Question:
Hi,
I was just browsing your website and became
increasingly alarmed! I agree these powerful
medications have a place in society, but surely
millions of people do not suffer from 'mental
illness' and require mind altering medications? This
seems like a band-aid solution to me, and if indeed
so many people are really suffering from an organic
brain dysfunction, there is something seriously wrong
in our society. I wonder if brain scanning really
provides "proof" that these problems are a
"disease"? Surely the brain is influenced by chronic
emotional states, as it also influences emotional
states? So which comes first, the chicken or the egg?
Perhaps someone suffering from BPD was sexually
abused at age 3 and while they have consciously
forgotten, their body-mind is still acting out the
trauma? I'm only using this as an example, by the
way.
I myself have just weaned myself off the
antidepressant Cipramil (Celexa in the US). This was
a harrowing experience that triggered severe
withdrawal as well as depression far worse than the
original one. There is no doubt my body had become
addicted to this drug after 4 years of use, and I
doubt the withdrawal process was much different to
someone coming off street drugs. As I look back now I
can see that this drug had me 'in a fog' for the
early years of my children's life, and every attempt
to withdraw would be horrible. My emotions were
blunted, I slept too much, I had episodes of anxiety
and anger (no longer there since coming off it) and I
gained 15 kilos.
I have heard of people prescribed SSRI's for
something other than depression; and experience
suicidal depression whilst coming off them. So there
seems little doubt that these drugs have the power to
mess up our brain chemistry in ways that possibly
no-one yet understands. I do believe these
medications can save lives if judiciously prescribed.
I also think doctors are too quick to hand over a
prescription to someone who may just need counseling,
or similar. I have had friends become upset in the
doctor's office about a certain life event and any
show of emotion is assumed to be 'clinical
depression' and worthy of a prescription! I think we
have become a quick-fix society. If depression really
does exist in such huge numbers, shouldn't we be
examining the psycho-social reasons behind it? And if
so many children have ADHD, perhaps we need to
address why? Perhaps the neuro-toxins in vaccines are
a huge, overlooked, component?
It's obvious you are a very caring doctor who is
helping many people. I was just taken aback at the
major emphasis on drug-fixes on your website. People
in non-industrial parts of the world have no need for
these medications - so what is going wrong in the
Western world? You mentioned an interest in
alternative therapies - and one thing that many
doctors, psychologists and people are finding
brilliant is EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique)
www.EMOFree.com. If you read some of the
testimonials you will see that many people have been
able to overcome their brain disease - depression -
sometimes in as little as one session. I have used it
with great results myself - even clearing up 2 very
painful sinus infections within hours! It seems a
little weird at first but once you learn it you never
look back.
Kinds regards,
C, Australia.
Dr. Heller's Answer:
I understand what you're saying. I used to believe
the same thing.
http://www.BiologicalUnhappiness.com/Depression/Depression-PET-Scan/
shows a picture of the brain
depressed compared to recovered. What changed my
mind was doing the research and treating patients -
many of whom had tried everything from hanging upside
down to crystals to anxiety programs and many other
things. There is a huge body of evidence on the
biological basis of many psychiatric disorders,
including imaging studies.
With one exception, SSRI antidepressants have a
withdrawal syndrome. Prozac (fluoxetine) is the only
one that doesn't. In fact, many individuals can be
switched to Prozac (fluoxetine) prior to stopping
their antidepressant to prevent the withdrawal. If
quitting an antidepressant causes suicidality the
individual wasn't ready to go off the medication.
Sometimes the information can be confusing. A good
example are the reports of increased suicidality in
children and adolescents taking antidepressants. The
truth is this is only for individuals just released
from psychiatric institutions back into their home
environment, which is frequently toxic since most of
these disorders are genetic.
ADHD is mostly genetic. One issue I have is the
hyperactivity. Many individuals are placed on a
psychostimulant or Strattera for hyperactivity
without truly making the diagnosis based on DSM
criteria. There are many reasons for hyperactivity
including one leg shorter than the other, poor sleep,
asthma, depression, bipolar, environmental pollution
and stressors at home. I used to believe the whole
diagnosis of ADHD was ridiculous and an excuse for
bad parenting. I was wrong. Bad parenting causes a
lot of problems but based on the scientific studies
ADHD, particularly the inattentive type, is a
biological process. You might want to read Dr.
Amen's work on brain imaging.
The BPD is clearly a neurological disorder, a form of
epilepsy actually. I have no doubt that significant
childhood trauma causes brain damage that often
results in the BPD.
I'm not aware of any significant correlation between
immunizations and mental health diagnoses, although
25% of children with OCD developed it after a strep
infection.
Many cases of depression respond to counseling
instead of medication. It usually takes 4-6 months
and the body - particularly the immune system - is
severely damaged by the depression. It's an
extraordinarily expensive option, rarely covered by
insurance.
There are always some people who respond to any and
every treatment. The placebo effect is approximately
20%. If a specific treatment such as an anxiety
program, Scientology, or herbs truly cures an
individual that's wonderful. In my experience, when
you dig deeper you'll see that the core symptoms
remain, but they are doing better in a few areas.
This is particularly true with the borderline
disorder.
Healing one's hurts can have enormous health
benefits, whatever the technique. Back pain is
frequently the result of emotional issues, as are
allergies, sinus problems and many bowel disorders.
The "mind-body connection" is very powerful.
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