The Harrowing Tale of Anti-Depressants and What You Can Do Instead

https://twitter.com/DerekMWolf/status/641612422248165376

This is the type of nonsense being force-fed to men and boys of all ages. Psychologists and pharmaceutical companies profit from man’s unending misery – they profit wildly and without remorse.

Adding insult to injury, certain kinds of anti-depressants can lower your testosterone levels. And it has been proven that low testosterone levels cause depression. Potentially, anti-depressants can make depression even worse!

https://twitter.com/DerekMWolf/status/643623005734629376

It’s heartbreaking to realize that so many of our boys are on psychiatric drugs.

They are forced to sit in an unnatural teaching environment – the public school system – for 8 hours a day. Barred from being outdoors in the wild, running and playing and being free, their energy gets pent up. They become restless.

Eventually the boy is punished for being restless. And in time, many boys will be given drugs to calm their restlessness.

But the problem is never solved. The cause of restlessness is still there.

This creates a vicious, self-perpetuating cycle that brings misery. Such an unhappy life will of course lead to depression.

Enter anti-depressant drugs. As I said earlier, these drugs can lower testosterone levels in men. That just makes things worse.

This isn’t just about boys, though. Girls are hurt too. Women are actually prescribed anti-depressants more than men, says the CDC.

For many reasons, I advise everyone to be cautious about anti-depressants. It’s just that our kids are being put at the greatest risk – a lifelong dependency on dangerous drugs. And this is a risk we cannot afford to take.

Who will we leave behind, to inherit our histories and our cultures? Will they be able to nurture and protect the world we leave behind?

Not if they are diseased or hooked on psychiatric drugs.

Our boys and girls need to be healthy and resilient. We need to do everything in our power to set them up for success.

But, let me take a step back and paint the broader picture about anti-depressants. Certain kinds have done terrible things to our family and friends. I’m going to share their history with you.

Also, I’ll give you solid advice on how to naturally keep your spirits high. Things you can do everyday to make your body and mind feel better.

First, let’s talk a little bit about depression.

Depression: a modern epidemic

Depression is rising towards epidemic status in America. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that 10 million Americans are seriously depressed.

Children and adults alike are at risk. It seems like more people are taking prescription anti-depressants than ever before. Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, and others are now household names.

According to the CDC:

• “Eleven percent of Americans aged 12 years and over take antidepressant medication.
• Females are more likely to take antidepressants than are males, and non-Hispanic white persons are more likely to take antidepressants than are non-Hispanic black and Mexican-American persons.
• About one-third of persons with severe depressive symptoms take antidepressant medication.
• More than 60% of Americans taking antidepressant medication have taken it for 2 years or longer, with 14% having taken the medication for 10 years or more.
• From 1988–1994 through 2005–2008, the rate of antidepressant use in the United States among all ages increased nearly 400%.”

Pharmaceutical companies are raking in billions… but are people being healed?

Are the dangerous side effects worth it? These wild, unfortunate (and well-documented) side effects include aggression, hostility, hallucinations, confusion, seizures, and both suicidal and homicidal thoughts.

Unfortunately there have been many shootings, suicides and murders within school and family settings. An eery common denominator – the person had been under “treatment” by anti-depressants.

Unintended consequences create harrowing, waking nightmares

The medications listed above belong to a group known as SSRI anti-depressants – selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Serotonin is the neurotransmitter believed to help maintain the feelings of well-being, happiness, worthiness, and so on. The goal of SSRIs is to prevent re-absorption of already-present serotonin. They believe it will “balance” the brain.

But there’s the initial problem. To quote Dr. Ann Blake Tracy, PhD, author of Prozac: Panacea or Pandora?

The last 15 years of my life have been devoted full time to researching and writing about SSRI* antidepressants. Research on serotonin has been clear … that the most damaging thing that could be done to the … system would be to impair one’s ability to metabolize serotonin. Yet that is exactly how SSRI antidepressants exert their effects.

