Have you seen the hubbub and debate surrounding the serotonin and depression study out of University College of London? I want to talk about it because it’s important.
Several times each week I encounter people that see themselves as physically broken and incapable of recovery because they have been told that they have a chemical imbalance, often based on the idea that there is not enough serotonin in their brains. These people are often discouraged and feeling that they have been doomed to a life of anxiety, depression and side effects because …. “science”.
Before I continue, let me be clear:
THIS IS NOT AN ARTICLE ABOUT BRAIN CHEMISTRY
I AM NOT TELLING ANYONE TO STOP TAKING THEIR MEDICATION OR SUGGESTING THAT THEY ARE EVIL AND NEVER NEEDED
I cannot say these two things loudly enough. When I was in a state of deep clinical depression I give full credit to an antidepressant for lifting that depression and giving me room to work in. It kinda felt like a life saver for me, and I know many share the same experience.
But I was told by the GP that prescribed it for me that I had a chemical imbalance and that my brain was not producing enough serotonin. That’s why I was depressed and anxious. “We have a pill for that now” was what I was told. I was also told that I might have to take that medication for the rest of my life because of said chemical imbalance. This may sound familiar to you, and you may also be wondering if you can ever really get better since you brain is somehow in a state of imbalance.
Recently, researchers at University College of London published a large umbrella study in the journal Molecular Psychiatry. This study did a large scale review of a huge amount of existing research and data on the subject of brain chemistry and depression. And as it turns out, no significant link could be found between serotonin levels and depression. No link. The authors of the study pointed out incidents where small, somewhat weak studies were trumpeted as “proof” that low serotonin levels were linked to depression, even when the vast majority of other research reached no such conclusion. I don’t want to be THAT guy, but when you read through the article as published, you can see where financial and marketing interests played fast and loose with “science” for various reasons.
The authors of the study found “…no support for the hypothesis that depression is caused by lowered serotonin activity or concentrations.”
What does this mean for us?
Well it doesn’t mean that your medication is junk, evil, or a scam. It doesn’t mean that your medication isn’t working or isn’t helpful. It doesn’t mean that you need to throw it away and start protesting outside the offices of random pharmaceutical companies. If you are using medication as part of your strategy, that’s totally fine! You have every right do to that and to make choices that you know are in your own best interest. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise.
But what it does mean is that we need to question the idea that we are suffering because our brains are somehow not working properly and need to be propped up forever or “fixed”. This idea was sold as “science” but as it turns out … not so much. The fact of the matter is that we really do not know why antidepressants work for some, and don’t work for others. We don’t know why they sometimes work, then stop working. We don’t know why some people experience serious side effects or protracted withdrawal issues, while others do not. We just don’t know.
All I’m saying here is that if you are suffering under the belief that science knows that you are broken or defective on a physiological level, it’s OK to start to question that assertion. You can imagine a future where you are NOT “imbalanced” and do get better. Science has not doomed you to anything. Science kinda doesn’t know, and that’s OK right now. We’re working on it. That’s how things progress over time.
Will you need medication forever? Maybe. Is it possible that you can get better without medication or with fewer meds or lower doses? Also maybe. We can’t be sure. But you do not have to be feel backed into a corner by the pills / tablets on your kitchen counter. Because as it turns out - and regardless of what you’ve been told when you were given those pills - nobody in a lab has ever clearly shown that they are an accurate representation of who you are or what you can be.
One of the books I am kinda always reading is the Tao Te Ching. “The book of the way”. There’s just so much good stuff in there that I really love. But I’m a bit of a nerd when it comes to Buddism, Taoism, Stoicism, and philosophy in general. You’re gonna hear a bit more about this book soon on The Anxious Morning so give it a look if you’re so inclined.
Sometimes on Tuesday I’ll let you know what I’m currently reading. I read quite a bit on psychology and philosophy, but really you never know what I’ll have in my Kindle or Audible libraries! If you’re on Goodreads and into books, you can follow/friend me over there. Here’s a link to my “currently reading” shelf. I’d love to see what you’re reading and what you recommend.
160. On Serotonin, Depression, And Chemical Imbalances