron @ 07/21/2008 9:32:47 AM

    Comment: I think it is important to distinguish that this holistic approach only works with people who have very mild depression. I have been diagnosed with major depression and have been hospitalized for it twice. I haven't been hospitalized in ten years, however, and my medication, along with talk therapy, is what has kept me out of the hosptital. When my psychiatrist tried to wean me off of it I became very depressed and anxious again.

    Wendy Aron, author of Hide & Seek: How I Laughed at Depression, Conquered My Fears and Found Happiness.
    www.wendyaron.com

  • Posted By: christinaluvly @ 07/15/2008 11:27:54 PM

    Comment: Try Jesus! Isaiah 53:5
    But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities;
    the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed

  • Posted By: Joe Dokes @ 07/15/2008 11:35:43 AM

    Comment: Don't take away my meds.

  • Posted By: theyremyopinions @ 07/15/2008 11:33:12 AM

    Comment: There have been many people who think it is better to do all of that stuff instead of take medication, but I think that some people, especially those with severe depression, should stick with medication. While he does try to prove his theories, many people might lose their lives if they were to not take medication. I think he stated that it may not work for severe depression, though. Also, it is very dangerous to stop taking medication without working with your doctor; it can actually make depression worse and may also lead to suicide. Be careful when you consider switching to this.

  • Posted By: misteeq @ 07/15/2008 8:30:11 AM

    Comment: Your are on verge of suicide and this man what you to do yoga . If i was diabetic no body would tell me to try controlyng my disease with food control . i am alive and active today because of this medication .

    • Posted By: bluebyrd @ 07/31/2008 12:24:24 PM

      Comment: Misteeq, if you were Type 2 diabetic, we'd all be teaching you to manage your disease with food control.

  • Posted By: yousuck @ 07/15/2008 4:40:52 AM

    Comment: I would have been dead 8 years ago without antdepressants. My mother refused to take antidepressants because of the propaganda of stupid *** like you, and now she's dead, because she committed suicide.

  • Posted By: yousuck @ 07/15/2008 4:39:06 AM

    Comment: I would have been dead 8 years ago without antidepressants. My mother refused to take them, and she is dead, because she committed suicide.

  • Posted By: nkbhefner @ 07/14/2008 10:03:24 PM

    Comment: I agree with many of the comments that we (Americans) are quick to turn to drugs to treat therapy, but keep in mind that these meds DO work for some people. Like me. I was diagnosed with major depression when I was about 25. I didn't want to take drugs because I had always viewed them as only for the weak.
    After years of intensive talk therapy, journaling and meditation, I felt like I had nothing else to say- I had effectively rid myself of all my issues. But I was still depressed. So I changed my lifestyle. I ate a very healthy diet, drank 2 liters of water everyday, and ran about 3 miles 5 times a week. But, I was still depressed. I knew I wasn't worthless. I knew I could positively contribute to society. But I was still depressed. So, after two suicide attempts, I decided to give meds a chance. And guess what? They worked for me. After beginning drug therapy, my anxiety and depression subsided, I went to law school, got married to a fabulous guy, had a wonderful daughter (and am on the verge of having a son). I'm now happily living my life. And yeah, I put a lot of hard work into getting into this state of mind, but drugs are what finally helped me accomplish that goal. I encourage everyone to keep in mind that different people respond to different treatments, and just because one form of treatment didn't work for you, doesn't mean it's all crap.

  • Posted By: Dona Luna @ 07/14/2008 9:58:30 PM

    Comment: It is Mind Set, I mispelled, The Little Engine That Could, I think I can I think I can, I know I can!

  • Posted By: Dona Luna @ 07/14/2008 9:55:34 PM

    Comment: Mind/Body/Spirit, and a indset of being sick of being sick, and seeing the "insanity" of what I allowed for 14 very long years. I tried "cold turkey", which cannot be done, but I stuck to it, and with a very hip shrink,who allowed my my research, and my desire to heal, I did it!!! It ain't for sissies, and there will always be a few people who, think I am Bipolar, instead of accepting that I am extreamely, uniquely superhypersensative, and frankely that is their problem, for I am off all the man made chemicals, and working towards helping others. Natural is where it's at, and this is in peril. www.healthfreedomus.org, and perhaps read The Dumming of America.
    For me it was the death of my marriage, ie my dream, childhood vaccines, and diseases, a very poor diet growing up, being molested as a very young child, trusting the wrong people to "take care of me", and peri menapause., and the mind altering drugs, used for Bipolar, that messed with my whole body. A shrink never, ever uses the word cure.
    And my fighting to be myself, accepted and being tested again and again, led me to Nicherian Buddhism,where I felt at home, finally.
    Beware there is a lot of fallout, my rights were lost in almost every area of my life.
    There is a tranny of normalacy. Be the beautiful child you are meant to be in this Universe, love and be loved and you might be a party of one for a while.. I was... Where there is anger, there is an ocean of love to follow, Tides up!
    Forgive others and yourself, and breathe..

  • Posted By: Digival @ 07/14/2008 9:08:40 PM

    Comment: Good comments guys! Everyone knows from personal experience, as do I, that this is all very true! I think Prozac is the only drug mentioned b/c it is the most well known and everyone knows what is meant by the phrase "prozac nation".

  • Posted By: christinaluvly @ 07/14/2008 8:57:53 PM

    Comment: I would agree that there are other ways to treat depression! I was diagnosed Bi-Polar almost 10 years ago and was severly depressed to the point of almost committing suicide so I decided to take all combination of medicines that were prescribed to me... After years of trial and error of over 50 medications, weekly groups and therapy, yet still not having much progress, I decided to take matters into my own hands! Please understand that I am in no way telling anyone to stop taking there medications, however I am stating what has worked for me!!! I decided to put down the lithium and hosts of other meds and change my lifestyle (eating habits, work-out habits, and spiritual growth). I now have been medication free for 1 year and feel better than I have in years....better than any medication I was ever on!

