This is very interesting research that is not conclusive, but that highlights some of the unknown risks associated with many of the medications we take on a regular basis. Everyday we hear of new medications that are making people sick, so is the benefit greater than the risk? Are there safe alternatives that could work in place of many of these medications? Are the medications treating the underlying cause of the problem, or are they an attempt to mediate undesired symptoms, and if so, why not try to identify the drivers of neurotransmitter imbalance, or whatever health problem you are having? Why am I having the problem I’m having…what is the cause? Does the model of healthcare in which you are being treated really search to identify causes of your problems, or does it just treat the symptoms?
I practice functional medicine, and it doesn’t matter if you are being treated by your medical doctor, or an alternative practitioner, unless you are being assessed by a practitioner of functional medicine, it is likely that you are not getting the kind of work-up that will best investigate underlying causes of many disease processes including depression.
All biochemistry is dependent on a hierchy of foundational chemistry within the body. First you require adequate oxygen delivery throughout the body, so are you anemic? Second, how’s your blood sugar? If your blood sugar is high or low, the rest of your chemistry will also suffer. Third, how is your liver and gut health? Your liver is involved in over 250 biochemical processes, and if it’s not working at full capacity many of these chemical processes will suffer. Your gut is extremely important too. If you are consuming foods that inflame your GI tract you are setting yourself up for possible autoimmunity due to a leaky gut, and many other issues with vitamin production and absorption. Fourth, how is your fatty acid metabolism, are you absorbing essential fats? If not you will have many other health problems. This doesn’t even take into consideration Vit D, or if you are auto immune, if you have an undiscovered parasite, fungal infection, bacterial infection or heavy metal that has accumulated in your body but is not being cleared out by your liver.
Look, health comes from within, and if you can identify how to get out of the body’s way so that it can work as it was built and designed to do, you can achieve health beyond what most imagine possible.
Here is the article on the possible link between SSRIs and some forms of cancer.
