Monday 3 March 2008

Why turn to antidepressants
when you can do it yourself?

Many of us get the blues from time to time. For most of us, we are able to snap ourselves out of it. For those of us who experience depression, the turn of choice has been to medicine to get us back on our feet and again feeling better about ourselves and our lives. And for many this solution seems to work.

We feel bad. We go to the doctor and get a prescription. We take the tablets. We feel better. Therefore, it’s all down to the medicine. Well, not so fast – or at least that’s what some new research has found.

Researchers at the University of Hull reviewed the most commonly prescribed antidepressants – Prozac, Paxil, Effexor and Serzone – in nearly 50 clinical trials. What they found was nothing short of astounding – the antidepressants were no more effective in improving the patient’s outlook and mental health than sugar pills!

Now deep breath – let’s put this into context. Nothing suggests that the antidepressants don’t work. It’s rather that what the psychologists found was that patients on sugar pills reported feeling better at the same level as those who were on medication with active ingredients.

Some sources say that this study now casts doubt on antidepressants. Others have called for inquiries into the evidence submitted by the pharmaceutical companies during the regulatory and licensing process.

I take a slightly different stance on the issue. For me, this is simply more evidence of the vast power that each of us has over ourselves and our amazing abilities to influence and improve our health.

In America, over 118 million prescriptions were written for antidepressants last year alone. That’s nearly one prescription for every 2.5 Americans. Wow! That’s a huge number of people who are taking a potent medicine when other options might be equally, if not more, effective.

So, what else is out there? Well, there’s always therapy. For many it works. But it’s usually measured in years and costs in the thousands. It also has a tendency to be very passive. Personally I advocate a much more self-centric and active approach.

People all too often abdicate control of their health – be it mental or physical. They look for an excuse as to why something has happened to them and they hide behind the notion that they are powerless until something external to themselves is identified and certified by so-called “experts” that can “cure” them.

This study exposes the fallacy of this logic. This is yet another study that has once again shown something that we in the holistic health field have known for years – the antidote that these patients had been searching for was something within themselves. It was there all along and it didn’t have to be given to them by anyone else. The sugar pills didn’t make these people feel better – they made themselves feel better. It was all down to them.

The next time you want to change something or heal a part of yourself or your life avoid the temptation to turn to someone who will “fix” you. Instead choose the path of taking responsibility for yourself, your energy and your spirit. This is after all the only source of true healing.

Every day I work with clients who have chosen to empower themselves to make the changes that they need to live a healthier and more authentic life. My Medical Intuitive Readings help identify the spiritual issues underlying illness and through my Intuitive Life Coaching I provide one-on-one sessions to guide and inspire my clients to do it for themselves. If you are ready to accept that challenge and behold the awesome potential of your own powerhouse, then let’s get started today!

And this week over at PsychicBridges, I look whether we can be cursed by fate or doomed by destiny. Find out what I have to say here.

I always welcome your thoughts and feedback on IntuitiveBridges, so let me hear from you by clicking here.

Until next week,

Kindest regards,

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