  • Posted By: tangledsynapses. @ 07/14/2008 8:37:00 PM

    Comment: I absolutely and totally understand all the comments written in this blog. Most come from people who have suffered from depression. I feel compelled to write about some general guidelines about depression. I ¨wasted¨ 10 years of my life to this disorder, and I BEAT it, so I know what I am talking about, and I wrote a book on my experience. 1. Depression involves some sort of brain chemistry, so some sort of medication must be involved. It does not need to be SSRIs, MAOs, or TCAs. It could be something else. I took homeopathic medicine and it worked for me. 2. Depression distort your rational thinking, so you must take some sort of TALK therapy, wheter, CBT, Psychoanalysis, etc, etc, but you must correct your irrational thinking. 3. Depression breaks avoc your 3 daily life cycles, rest/activity, diet/metabolism, and sleep/wake cycles. so you must deal with them on a daily basis. You must eat the RIGHT food, depression is very glucose hungry, that is why either, you may eat a lot, or do not eat at all. Both ways are damaging. Insomnia, blurred vision, bad moods are relieved by exercise. 4. Depression makes you sluggish, tired, fatigued and probably suicidal. You must take a DRACONIAN exercise regime, day in day out. I do swimming every single day to fend my depression off, whether I like it or not, I must exercise daily. 5. Meditation is one of the BEST therapies there is, This allow you to put your mind at ease, along with Acupuncture, It is a godsend, plus massage as well and sauna too. 6. Depression treatment must involve medication, CBT therapy, exercise, talk to a support group, do exercise, and take ONE DAY at the time. Depression will go if you take responsibility for your treatment and do not rely on your doctor for everything, your doctor do his best, but your doctor is not depressed, you are, so you must take charge. If you work hard at it, you will get rid of it. I did. and I am a new person. I thank my depression as it FORCED me to make drastic changes in myself and my life. now I am happy. Good luck to all of you.

  • Posted By: tookie42va @ 07/14/2008 8:15:47 PM

    Comment: Why is Prozac the only medication mentioned? There are other meds for depression and anxiety, such as, Effexor. I have read other articles about eating for depression and exercising. Thanks for any info you can give.

  • Posted By: Nobodys Fool @ 07/14/2008 7:26:33 PM

    Comment: This is a terrific idea and a wonderful goal to reach for, but it seems that in the US if we have a bad day, we're depressed. That's where the overuse of anti-depressants/anti-anxiety medications are overused. We go to the doctor and say "make me feel better" without doing the work.

    Severe depression, on the other hand (and yes, I read the article in toto and the subject was not well-addressed) is a whole other ball of wax. If you've never had a negative thought that, no matter how hard you try to turn it to the positive you can't, then you don't know what severe depression is. I have finally sought treatment for it and have the symptomology of major chronic depressions. With the aid of Wellbutrin (a very clean anti-depressant) I finally feel non-suicidal and that there is, indeed, hope for my day.

    But this is the beginning of the journey for me and, as the author has pointed out, there are other ways to increase levels of fulfillment and happiness. But for the grace of an anti-depressant, a terrific psychologist and psychiatrist to help me to Ground Zero, and the support of a wonderfully close group of friends, I wouldn't even be able to take the first step on this journey.

    Be well, and God speed.

  • Posted By: Nobodys Fool @ 07/14/2008 7:23:34 PM

    Comment: This is a terrific idea and a wonderful goal to reach for, but it seems that in the US if we have a bad day, we're depressed. That's where the overuse of anti-depressants/anti-anxiety medications are overused. We go to the doctor and say "make me feel better" without doing the work.

    Severe depression, on the other hand (and yes, I read the article in toto and the subject was not well-addressed) is a whole other ball of wax. If you've never had a negative thought that, no matter how hard you try to turn it to the positive you can't, then you don't know what severe depression is. I have finally sought treatment for it and have the symptomology of major chronic depressions. With the aid of Wellbutrin (a very clean anti-depressant) I finally feel non-suicidal and that there is, indeed, hope for my day.

    But this is the beginning of the journey for me and, as the author has pointed out, there are other ways to increase levels of fulfillment and happiness. But for the grace of an anti-depressant, a terrific psychologist and psychiatrist to help me to Ground Zero, and the support of a wonderfully close group of friends, I wouldn't even be able to take the first step on this journey.

    Be well, and God speed.

  • Posted By: angelwings @ 07/14/2008 7:18:59 PM

    Comment: Today is July 14 , 2008
    As I type this e mail I just want to say as of July 07, 2008 I lost a very dear best friend of mine who was on anti-depressant meds she was 46.If the person you know has suicidal intent please get them evaluated immediately it could save there life.

  • Posted By: fetyko @ 07/14/2008 6:35:56 PM

    Comment: did all of you actually read this article all the way through? it seems as though some of you are reading one or two sentences, jumping to conclusions in regards to what the doctor or the book are saying and spouting off about some grind you have to ax whether it be pro or anti medication.

    nobody is invalidating that medication can help or the trauma of anyone's depressive episodes, except maybe that Tony guy,

  • Posted By: lilmel004 @ 07/14/2008 6:23:46 PM

    Comment: oops I thought "Tony" had posted that "totally" actually did. I do not agree with Tony. Please don't talk unless you know fully the life changing effects that Prozac has had on my life. I was depressed since childhood and it wasn't until I was 21 that I took meds and I became an entirely different person, filled with hope and vitality.

