Prozac Nation No More?

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!

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!

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.

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.

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!

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!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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