Why you should never "believe the science"...
All scientific knowledge is contingent and demands scepticism.
You know it, I know it, Karl Popper knew it.
But over recent years, “the science” has been used as a shield for ideologues to assert that you have no right to ask awkward questions about their favoured ideology. The big ones are global warming and the Wuhan flu, of course. There are other examples, such as “born this way” and other alphabet issues.
Naturally, only the convenient science counts, so don’t expect to be told to believe the science that says race and IQ are linked, or people always have either XX or XY chromosomes.
So today I was struck by a study that turned an article of scientific faith on its head.
Although one in six adults in England are currently prescribed antidepressants – most of which act by maintaining serotonin levels – the new analysis suggests depression is not actually caused by low levels of serotonin.
Instead, depression may be more strongly equated with negative life events which lower mood, the review found.
Since the 1990s, antidepressant use has grown alongside the theory that the drugs establish correct levels of chemicals in the brain but researchers say that is unfounded.
One in six adults. That’s about 10 million people.
When I was younger I did the rounds of the SSRI drugs, as I struggled with things, so I know a bit about them. Every single one of them is evil. Thankfully, I was able to turn my back on them forever quite a few years ago. They all have horrific side effects, they are all difficult to stop taking and they all drive suicides.
But hey… as long as you have a magic pill that’s supposed to stop you being depressed about your shitty life, that’s grand, eh?
Because, as it says in the article, the mechanism by which these drugs were supposed to work was an article of faith.
The researchers say that patients should not be told depression is caused by a chemical imbalance, or informed that the SSRIs can correct the problem. Although it is clear the antidepressants can work, they must be doing so through a different route, the paper concludes.
Honestly, doctors should be prescribing sugar pills, because in all likelihood, that mechanism is the placebo effect.
Drug companies say “hey - feeling depressed? We have a pill that will help you.”
Drug companies fund media pieces eulogising this new breakthrough.
People who would never previously dreamed of such a thing suddenly start complaining to their doctors (who hitherto dealt with bones and bruises) that they feel miserable and their girlfriend left them.
Doctors roll their eyes, reach for their prescription pads and scribble the magic incantation that will make the annoying patient go away.
Drug company gets paid - ad infinitum - for a horrific drug that claims to need weeks of use before any results can be seen and then takes agonising months to withdraw from.
‘Patients’ tell themselves that they can feel the effects of the drugs, so they must not be depressed any more, but worry that if they stop taking the drugs, they’ll be depressed again.
Repeat prescription.
Evil pieces of shit. The medical and pharmaceutical establishments are not your friend. Some of us knew this already, of course, and that is why we are the purebloods and you are the vaccine injured.
And why, you may ask, has this research emerged now, and not any time in the last 30 years?
I haven’t looked into this, but would it be a surprise if we found out that most of the patents on SSRI drugs are now expiring (Prozac’s expired in 2011 - one of the oldest of these drugs) and the market is now being flooded with generic versions costing a tenth of the price?
So only now can researchers be allowed to piss in the punch bowl.
Got a better explanation?
AJ
Your observation makes a great deal of sense. It would be worth looking into patent dates.
This shocking new theory that depression may somehow be related to stressful life events is just shocking. I'm shocked. Anyone else shocked?
Also of potential relevance ( Donning tinfoil hat) is the number of predominantly US school / mass shooters who were on Ritalin or antidepressants of some sort.