  • Posted By: lilmel004 @ 07/14/2008 6:18:03 PM

    Comment: I agree with "Tony" and "totally". I love God too, and I believe it was Him who led me to anti-depressants.

    Maybe the author should do a study with severely depressed patients since it applies more to the majority of us rather than the terrors happening in the Middle East/Africa. I admit, I stayed away from anti-depressants because of doctors like these prescribing something totally ineffective for dysthymic depression. I was in the best shape of my life when I was depressed, which did not alleviate my depression. Looking back, I really had nothing to feel bad about. But that was me off the meds.

    Tony's right. Please stop invalidating the experiences of us. I know you qualify most of your sentences with the word "many" or "most" or "some"to seem as though you're not talking about those who have success with meds. But books like these further stigamatize the use of these prescription pills which may deter depressed patients from getting the help that really works.

  • Posted By: lilmel004 @ 07/14/2008 6:17:42 PM

    Comment: I agree with "Tony" and "totally". I love God too, and I believe it was Him who led me to anti-depressants.

    Maybe the author should do a study with severely depressed patients since it applies more to the majority of us rather than the terrors happening in the Middle East/Africa. I admit, I stayed away from anti-depressants because of doctors like these prescribing something totally ineffective for dysthymic depression. I was in the best shape of my life when I was depressed, which did not alleviate my depression. Looking back, I really had nothing to feel bad about. But that was me off the meds.

    Tony's right. Please stop invalidating the experiences of us. I know you qualify most of your sentences with the word "many" or "most" or "some"to seem as though you're not talking about those who have success with meds. But books like these further stigamatize the use of these prescription pills which may deter depressed patients from getting the help that really works.

  • Posted By: fetyko @ 07/14/2008 5:35:14 PM

    Comment: This book is not about diet and exercise. It's mainly advocating and promoting meditation, which is a different animal altogether. A healthy diet and exercise program are complimentary to what this doctor is talking about. Read the article again.

  • Posted By: dave_g @ 07/14/2008 5:23:10 PM

    Comment: What confuses me most about this article, is that in my experience in the mental health mill, is that all doctors and therapists already tell you to do these things. Every doctor I have ever been to, whether for depression or not, has inquired into my diet and exercise habits and encouraged me to improve them. Therapists have said the same thing. Everyone, depressed, obese, or even someone in perfect health, should eat well and exercise regularly. Hardly revolutionary.

    The

  • Posted By: hblondecutie @ 07/14/2008 5:00:42 PM

    Comment: It is hard to lump all of these people together, but I do believe that medicines in general, and including anti-depressants, are over used. I was diagnosed 8 years ago with depression and went through 4 years of pills and therapists. Unfortunately, none of it worked, as I became a zombie in my own life. Through the grace of God, without knowing what I was doing, I ditched the pills and went through the same type of activities he mentioned in the article; exercise, diet, and a spiritual journey that saved my life. I can't say that I am cured, we all know this type of disease never goes away, but from my personal experience I feel that I am able to handle the ups and downs better than when I was medicated. I feel more in control of my life and I am able to enjoy both the ups and the downs, as opposed to being numb to it all.

    Bottom line, I agree with this guy and from my experience support non-prescription therapy for depression.

  • Posted By: alimarie6789 @ 07/14/2008 4:48:05 PM

    Comment: I seem to remember that even the pharmaceutical companies say that they are not sure how the drugs work but nevertheless it will help depression. All the depression research needs more understanding. It is not as clear cut as taking insulin for diabetes. It is very open to interpretation whether a person needs medicine because of a chemical imbalance..


    Millions of people are on these drugs over life circumstances that can

    be

  • Posted By: Tony Miller @ 07/14/2008 4:44:16 PM

    Comment: There is NO, let me repeat NO credible (unbiased, without a money connection) scientific basis for anything they say and since real science has shown the psychiatrists main approach, ANTI-DEPRESSANTS, to do more harm than good and since it is documented that psychiatry says talk therapy doesn't work WHY...WHY OH WHY would anyone with any intelligence or sanity or humanity for that matter want to send mentally troubled people to PROVEN failures with a history of barbaric treatment. FIRE the shrinks and big pharma and let RESULTS be the determining factor in who to refer our troubled friends to. To back up my insanity charge let me quote a real scientist with a history of success:
    Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
    Albert Einstein, US (German-born) physicist (1879 - 1955)
    And I will also quote a few more honest psychiatrists. I have a computer full of documentation to substantiate my opening paragraph.
    Seattle psychiatrist Arif Khan;
    His analysis of 96 antidepressant trials between 1979 and 1996 showed that in 52 percent of them, the effect of the antidepressant could not be distinguished from that of the placebo. Khan said the makers of Prozac had to run five trials to obtain two that were positive, and the makers of Paxil and Zoloft had to run even more.
    http://www.washingtonpostcom/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&contentId=A42930-2002May6&notFound=true
    Or;
    Dr Joanna Moncrieff, senior lecturer at University College London's department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, has conducted research suggesting that anti-depressants may not be much more effective than giving people dummy drugs.
    http://news.bbc.couk/1/hi/health/1813990.stm
    Or;
    The British Medical Journal???s Clinical Summary ??? they again state that there appears to be no difference between SSRIs and placebo on mean endpoint or change scores.??? P 189 (1)
    There are MANY more studies and articles to show the benefits are insignificant and the side effects horrendous. The truth is the RISK outweighs the insignificant benefits.
    The money making capacity is the true motivation.