For decades research has shown that impairing serotonin metabolism will produce … hostility, violent crime… impulsive behavior with no concern for punishment, and argumentative behavior.

Can you remember two decades ago when depressed people used to slip away quietly to kill themselves rather than killing everyone around them and then themselves as they do while taking SSRI antidepressants?

A study out of the University of Southern California in 1996 looked at a group of mutant mice in an experiment that had gone terribly wrong. These genetically engineered mice were the most violent creatures they had ever witnessed.

They were born lacking the… enzyme which metabolizes serotonin. As a result their brains were awash in serotonin. This excess serotonin is what the researchers determined was the cause for this extreme violence. Antidepressants produce the same end result as they inhibit the metabolism of serotonin.

It is believed that the high serotonin levels over stimulate the brain stem leading to a lack of muscle paralysis during sleep thus allowing the patient to act out the dreams or nightmares they are having.

Connecticut witnessed the Prozac-induced case of Kelly Silk several years ago.

This young mother attacked her family with a knife, then set the house on fire killing all but her 8 year old daughter who ran to the neighbors.

As she stood bleeding and screaming for help she explained, ‘Help! My mommy is having a nightmare!

They should have warned you

Prozac itself was dangerous right out the gate. Released to the public in ’88, by the winter of ’95 there had been over 35,000 reported adverse reactions (including hallucinations, hostility, assault, manslaughter, suicide) and nearly 2,400 deaths (Source: The Dark Side of Prozac).

Apparently Eli Lilly, the manufacturer, hid knowledge from initial testing that SSRIs did in fact cause these suicidal and homicidal tendencies. Moreover, their testing was extremely limited with most placebo trials lasting only 5-6 weeks.

Reports show 86% of testing patients remained under study for less than three months, with less than 300 people actually staying in the study for it’s full course.

That is an embarrassment to safety testing! No thought was given to the potentially disastrous, long term effects of these drugs.

The unsuspecting citizens, our friends and family, have been guinea pigs in a mass experiment on the safety of these harmful drugs.

My heart goes out to the many who’ve suffered at the hands of these crooks.

Interestingly enough, research shows that in terms of pharmacology SSRIs don’t truly function like a sedative or anti-depressant. They are a stimulant. They actually belong under the category of amphetamines.

This is partly what stirs agitation and hostility among patients. And probably why sedatives are often prescribed alongside these drugs. Many scientists have actually likened Prozac and friends to a legal form of cocaine, regarding its actual effect on our body and mind.

Doesn’t really sound like medicine, does it?

Enough’s enough – what are the alternatives?

What follows isn’t medical advice and should not replace the role of your doctor.

We are given the impression that for each specific disease there is a specific drug to treat it. But the most powerful change is made by our day to day choices of how we eat, think and live.

A poor diet will create problems that send a man to the doctor, where he receives drugs. The drugs do not fix the principle issue, in this case the poor diet. So what has been remedied?

A poor thought pattern will enslave you in a labyrinth of misery and stress. Take all the antidepressants in the world, but that poor thought pattern will still be there.

So why not get right to the root of the problem?

If someone isn’t feeling very energetic, happy or healthy, making basic lifestyle changes is an investment that pays dividends. Here are some suggestions.

Exercise to sweat the depression and worries away

To help prevent depression when my father died, I enrolled myself in 30 Days of Discipline and Body of a Spartan. These two programs helped me immensely.

30Days is a self-improvement course that will improve with your mindset. It teaches you how to stay focused and be excellent, consistently. That is important because it is the daily process in your life that builds great change. This program also gives you the resolve to make it through tough times.

And I still use Body of a Spartan to this day. It’s a fantastic weight-lifting program that covers food, exercises, routines, everything to give you a hardened body. It even has pictures to show you exactly how to do the exercises.

