Kicking the Habit of Anti-Depressants & Depression
Ever wonder how it all started? You were born happy and everything in your life was abundant. Possibilities were everywhere and you could do no wrong. Then years pass and your limitless boundaries start creating walls and all of sudden things aren’t as easy going as they used to be and you start feeling a bit out of control and one day you are lead to believe a pill will be the answer to the problem.
Millions of People are Depressed
The truth is, if you are binge eating, not at your ideal weight, drinking, smoking or unhappy, you are probably somewhat depressed. It’s an epidemic in our society.
We live in a rich country where we have vast opportunities, but so many people are still not happy. Antidepressant medications are dispensed almost like aspirin. In fact, in the last 15 years, the number of people seeking treatment for depression in the United States has doubled to more than 25 million per year.
According to recent research, 90% of these people leave their doctor’s offices with a prescription for antidepressants but remain depressed. Meanwhile, a study in England has shown that only people with severe depression respond to antidepressants. That’s right – people who are mildly depressed or suffer from a moderate level of depression do not get better when they take antidepressant medications!
England’s managed care system now restricts doctors from prescribing antidepressants to anyone except those with severe depression. Despite this study, however, the medications continue to be prescribed to people in the U.S. with mild or moderate depression – even though the meds don’t work.
Think about how many people you know on anti-depressants who are still depressed. You may even be one of them. I certainly was. It was almost 30 years ago when I was first prescribed an antidepressant. The adverse reactions I experienced were unreal. One pill made me want to pull my skin off. Another made me feel like a zombie. Even a low dose pill which managed to improve my anxiety still left me with my depression.
Prozac, the bestselling antidepressant taken by over 40 million people back in 2008, doesn’t work, along with similar drugs in the same class. As reported by theGuardian in the United Kingdom, patients improved just as much when they took a placebo (a sugar pill).
One of the steps I took 20 years ago to go from fine to FAB was to stop letting the doctors practice medicine on me. I loved my doctor, but most doctors have been taught that a prescription is the answer to every challenge.
My decision wasn’t easy, though. At the time, I was on disability from work and my COBRA insurance plan (subsidized insurance at my prior company’s rates) had lapsed. My prescriptions for depression, anxiety, asthma, high blood pressure, and ulcers were suddenly more expensive than my rent and more in line with what some people pay for their mortgage.
Of course, my pharmacist panicked when I made that decision, and I’m not suggesting that you follow my lead and stop taking meds without consulting a physician. But that’s what I did.
I also evaluated my diet, changing what I ate to a low glycemic lifestyle and adding isotonic capable supplements to my regimen. When my hypoglycemia (low blood sugar, usually as a result of eating too much sugar) began to reverse, I noticed that my moods and energy level became more stable. Then, I was able to maintain my ideal weight with ease.
It was clear, though, that my depression wasn’t all about what I was putting in my body. It was also about what I was allowing into my head. I had spent my first 30 years not standing guard at the gate letting everything into my consciousness without question, so I decided to be more discreet. I began to question everything that was offered to me whether it was a thought, opinion, theory, or fact. It was my choice whether I would accept it or not. Essentially, I came to the conclusion that I wasn’t depressed; I was “doing” depression. If that was the case, I could also make the decision to stop doing it.
You know what I mean; I know you do! Think about how you feel when you are depressed. How is your body postured? Where do you place your eyes? How do you hold your shoulders? Is your breathing shallow or deep?
If you know the answers, you know how to “do” depressed. This means that as easily as you go into the state of depression, you can also come out of it.
You can decide to “do happy” instead. Happiness is a decision for everyone anyway. It isn’t a byproduct of something outside of you. So, how do you hold your body when you’re happy? Is your posture different? How do you hold your head? Your shoulders? What do you think about when you’re happy? Do you smile or frown? See – you also know how to do happy.
Two words that are the most powerful in the mind are “I am”, for anything you attach to them shapes your reality and you become. So, if you keep saying, “I am depressed,” guess what you will be?
Whatever you attach “I am” to is what you become. Your subconscious mind doesn’t want you to be wrong, so if you say, “I’m a loser,” you will be sure to lose. If you say, “I’m not enough,” you’ll never be enough. If you say, “No one will ever love me,” you will never feel loved. It becomes your identity, who you are.
Time to start doing Kicking the Habit of Anti-Depressants & Depression and Do Happy and say goodbye to Depressed!
If you still feel like you need help feel free to reach out to us. We are here to serve.