    • Posted By: totally-like-change-and-stuff @ 07/14/2008 5:51:29 PM

      Comment: Response to Tony Miller,
      Have you ever suffered from depression? It's incredibly insulting to invalidate the experiences of so many people who have been helped by anti-depressants. You are not helping anything.

  • Posted By: darkhorse @ 07/14/2008 4:28:30 PM

    Comment: Schatje you are so right.

    All I can say is that when i simply forget to take my meds...everyone else notices and pays for it. There is a point where even I know something is wrong if I forget my meds but cannot focus enough to fix it.

    I have a doctor who wants me to get off these meds. He has even gone so far as to refuse prescriptions (I now live in a country where they dont believe in depression even though they have one of the highest depression rates in the world). However my husband ends up calling him begging him t o write me a prescription because either I will likely kill myself or he will kill me.

    I hate this happens to me but I finaly gave into the idea that i can either take the drugs and live a normal life or get off them and likely kill myself as I have tried twice before. I have no idea how i even survive the second attempt on my life as I was DOA at the hospital and when they did bring me around they thought for sure I would be brain dead. It sounds silly but when I am off the meds, killing myself seems like a good option to end the anxiety and emotional ride I endure. Its as if something take over me and does what it wants.

    I have decided not to have children as i fear the depression wil pass along to them and I could not put anyone through this kind of life.

  • Posted By: die_bubble_die @ 07/14/2008 3:40:58 PM

    Comment: I wouldn'g go as far as attempting to redefine depression or anxiety, but it seems the times these are worst for me, is when I encounter events that limit my control over the outcome, although the outcome may have a profound affect, or entirely change my life. I would agree with the exercise and healthy diet as a helper in combatting anxiety and depression. In my situation, I was prescribed a sleeping pill, as well as Celexa. When I came to terms with my situation, I realized I do not need medication. The medication had no reversing effects on what I was facing. What was the use, if it isn't going to fix anything? I stopped the sleeping pill, as well as the Celexa. It had nothing to do with what I ate or how far I jogged, although I was glad to shed 30 pounds. I felt better about myself, more confident. If you feel hopeless, fatigued, Depression comes to us as an unwelcome guest, usually because we have no control over what is happening in our lives. The control seems to belong to someone else. What we eat doesn't remove that control from them. Pushups do not remove the control from them. We may feel better, but if people really are feeling hopeless, redirect the control. My pills were stopped when I allowed God to have control over my life, and as long as God is in control, no one else can be. Depression will eventually kill. My remedy is to eat whatever is available, walk to church no matter how far, and trust that God will repair whatever it is going on in your life. The naysayers may say that praying hasn't helped, or that God doesn't answer. It is then that they should realize that sometimes when we are praying to God to keep us afloat, it is sometimes God and His purpose putting the holes in our boat. Turn it over to God. Put God on every corner, and less Walgreens. :)

    • Posted By: totally-like-change-and-stuff @ 07/14/2008 5:48:02 PM

      Comment: Response to die_bubble_die:
      I understand what you are saying, and I am a big believer in God myself. But can't you see that saying that God is the only cure for depression is the same thing as saying that God is the only cure for diabetes? This is why depression continues to be so stigmatized in the church. If only I had enough faith in God, maybe I wouldn't be so sad, right?. That is so insulting because it assumes that the sufferer is doing something wrong or is just not spiritual enough. Would you say the same thing to a cancer patient? If anything, my depression has brought me closer to God, and I am INCREDIBLY thankful to Him for providing amazing medical technology that has saved my life through anti-depressants.

  • Posted By: Schatje @ 07/14/2008 3:19:44 PM

    Comment: Diet and exercise may work for some people and for milder forms of depression, but it is wrong to suggest that it is a cure all. I'm thankful everyday for my meds because they have allowed me to take my life back in ways that diet and exercise never did. In fact when I tried the diet and exercise route my anxiety disorder seemed to take over and I ended up anorexic and that turned to bulimia and back to compulsive overeating and then I was diagnosed with bipolar II because my depressive episodes are extreme and my hypo-manic episodes are mild to the point that myself and my family never recognized them for what they were. If any of you have ever experienced real severe clinical depression you wouldn't be jumping on the holistic bandwagon so quickly. When was the last time you were so depressed that you couldn't get out of bed and the idea of getting up and making it to the bathroom seemed an insurmountable task? Yeah, try and "cure" me with diet and exercise. Good luck!

  • Posted By: Schatje @ 07/14/2008 3:19:17 PM

    Comment: Diet and exercise may work for some people and for milder forms of depression, but it is wrong to suggest that it is a cure all. I'm thankful everyday for my meds because they have allowed me to take my life back in ways that diet and exercise never did. In fact when I tried the diet and exercise route my anxiety disorder seemed to take over and I ended up anorexic and that turned to bulimia and back to compulsive overeating and then I was diagnosed with bipolar II because my depressive episodes are extreme and my hypo-manic episodes are mild to the point that myself and my family never recognized them for what they were. If any of you have ever experienced real severe clinical depression you wouldn't be jumping on the holistic bandwagon so quickly. When was the last time you were so depressed that you couldn't get out of bed and the idea of getting up and making it to the bathroom seemed an insurmountable task? Yeah, try and "cure" me with diet and exercise. Good luck!

  • Posted By: slogan264 @ 07/14/2008 3:08:56 PM

    Comment: I have suffered from depression all my life. In my 20's, I began running as a way to relieve stress and to stay in shape. It definitely helped. As I got older, my knees would not allow me to run long-distance and I began using medication to alleviate my symptoms from depression. I found that many of them worked only in the short term and some not at all. I believe each person is an individual and needs to learn what works for them in dealing with this very difficult and taxing disorder. Combination therapies are often helpful.

