Antidepressants: Control or Cure?
What?s curious is that most of them will be on these drugs for life. Equally curious is that over seventy percent of people who stop taking them, for any length of time, will relapse into another painful episode of their illness.
Something?s rotten in Denmark. Because if these drugs are as effective as their manufacturers claim, then sufferers should be cured of their illness. Clearly, this isn?t happening.
Why? I mean, if these drugs are so good, why don?t they cure stress, anxiety and depressive illness?
The commonly held belief, both by the medical profession and people who suffer from illnesses such as stress, anxiety and depression, is that anti-depressant drugs are the most effective treatment.
This is in fact, not quite true.
Antidepressant drugs DO help a sufferer. But they can only help them TEMPORARILY. They cannot offer a permanent cure for these illnesses. This is because anti-depressants treat ONE of the SYMPTOMS of stressful illnesses ? reduced levels of “happy chemicals” called neurotransmitters.
Neurotransmitters are the chemicals inside our brains that help to regulate our moods. So all anti-depressants do is to give the sufferer a “boost” by raising levels of neurotransmitters. The real issue here is that once the sufferer ceases the medication, there is a seventy percent chance of relapse.
The reason for relapse is because these drugs simply haven?t addressed the root cause of these illnesses. By boosting levels of our ?happy chemicals? all the drugs are doing is masking the problem. Now, in the short term, giving our mental well-being a boost by increasing the levels of ?happy chemicals? is very helpful in helping us START the process of recovery.
The last sentence is very important. It explains how these drugs should be used. Because when we feel stressed out, burned out, terrified of the future or that life has no point (all common feelings associated with stressful and depressive illnesses), we find it almost impossible to function. Finding our own way ?out of the tunnel? is mission impossible.
And that?s where antidepressants can help. In giving us a boost, we can feel more able to cope. We can START to take the first steps towards ending our suffering.
But they will not provide a permanent cure. They only way to cure these painful illnesses is to address the root cause as to why these illnesses arise. The root cause is down to harmful mental habits and processes we have learned and put to use for most of our lives ? since childhood in the majority of instances.
And there lies the crucial difference. Antidepressants can help us in the short-term by CONTROLLING the illness. Learning the mental habits and processes that crush these illnesses so they cannot even begin to arise help us in the long-term by CURING these illnesses.
Something else I think you’ll find illuminating about these drugs:
No single drug has proven to be more effective than any other and the latest research conducted at Yale university in the United States has revealed that drugs are ineffective for seventy percent of sufferers. This is because chemical imbalances in the brain are a symptom and not a cause.
You now know why this is so.
What?s also interesting to note is that sales of these drugs in the US alone are worth $12 BILLION annually. Pretty good for something that cannot provide a cure don?t you think? Of course, one of the issues here is having a sufferer paying thousands of hard-earned dollars for a drug which cannot cure them month in, month out, year in, year out.
I don?t think that?s right. Because I firmly believe that people who are suffering from stress, anxiety, panic, depression and similar illnesses, want to get rid of it from their lives forever. Cure means cured, permanently.
I overcame a terrible 5 year period of anxiety-induced depression without taking any antidepressants. By learning to address the harmful mental habits and processes which took me to the lowest point anyone can go, I turned my life around and found happiness again.
What worked for me will work for you and it will provide the one thing you deserve and what antidepressant drugs can never provide: A permanent cure to your suffering.
IMPORTANT: PLEASE CONSULT WITH YOUR HEALTH PROFESSIONAL BEFORE YOU STOP TAKING ANY ANTIDEPRESSANT MEDICATION.
Chris Green is the author of the new book ?Conquering Stress?, a special program which will show you how to conquer stressful illnesses such as depression, anxiety, panic and worry permanently and without taking powerful drugs. You can learn more about this new book and purchase it at http://www.conqueringstress.com
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I receive many emails from concerned relatives, partners and friends who are trying to help a loved one suffering the torment of a stressful or depressive episode. Sometimes, it’s easy to forget that people who love us are also affected by these illnesses and may find it difficult to understand what’s happening. They want to help, but just don’t know what to do for the best.
