Disclaimer: I am not a physician, psychologist, or psychiatrist or doctor. I'm just a guy who is creating a platform for men who want to conquer their demons and become the hero of their story.
None of this is advice, I can't care about your life more than you do. You can make your own decisions. This is just stuff I have picked up on the topic of mental health, as well as the practices that have worked for me personally. Use this for informational purposes only.
Imagine you're standing at a crossroads, feeling overwhelmed by the weight of depression. The doctor hands you a tiny pill, promising it will bring back the colours of life. You think, "Finally, a solution!" But here's the harsh truth: antidepressants aren't the magic cure we've been led to believe.
For decades, antidepressants have been hailed as the go-to remedy for depression, prescribed to millions of people like hot cakes. The idea was simple: rebalance the chemicals in the brain, particularly serotonin, to lift the dark cloud of despair and free you from this mental disease. However, recent research challenges this theory, suggesting that serotonin levels may not be the root cause of depression after all.
Clinical trials conducted in the 1980s and 1990s revealed a surprising finding: antidepressants showed only slight superiority over sugar pills in relieving depression. Around 40% of patients improved with a placebo, while 50-60% saw benefits from the actual medication. How effective are antidepressants if 40% of people achieved similar results with a sugar pill?
Another study, involving 4,000 patients, found that less than 30% experienced a decrease of depression after 14 weeks of taking a commonly prescribed antidepressant. Many of those who did recover later relapsed. Similar studies have reached the same conclusions: antidepressants perform no better than placebos. In fact, pharmaceutical companies have even developed additional drugs to boost the effectiveness of the initial antidepressant, if it proves to be ineffective.
Aside from their limited effectiveness, antidepressants come with a bunch of unwanted side effects. Weight gain, loss of sexual desire, and a blunting of emotional sensitivity are just a few examples. These side effects strain relationships, worsening the very condition they are meant to treat. Moreover, the use of antidepressants has been linked to an increase in suicidal thoughts and behaviour in younger individuals.
I don’t want to dismiss antidepressants entirely though. In super severe cases of depression, where even basic tasks becomes a struggle, these medications can be a lifeline. And by basic tasks I mean you haven’t got out of bed in months because it seems like a monumental effort. In this case happy pills can offer a glimmer of hope, lifting the heavy fog long enough for individuals to take small steps toward recovery. And those small steps can set off a chain reaction, leading to positive changes and a way out of the darkness.
But ultimately happy pills aren’t the answer. They offer some short term respite but it’s through healthy lifestyle practices that you can effectively manage the darkness.
You are responsible for making sure your body produces chemicals that make you feel good.
Responsibility is simply the ability to respond. It's YOUR body so the state of your mental brain chemistry regardless of what happened to you is on YOU.
Exercise has been proven to be the most effective anti-depressant on the market. Check out our physical mastery guide to get all the info you need on all things exercise. From the fundamentals of training and a workout plan, to the mindset you need to develop for motivation, we've got you covered. Take action the link to that guide is HERE
Always remember, you were born to be the hero of your story.
Free your outlaw.