  • Posted By: social worker 41 @ 07/14/2008 2:48:55 PM

    Comment: I will begin by saying that I am a licensed clinical social worker and have been for 22 years. I also suffer from depression. It is biological, and, I am fortunate that I only have depression and not bipolar disorder which runs on both sides of my family. I also do yoga, meditation, positive affirmation, exercise and healthy eating plan.....and I take prozac. Over the years, I have worked with clients who can manage their depression with only lifestyle changes and those who cannot. It depends on a lot of factors. No case is the same. There is no shame it taking an antidepressant and no shame in not taking one. Managing it the key. Find a good therapist who truly knows both aspects of depression management.

  • Posted By: totally-like-change-and-stuff @ 07/14/2008 2:47:56 PM

    Comment: I've been on antidepressants for years, and I can tell you it's not a "quick fix." Treating depression is not easy, it's never been easy. For me I need to take my meds, along with proper exercise, diet and sleep. If ANY ONE of these things is out of balance, I am out of balance. Without the meds, the exercise and diet does little good, and without proper sleep and nutrition, the meds are not as effective. It all works together. If you've never suffered from depression, and I stress the word SUFFER because that's what it is... If you've never suffered from depression, then please don't tell me what I should or should not be doing for my own health. Talk and hopes of some sort of Prozac-free utopia are frankly insulting and hurtful to people like me who know for sure that drugs have saved my life. It suggests that somehow it's all in our head, and we're stupid to believe that drugs do any good, that we're buying into some sort of magic feather philosphy. That's just insulting.

  • Posted By: MarcieMarie @ 07/14/2008 2:45:46 PM

    Comment: The posts are wonderful. Not long ago, mental health was just not talked about. We've come a long way!!!
    Remember that everyone is unique in mind and body and outcomes with medications and other treatments will vary for each and every person. With that in mind, use your God given abilities to research, research, research. Make a valid list of questions/thoughts for your caregiver(s). Play an active rold in your health and do what's best for your unique struggles. Even if you need to start all over again because, let's face it, LIFE HAPPENS.
    Do not doubt the ability of medications or exercise or even a kind touch. Share in this human experience and be kind to one another every day. Do not judge. Do not ridicule. Do not think that one remedy holds all of the answers.
    Overall, be as well as you can be!

  • Posted By: fetyko @ 07/14/2008 2:42:16 PM

    Comment: As someone who has dealt with severe depression my entire life and receently diagnosed no longer as depressed but as a manic depressive, I have to say that I have stayed off medication as much as possible. Anti-depressants made everything worse for me (which makes sense if I truly am bi-polar) and the side effects were not worth dealing with. Luckily, somewhere along the way I was exposed to yoga and meditation and they truly are the only things that have actually worked for me (along with other types of exercise). I do have to say though, that if I happen to take a day off from these activities it is typically weeks before I can bring myself back to a regular routine. Once I was correctly diagnosed and given medication more suited to me, I was able to motivate myself to actually stay with my practice. The drugs were the catalyst, but mediation is the cure!

  • Posted By: letha c. chamberlain @ 07/14/2008 2:39:37 PM

    Comment: Someone said depressed people 100, 000 years ago stayed depressed or killed themsellves... and I say to them, :how do you know so much?" In fact, they were treated by their local "herbalist"--with effectvie herbs that have been used throughout time... Furthermore, those who were severely impaired were worked into the fabric of society--the schizophrenics became shamen and healers, for example. Yes, there was also injustice, but not to the extent that it is now... the family was responsible more then--or the tribe. They had to survive, and because all were expected to contribute to it--everyone was so fixated on that there was meaning to life and real will to continue on. So, maybe it is not all exactly true as stated--but I'll bet I know as much as you!

  • Posted By: letha c. chamberlain @ 07/14/2008 2:26:26 PM

    Comment: Many people think they need pills to acknowledge the eeriousness of their problems due to the stigma of it in our country. As a person once labeled "paranoid schizophrenic" with several bouts of "major depression" under my belt (over twenty years ago) as well as a graduate school level psychiatric nurse with thirty years of inpatient experience--now a certified parish nurse and spiritual director I acknowledge that stigma "big time" and yet see that pills are NOT always the answer and that allepathic medicine and the research they have done is often faulty and misleading. After spending for many years over $1400/mo in medicine that i was told I needed to survive by good and reliable physicians--who I know had my welfare in mind--I now know I can replace these medicines effectively with $300/mo worth of herbs--and I have three life-threatening conditions. They simply weren't trained in knowing about these things. As an RN I was able to do the research with FDA material for myself. Furthermore, what the drug companies told me about mixing drugs and herbs was totally false. I have been able to wean myself off the antipsychotic for which I was paying $500/mo--as I have been symptom-free for twenty years...after being told this was a condition that was non-curable (my psychoanalyst told me it was--and I successfully completed treatment there.) So, what I am now told by allepathic docs I know I need to follow-up with my own research--with alternative medical practices from ancient sources which are tried and true since the beginning of time, like what this particular psychiatrist is proposing.

  • Posted By: kanaskat @ 07/14/2008 2:15:29 PM

    Comment: I think it's important here to make clear the difference between situational depression and a chemical inbalance which some people do have. Chemical inbalance cannot be "talked or meditated or eaten" away. Chronic PTSD - however it may be caused is dangerous left untreated. Everyone should have a personal psychiatrist and be able to visit them as often as they needed. THAT would go along way towards alleviating our society's epidemic of mood disorders. Even if that was REMOTELY possible in anyone's world but the filthy rich, the stigma placed on depression is still alive and well everywhere I've been. I have Fibromyalgia, spinal scoliosis and post-partum cardiomyopathy. If it were up to my body, I would never leave my bed. Thanks to the combination of Wellbutrin and Lexapro, my mind yanks my ass out of bed every morning and I have some kind of life. I go to counseling once a week as well and if anyone were to try to take my anti-depressants away from me they would see a part of me ONLY anti-depressants have been able to control. I can't help but notice that most of the comments supporting this doctor come from people who do not personnally deal with the subject. I mean THEY THEMSELVES are not depressed. You CANNOT walk in the shoes through a book or observations of SOMEONE ELSES life. Trust me, leave us mentally ill folks alone with your meditation and nutrition talk. We LIKE our medications.