Lifting weights and doing other forms of intense exercise releases feel-good endorphins. This makes it easier to stay in a happy and positive mood.

Better still, having a good-looking body improves your confidence and self-image.

I am not personally very driven on the idea of being “jacked” or super-ripped. To each their own, but I am not looking to be a bodybuilder. My top priority is health.

My outlook on “the ideal physique” is to simply have a body that reflects an active, dynamic, and driven lifestyle.

And there’s more than one way to build an impressive and healthy body.

Going hiking, running, climbing, hunting, playing sports, martial arts, working in the yard, swimming, bodyweight exercises, lifting weights…

It’s mainly about: spend time challenging your body and mind. It builds a self-perpetuating loop of happiness and success (progress). This is in contrast to the self-destructive loop of TV, the couch, junk food, and negative thoughts.

Diet – because what you eat changes everything

In the article about how to beat seasonal allergies, I spoke of The Anti-Inflammatory Diet.

Research has now shown that depression is, at its root, an inflammation problem. More on that in a bit.

Generally, the Anti-Inflammatory Diet is a pretty solid guideline to follow. I recommended it for seasonal allergies but it would help keep a lot of health problems at bay.

It’s pretty much how I typically eat. Pastured or wild game meat, free range eggs, healthy fats, fruits and veggies as the bulk. I still eat pasta, homemade biscuits and gravy, and pizza. But in moderation.

The importance of plant foods cannot be overstated. Especially so for those with depression.

If you don’t want to deal with eating a bucketful of veggies everyday, I highly recommend juicing or making green shakes.

Fit Juice is my favorite source for that. There is a wealth of information on the website, for free. They also offer a fantastic set of juicing e-books.

I also highly recommend eating lots of fermented foods. You can make raw sauerkraut at home very easily. It’s great for digestion, the immune system, hormones (especially testosterone) and more.

The health of our brain and gut (mostly regarding beneficial bacteria) are intertwined. Poor gut health can and will create neurological problems. So treat your brain and gut well.

Soak up the sunshine

There is a fascinating connection between sunlight and depression. Places with more overcast days have higher depression rates.

Sunlight, especially in the morning, is certifiably therapeutic. Let the warm rays of sunshine fall on your body and especially your forehead. Your hormones and circadian rhythm are affected by sunlight. It helps to improve your energy and mood.

Vitamin D is created internally when sunlight shines on your skin. Just 30 minutes of full body exposure during summer months can generate 20,000IU of vitamin D. That’s a lot, with most vitamin D supplements only giving 500-1,000IU per serving.

This is important because vitamin D is critical for growth, repair, and the immune system. You can’t be happy if your body is in shambles and you’re constantly getting sick. So get some sunshine!

If you don’t get enough B vitamins in the diet, consider supplementing

Infections, stress and alcohol are some factors that drain massive amounts of B vitamins from the body. This is important because depression, irritability and poor stress management are associated with B vitamin deficiency.

Following the food suggestions above will give you a great start on shoring up B vitamin intake. Emphasize dark leafy greens, free range chicken, their eggs, and grass-fed beef. And the juices and shakes suggested at Fit Juice.

If you prefer a supplement form of B vitamins, I recommend the liquid, non-alcohol kind.

Try meditation and visualization exercises

Meditation, whether done spiritually or just for relaxation, helps to release negative or stressful thoughts from the mind. It also releases stress from the body.

The easiest way to meditate is to sit in a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed. I prefer a comfortable sofa-chair in the living room or outdoors in the garden. Close your eyes, take relaxed, full breaths and begin mentally moving through your body. Feel each area relax, from head to toe.

When a thought comes into your mind, gently release it. Like slides on the movie screen, acknowledge them and let them pass without judgement. Eventually you reach this very relaxed state where you are in-tune with your body. There’s nothing nagging at your mind, as all thoughts get released and stop nagging at your attention.