Having lived with a depressed partner for 3 years and suffered anxiety and depression for 5 years, I’ve experienced both sides. In this article, I’ll show you exactly what you can do - and, what you shouldn’t do - to help your loved one.
1. Please, however frustrated you feel, please never say to a depressed or stressed person: “Come on, snap out of it. What have you got to be worried or sad about anyway. People have it much worse than you.” Please understand that these illnesses cannot be “snapped out of.” You wouldn’t say this to someone with high blood pressure or pneumonia because you know it isn’t that simple. Stress, depression and anxiety are real illnesses that have specific causes. Asking someone to snap out of it makes that person feel inadequate or that they’re doing something wrong. Absolutely not so. Comparing their circumstances to people who are suffering greater hardship is no use either. I couldn’t have given two hoots about other people when I was ill because their circumstances meant nothing to me. I was struggling to solve my own problems and couldn’t see anything else. Knowing that others are starving, are terminally ill, or suffer in squalor didn’t matter a jot because they didn’t make my problems go away. One more thing about such statements: they confront the sufferer with their illness and they put
pressure on them. This will cause sufferers to retreat further and further into their own world. Better is to offer love and support: “I’m always here if you need me or want to talk.” And 3 little words can mean so much: “I love you.” I didn’t hear them for 3 years and believe me, I
missed them so very much.
2. As a loved one, it is totally natural to want to understand what is happening. Many loved ones conduct research into these illnesses to develop understanding. Nothing wrong with that whatsoever. However, a problem can arise if you start to impose your knowledge on the sufferer.
This happens when you observe certain behaviors and habits performed by sufferers and comment on why they are behaving in such a way. For example, you hear a sufferer put themselves down, so you say “That’s a part of your illness. I’ve been reading about it and self-deprecation is one of the reasons why people become depressed. You need to stop putting yourself down.” Again, this is confrontational and puts the sufferer under pressure. All they’ll do is dismiss your comments and clam up whenever you’re around as they’ll feel they’re being scrutinised. A better way is to challenge them very gently by reminding them of a time when they did something good. For example, you hear a sufferer say: “I’m useless, I never get anything right.” You can say “Sure you do, hey, remember the time when you…”. Do you see the difference in approach? The first is more like a doctor
assessing a patient, the second is just a normal, natural conversation and doesn’t mention stress, depression or anxiety. This is very, very helpful as it shifts focus from a bad event: “I’m useless…” to a good one: “remember when..” without exerting pressure.
3. Finally, you may find a resource - a book, a video, a supplement etc. - that you think will help someone to beat their illness. Perfectly natural. But there’s a problem. It confronts the sufferer with their illness and puts them under pressure to do something about it. The result of this will be resentment followed by retreat into their own world. Isolation is a part of these illnesses. Sometimes, you just can’t bear to be around people. My ex-partner used to sleep
in a dark room for an entire weekend because she just couldn’t handle anyone being around her. “I bore people, I’ve nothing to say of interest and I don’t want anyone asking me how I’m feeling. I just want to be on my own.” I know, it cuts you to ribbons when you hear such words from someone you care deeply about. But please, you must resist the urge to DIRECTLY give them a resource you think will help them. For someone to emerge from these illnesses, they have to make the decision themselves. A direct offer will more often than not be refused. So, if you find something you think will help, leave it lying around somewhere your loved one will find it. The idea here is for them to CHOOSE by themselves to investigate further. Such an INDIRECT approach is more effective because once again, there is no pressure, no reminder, no confrontation. It is the sufferer who takes a willing first step towards recovery.
It is so hard to understand and reach loved ones when they’re caught up in these illnesses but please believe me, these ideas are very effective and they will help.
Until next time.
About the Author
Looking to beat stress, anxiety or depression QUICKLY? “Conquering Stress” reveals the powerful, effective secrets so you can beat these illnesses once and for all DRUG FREE! Click Here ==>http://www.conqueringstress.com