  • Posted By: letha c. chamberlain @ 07/14/2008 2:04:41 PM

    Comment: I know for a fact this is true and a timely article. Thank you so much for it--the drugs we are taking as a nation are leading us into disaster--the obesity crisis, the lackof exercise, the sitting in front of TV's for long periods, etc. We have, as humans, resources we haven't utiliized that will lead us into a healtier, freer, better way of being--and it is all "normal" and "natural", known to us since time immemoial. Even as a severely chronically-ill individual I have thrown away my $1400/mo worth of drugs (which I was told I needed to survive) and am now taking $300 worth of mostly herbs to control these life-threathening problems. No, I am not well--and am mostly bed-ridden... but I am still a happy, productive person, gifted beyond meansure.. I also had a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia--with occoasional bouts of major depression--treated mainly with psychoanalysis and spiritual direction (and for awhile drugs). Now free of symptoms for twenty years--I have "tardive dyskinesia" from the drugs, a permanent reminder of those days of horror, and for anyone not well-informed, probably a convincing proof of my instability (even though I have certified proof from my physicians of my mental health and recovery.) And see for yourself--he did NOT say ALL mental illnesses can be treated without drugs.

  • Posted By: MyrtleTurtle @ 07/14/2008 1:49:47 PM

    Comment: I don't think that Dr. Gordon meant to say that anti-depressants are entirely unnecessary. He is saying (correctly, in my opinion) that they are over-prescribed and that people should explore different options. I used to have mild to moderate periods of depression where I would stay in bed for weeks feeling hopeless and/or indifferent. I was always afraid to tell my doctor because I didn't want to go on pills. A few years ago, I read an article that encouraged me to try running. That turned out to be the best advice I've ever received. Not only has the exercise vastly improved my physical health, but I have not had a depressive episode since. I believe that some people really do need pills, and I am very pleased to hear the success stories. However, I have no regrets about avoiding that path. I really suggest giving exercise a try before taking your treatment to the next level.

  • Posted By: pagoogle @ 07/14/2008 1:38:52 PM

    Comment: Medication for victims of violence in war is probably inappropriate. My depression is not situational or circumstantial; it's there no matter what is going on in my life.

    It's important to note that he did admit that "severe depression" may not benefit solely from diet, exercise, and meditation. After four tries of getting off meds, it's certainly true for me that the medicine works in a way that nothing else will. But, when I hear that someone's OB/GYN prescribed antidpressants because of trouble with a divorce, then I can agree with what this doctor is advocating in those cases.

  • Posted By: MarcieMarie @ 07/14/2008 12:45:14 PM

    Comment: Oh...please excuse my earlier comment's typos, but I am REALLY ticked off!!!!!

  • Posted By: MarcieMarie @ 07/14/2008 12:38:46 PM

    Comment: THIS ARTICLE INFURIATES ME!!! I have suffered from major depression and anxiety disorder for about 18 years. If I do not have medication, I WILL BECOME SUICIDAL, its as simple as that. The thing Mr. Gordan is not telling us is that people who are affected by events such as suffering horrific amputation, bering a child who is brutally orphaned, and people in detestable conditions overall HAVE A VERY GOOD REASON TO BE SAD and may need counseling for their post-traumatic stress disorder. Medication should not be used to allow a person who is grieving over a loss to not deal with the situation because they must deal with it sooner or later. I can tell you that for me, I experience depression and anxiety and there is NO REASON I should feel this way. I am not simply grief-stricken in any way. I simply have a medical condition and need medication. Trust me, I have gone through many medications, some with good results and some with horrible results. Medications are not for the faint of heart and many have made me sick with side effects at first, but at 36 I now accept that they will be a part of my life. I have weaned off of them before, eaten well, exercised (I am a licensed physical therapist!), attended extensive counseling, and BAM...ended up right back in the hospital when my mind has betrayed me into thinking suicide is an option. Overall, medications are not for someone who feels SAD but for those who have DEPRESSION...examine the differences with a trained professional.

  • Posted By: wants to know it all @ 07/14/2008 12:02:23 PM

    Comment: I totally agree with with James Gordon. I have a family member who has been taking prozac for years . I have always noticed that ithe drug just makes her not really feel or deal with there problems.I definitely believe that ecercise is the key and focusing on what unmet needs one has. Exercise stimulates the brain to produce more endorphines .which promotes feeling s of well being. the same process happens when you take antidepressants. The problem with prozac other and antidepressants is that there are many side effects .Long term use of prozac and other drugs casuse depression. and many other adverse reactions. As a society we seek a quick fix . . We are over medicating our children becasue the scholls wantthem to sit too much and they dont meetr their needs.ADD meds ooojh another pet peeve of mine .. I guess ive typed enough . The over all picture is yess the natural way of meditating and exercise is great remedy for many ailments.