This state of mind, having let go, is incredibly helpful for staying in a positive state of mind. For some, meditation is made more complex and even spiritual or religious. Prayer, in church is actually a form of active-meditation, as the hymns are repeated.

But there are tangible, proven benefits from just doing it non-religiously as a relaxation exercise.

Visualizing is something that I consider “workshop time” in the mind. Where you can lay out the blueprints for a brighter future. I discuss that a bit in Turning Dreams Into Reality – Harness the Power of WHY.

Now, if you’re looking for a meditation-and-self-improvement-program that will blow your socks off, you have to check out the Wim Hof Method. His unique program combines physical exercises, breathing techniques, visualization, meditation, and cold therapy. Among other benefits, his method boosts levels of feel-good serotonin in the body.

Recent research takes depression treatment into exciting new directions

Last, and certainly not least, exciting new research suggests that N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) may also offer a protective role against depression and other mental health troubles.

What is NAC?

N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC) – a stable form of the amino acid cysteine, NAC is required to produce the powerful antioxidant glutathione. Glutathione neutralizes the free radicals in our body that cause cellular damage through oxidative stress – another way of saying inflammatory damage.

Glutathione is used by the liver for detoxifying chemicals, heavy metals and poisons; including pollutants, tobacco smoke, exposure to radiation, chemotherapy, and alcohol. Altogether, glutathione protects the tissues of the brain, heart, arteries, immune cells, kidneys, eyes, liver, lungs, and skin.

NAC is such a powerful detoxifier that it is used in hospitals to treat acetaminophen (Tylenol) overdose. In fact, NAC is featured on the World Health Organization’s Model List of Essential Medicines under Antidotes and other substances used in poisonings.

Research shows that many neurological issues, including depression, bipolar disorder, Parkinson’s and even chronic fatigue syndrome (considered a “neuroimmune” disorder), all share a common denominator: strikingly low glutathione levels.

Additionally, it is well understood that glutathione levels drop with age.

Another report boldly declares, “So depression is an inflammatory disease, but where does the inflammation come from?“

In summary:

We now know that depression is associated with a chronic, low-grade inflammatory response and activation of cell-mediated immunity, as well as activation of the compensatory anti-inflammatory reflex system. It is similarly accompanied by increased oxidative and nitrosative stress.

The obvious question this poses is ‘what is the source of this chronic low-grade inflammation?’

A range of factors appear to increase the risk for the development of depression, and seem to be associated with systemic inflammation; these include psychosocial stressors, poor diet, physical inactivity, obesity, smoking, altered gut permeability, atopy, dental cares, sleep and vitamin D deficiency…

Most, but not all, of the above mentioned sources of inflammation may play a role in other psychiatric disorders, such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, autism and post-traumatic stress disorder.

What appears to happen is that as glutathione levels drop, the body loses its ability to defend itself against oxidative stress (inflammatory damage). Unable to fend off the attack, the body folds under pressure and the floodgate opens; releasing an unrelenting attack of free radical damage onto cells throughout the body.

As levels of inflammation rise throughout the brain and immune system, the risk of neurological problems, autoimmune diseases and so on skyrocket.

Mike Cernovich of Danger and Play and PD Mangan of Rogue Health and Fitness have shared some great research and touching personal experience on this subject.

Rogue Health and Fitness – N-Acetyl-Cysteine Can Improve Mental Health

Rogue Health and Fitness – Depression is an Inflammatory Disease

Danger and Play – How NAC Cured My Depression and Anxiety

Overall…

My opinion is that most people are put on anti-depressants before fully exploring their diet and lifestyle. It is to their detriment and often the doctor is to blame. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Let us spare our next generation of men from the misery of antidepressants
Steak'n eggs, sunshine, intense activity & study is the way.

— Derek Wolf (@DerekTheWolf) September 29, 2015

Are you in the process of overcoming depression? Have you already beat it? Leave a comment! The more we share, the more people can be helped.