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2008-02-26

What do papayas, hopscotch, and Ouija boards have in common?

NEW YORK CITY, New York - Answer: they're all just about as effective as multi-billion dollar antidepressant drugs in treating "depression".

The BBC is reporting on a meta-study by the University of Hull, where they dug around and acquired both published and unpublished trial data, instead of only the published data (which is apparently cherry-picked to put the greatest possible light on the "antidepressant" drugs). To summarize, the swanky, patent-encrusted SSRI drugs were deemed to be no better than a placebo for all but the most "severely depressed" patients.

The BBC article notes that new armies of therapists are being trained to provide "talking therapies", and a Financial Times article on the same study notes that "outdoor exercise" can be used to combat "depression."

If talking to someone "cures" them, then there was nothing medically wrong with them to begin with. If a bit of outdoor prancing "cures" someone, then they were not medically ill.

I hate to sound like a Scientologist on this, but even a crazy, blind Scientologist squirrel can stumble upon a nut.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I do think they are overprescribed for sure. Life has it's ups and downs and that is just normal. There are many natural ways like outside exercise to overcome depression. But I do think in certain people and circumstances, these drugs do work and have their place.

I think you should pull a Morgan Spurlock and take an SSRI for a certain period of time. You could chronicle your findings on your blog and let us all know! Now that would be interesting...

The Unattractive Houseguest said...

this comment has nothing to do with your post.... but i'll do my best to send all wayward girls your way.

Anonymous said...

how the heck did my other blog make that comment? I have no idea. The on the rebound librarians would be my venue, not that silly unattractive houseguest's....