  • Posted By: JR-Ph.D. @ 07/14/2008 11:32:13 AM

    Comment: Dr. Gordon's non-medical approach and related research simply confirms what psychologists have known for decades about treating depression and anxiety. The general public seems to turn to medication because the pharmaceutical companies promote it as the magic answer and people can avoid the "stigma" of mental health difficulties. It would be great if mental health professionals began to receive some credit for their contributions to treating emotional health problems. Perhaps people would be more inclined to seek non-pharmaceutical solutions first and/or be properly evaluated before referral for medication evaluation.

  • Posted By: esmack @ 07/14/2008 11:26:19 AM

    Comment: I spent 5yrs on antidepressants and in the last year since I took myself off has been amazing. On the drugs I was despondant and just here. Now I care about what happens. In this society everyone wants a pill like it is a quick fix.

  • Posted By: nata_nyc @ 07/14/2008 11:07:46 AM

    Comment: Perhaps this doctor's priorities would be better balanced if he diverted some of his efforts away from terrorist organizations like HAMAS and FATAH and instead helped victims of suicide bombings and hostage crises.

  • Posted By: nata_nyc @ 07/14/2008 11:06:00 AM

    Comment: testing...

  • Posted By: nata_nyc @ 07/14/2008 11:03:48 AM

    Comment: I couldn't help but notice a heavy slant toward the Palestinian plight. Perhaps this doctor's efforts will be better balanced if he diverted some of his attention away from terrorist organizations such as HAMAS and FATAH and instead helped victims of suicide bombings in Israel.

    • Posted By: Lorena @ 07/14/2008 9:20:47 PM

      Comment: I agree...it was nauseating.

  • Posted By: jojobinks70 @ 07/14/2008 10:49:20 AM

    Comment: I am a Childrens Mental Health Therapist and I have to say in a perfect world this doctors approach is admirable, but unfortunately the realities family face in this world make this approach also quite difficult to attain. Of course therapy, sounds like Dialectic Behavioral Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, in this case, are clearly beneficial, but often not enough, as families struggling with daily realities of surviving arent able to stick to and generalize these approaches consistently. Therefore, SSRI's clearly can assist with increasing mood and functioning. Often times, medication therapy is utilized for a certain time frame and can often be discontinued after environmental stressors are alleviated.

  • Posted By: jlb1210 @ 07/14/2008 10:48:39 AM

    Comment: I think it is dangerous to argue against the use of antidepressants for clinical depression. People with depression do have a chemical imbalance that is often independent of any life circumstances or diet/exercise factors. They need antidepressants to bring them stability. You can meditate all day and still not "wish" depression away. It's not that simple.

  • Posted By: stuartbaker @ 07/14/2008 10:20:00 AM

    Comment: I am so pleased to see this article. I have believed for a long time that James Gordon's approach is the truest way. Especially great coming from a psychiatrist. We are so eager for quick fixes in this country, and like James says, they do not help the underlying issues.
    Stuart Baker, Massachusetts

  • Posted By: Yellowcar @ 07/14/2008 9:07:08 AM

    Comment: You don't really understand the situation nor the subject matter;

    In the USA we have 15% of the population that are considered to be mentally ill-----that is 45 million people---

  • Posted By: Yellowcar @ 07/14/2008 9:02:22 AM

    Comment: Sorry,
    I find your article garbage-----garbage

  • Posted By: tangledsynapses. @ 07/14/2008 8:42:39 AM

    Comment: Depression is a very difficult illness to deal with. In order to successfully beat depression, the patient must undertake a series of therapies and treatments SIMULTANEOUSLY, or concurrently, ON A DAILY BASIS. These are, medications, CBT, exercise, diet, sleeping habits and to carry a sound and workable lifestyle. If anything of the above fails, depression reigns forever, unfortunately.

  • Posted By: Catlover_Chocolatelover @ 07/14/2008 7:31:31 AM

    Comment: Unfortunate to hear this, and I agree with Jane S. I'm a medical student and have also seen a family member suffer depression. The latest studies have shown that DEPRESSION ACTUALLY DAMAGES PARTS OF YOUR BRAIN and that ANTI DEPRESSANTS REVERSE THIS - SUCCESSFULLY. Meditation, cognitive behaviour therapy (that is, "retraining your mind") and exercise have been proven time and time again to only cure the mild to moderate depressions, and only in conjunction with medication: these 'non-drug' methods won't help someone with severe depression. Of course, anti-depressants aren't a 'magic pill', you need to be on them for a while before any changes take place, and no drug is a 'complete therapy' - you must integrate it with other things, like CBT. Jane, you're right, there is not one thing that is the be all and end all to curing depression - but its important to have your loved ones with you to support you along the way.

    • Posted By: darkhorse @ 07/14/2008 4:30:07 PM

      Comment: I think you are right, we cant lump all depressions together.

  • Posted By: jane.simpson.wilson @ 07/11/2008 6:13:43 PM

    Comment: Oh, one more thing, talk to Mike Wallace, he is convinced that Prozac saved his life. Who is to judge, the man might just know what he is talking about.

  • Posted By: jane.simpson.wilson @ 07/11/2008 6:12:48 PM

    Comment: Okay, if you want to jump on the TM bandwagon be my guest. But I have family members who have battled chronic major depression and I can tell you that there is no magic cure, pill, or treatment that beats the commitment of the chronically ill to find what works for them. It is a long and arduous road. What I personally believe has worked most effectively is a commitment to talk therapy, antidepressants or a scatalog of other options that can be tried. They may or may not work. But I also believe in today which is also known as a the present, which means a gift. I am not negating but am aknowledging each person that struggles with any form of mental illness. And sometimes, a connection with anything that is relevant to that person is valuable. I could be a mountain stream, lying on your back and looking at the clouds, unloading with loving friends and family, music, prayer, theater, excercise, a swim, a dog, a cat, a book, a hug, a loving and random act of kindness. To say that TM is "it" is just another way of saying it's the "latest" trend to come along. And, there are many other books by accredited authors who would vehemently disagree with this approach. I am not am MD, but live everyday with loved ones who suffer unbearably. Often I have seen that when they reach out to those less fortunate, that is the greatest gift of all for everyone involved. Drugs, therapy and Doctors still have a valuable place to fill. And just in case any of you reading are suffering from PTSD after serving in Iraq or Afghanistan, please get help from the VA now. They can save you years of suffering, and they use many techniques, including sweat lodges in some of their programs. My support to all that suffer, and if TM works for you, great, but I do not believe that it is the great panacea. I believe it still takes a village to heal the mentally ill.

