Blunt Truth You Must Hear: Antidepressants Can Make You Feel Worse, Ruin Your Sex Life and Cause Weight Gain, Says NHS Psychiatrist Professor Joanna Moncrieff. There Are Alternatives…
Antidepressants offer only a marginal benefit over placebo in treating depression and anxiety, according to psychiatrist Professor Joanna Moncrieff. clinical trials demonstrate that individuals taking placebos experience improvements in symptoms nearly equivalent to those on antidepressant medication. This small difference in efficacy,she argues,may be attributable to participants often being able to discern whether they are receiving the active drug or a placebo due to experienced side effects,leading to a psychological boost for those on the medication.
Professor Moncrieff, a psychiatrist based in london and professor of critical and social psychiatry at University College London, states she is “not convinced these drugs are good for anyone,” especially noting their ineffectiveness in cases of mild depression. Even in moderate to severe cases, national guidelines from the national Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recognize the availability of effective alternatives, including talking therapies, exercise, social engagement, and guided self-help programs.
A meaningful concern, according to Moncrieff, is the insufficient discussion surrounding the potential side effects of antidepressants. Recent trends on social media, where influencers initially promote the positive aspects of antidepressant use before later disclosing negative experiences – including brain fog, weight gain, and emotional blunting, as well as diminished libido – exemplify this issue.
These side effects, she emphasizes, often persist far beyond the timeframe initially communicated by prescribers. Moreover, individuals attempting to discontinue antidepressant use can experience withdrawal symptoms, particularly those who have been on the medication long-term. Persistent sexual dysfunction and emotional numbness have also been reported even after stopping antidepressants,perhaps causing significant distress,especially for young people.
Moncrieff cautions against viewing antidepressants as a simple solution. “Taking antidepressants is not a free lunch. It’s not even much of a lunch,” she states, highlighting that any chemical intervention carries potential consequences. She advocates for exploring option methods for mood enhancement and anxiety management, which are likely to offer more enduring benefits with reduced risk.
(Joanna Moncrieff is the author of Chemically Imbalanced: The Making and Unmaking of the Serotonin myth (Flint).)