  • Posted By: emmarcee @ 07/10/2008 8:02:42 AM

    Comment: scatterflake , I agree with you. It all depends on the patient selection. You can prove anything through your 'research". I am sure this method will work for a major proportion of the people on antidepressants who may not really need them. But for people with real "chemical imbalance" medicines may be the option. We just have to 'test" and find out who are these patients who need to be on long term SSRIs and SNRIs. On the other side, think about how many "counselors" need to work on them day in and out, to fix the population?. May be just going back to your church or temple will give better bang for the money. Take away the "stress" from the community. Stop bombing.

  • Posted By: emmarcee @ 07/10/2008 8:02:37 AM

    Comment: scatterflake , I agree with you. It all depends on the patient selection. You can prove anything through your 'research". I am sure this method will work for a major proportion of the people on antidepressants who may not really need them. But for people with real "chemical imbalance" medicines may be the option. We just have to 'test" and find out who are these patients who need to be on long term SSRIs and SNRIs. On the other side, think about how many "counselors" need to work on them day in and out, to fix the population?. May be just going back to your church or temple will give better bang for the money. Take away the "stress" from the community. Stop bombing.

  • Posted By: emmarcee @ 07/10/2008 8:02:31 AM

    Comment: scatterflake , I agree with you. It all depends on the patient selection. You can prove anything through your 'research". I am sure this method will work for a major proportion of the people on antidepressants who may not really need them. But for people with real "chemical imbalance" medicines may be the option. We just have to 'test" and find out who are these patients who need to be on long term SSRIs and SNRIs. On the other side, think about how many "counselors" need to work on them day in and out, to fix the population?. May be just going back to your church or temple will give better bang for the money. Take away the "stress" from the community. Stop bombing.

  • Posted By: KDLS @ 07/09/2008 10:25:28 PM

    Comment: Protip... 50, 100, 200, 1000 years ago, depressed people without SSRIs simply stayed depressed all their lives... or they killed themselves, overtly or covertly. Still, it doesn't hurt to look into different kinds of treatments, drug-related or not. No one solution works for everybody.

  • Posted By: scatterflake @ 07/09/2008 9:51:36 AM

    Comment: If you have mild depression or perhaps trauma-related depression, this may be effective. The fact is, antidepressents are needed by chronically depressed or suicidal patients who need to achieve chemical balance. Each case is unique. Broadly painting a feel-good picture for everyone, as this article does, is grossly misleading.

    • Posted By: Protip @ 07/09/2008 10:31:56 AM

      Comment: Spoken like a pharma exec. Might I suggest scatter, that you make use of Google to peruse the ocean of mental health blogs out there?. There is a lot of people on the web who have recovered from long term clinical depression without *needing* artificial adjustment. How do you suppose people survived 50, 100, 200 1000 years ago without ssris? The good doc is right and his advice is classic

  • Posted By: Protip @ 07/09/2008 9:47:55 AM

    Comment: Excellent, Excellent article! Finally a psychiatrist with some sense in the news! With the right holistic living and drugs as a last resort rather than a first, we can all head to a Prozac Free Nation

    and VansRV, invalidating the messenger with modern day accusations of heresy and witchcraft eh?

  • Posted By: tymerazor @ 07/09/2008 3:11:01 AM

    Comment: Hey, whatever works.

  • Posted By: VansRV @ 07/08/2008 7:41:43 PM

    Comment: Sounds like a Scientologist. Antidepressants save lives, thats a fact.

  • Posted By: VansRV @ 07/08/2008 7:41:07 PM

    Comment: Sounds like a Scientologist. Antidepressants save lives, thats a fact.

  • Posted By: seti2008 @ 07/08/2008 6:46:05 PM

    Comment: Agreed. Antidepressants are overused. Even if an illness is biochemical that doesn't mean that the chemical imbalance preceded the illness. Life's stresses can throw our biochemistry out of whack, and perhaps changes can have positive affects on our biochemistry as well. However, we live lives that are fast. Meaningful, positive changes can take years to effect, so the drugs are a shortcut. They allow many people to function faster than alternatives,, such as therapy, which in my experience only works for aacute problems.

  • Posted By: Genez @ 07/08/2008 10:27:50 AM

    Comment: I have always felt that the "Quick fix" mentality is as strong in medicine as it is in general society. We are content in the treatment of symptoms and adversed to seeking out the real cause, which is more than likely a life in disarray. With hating, the casting of blame, the projection of guilt outwards onto others, comes penalities that are disguised as personality aberrations such as anxiety, depression, a loss of the zest for life. It is not until we are taught how to think, how to see the futility in reacting to others, how to recognize the fact that we, ourselves, are the only problem that is deserving of our complete and total attention. This drug mentality is just as insane as are the difficulties they are meant to erase, difficulties that come to tell us that a change is required to get back on the right track which is Love. Love your brother as yourself simply because he is you!. Al Jefferson-A Teacher of Spiritual Metaphysics.

 
 
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