“In some countries, including the United States, about 10% of the entire population is in treatment with depression pills. This is a tragedy. These drugs do not have relevant effects on depression; they increase the risk of suicide and violence; and they make it more difficult for patients to live normal lives. They should therefore be avoided. We have been fooled by the drug industry, corrupt doctors on industry payroll, and by our drug regulators.
Surely, many patients and doctors believe the pills are helpful, but they cannot know this, because people tend to become much better with time even if they are not treated. This is why we need placebo-controlled trials to find out what the drugs do to people. Unfortunately, virtually all trials are flawed, exaggerate the benefits of the drugs, and underestimate their harms.” […]
The Most Revolutionary Act 
Depression is a symptom of capitalism. Depression is caused by capitalism. Depression cannot be cured by taking an antidepressant because the reasons for depression are very real. They are not a figment of the mind. Depression is due to the fact that people are sick and tired of being sick and tired of their seemingly mundane existence. What is there to hope for? What is there to be happy about when millions are just grinding away at meaningless jobs, day in and day out and they want a way out? Who in their right mind would want to stay on a hamster wheel, going nowhere? And these doctors that prescribe these antidepressants are themselves, sick and tired and are prescribing antidepressants for themselves. No one is enjoying themselves; not the rich, not the poor and not those who are supposedly somewhere in between. We are all mentally screwed because we live in a society that is so screwed up, millions just want out.
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You make some excellent points, Shelby, especially about the hamster wheel we live on. That’s how drug companies test out new antidepressants – they put rats in a vat of water and run an electric current and then give some of them an antidepressant. They assess the new drug as effective if it causes them to swim longer before they gave up.
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Hmm, thank the Budha for Amitriptyline without it my constricted painful throat that kept me awake because i thought i would suffocate now i still have the painful throat lying down but fall asleep knowing i will not suffocate. Chronic Autoimmune syndromes are not nice.
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Many physical diseases can exacerbate depression symptoms because they effect the brain. Diabetes, metal poisoning, parkinsons, demetias that are environmental. Chronic infections like lymes. Muricans are very stupid.
Chagas is one of them.
Chagas in Tennesssee report 4 years ago news 5
Many more have chagas in the south and southwestern USA now, than they are saying. That is because kssing bugs are everywhere. Chagas infects dogs and cats. Many refugees have it. It is in the blood supply. It is like heart worms in dogs . Slowly eats out the heart. Hard to test for. Few drugs available for it in america. The bugs came on cruise ships and ships and some refugees. its epidemic from caloifornia to the east coast to mexico central america and brazil where it started . The parasite is related to tse tse fly sickness in africa . very hard to kill.
Chagas in Tennesssee report 4 years ago news 5
How can ameicans be so naive? Elisas and antibodiy lab tests are not foolproof most are very flawed in this fake goddamned nomans land, with one of the most bogus and worst medical aystems in the world where doctors are bribled by pceu companies and laboritories testing outfits and shakled by bean counting private insurance. USA doctors, misdiagnose half of their patienst and try to sell people gadgets and get worthless lab tests to blood suck people more.
There are many people with Hep C in murica that do not know it. Even after getting bogus tests for it. The only way they could find out for sure is biopsy and, how many would do that.
Chagas is almost undetectable. It is the most neglected troppical disease in the United states now. American are the most brainwashed fuks in the world. They should know better!
Chagas is commonly spread to humans and other mammals by the blood-sucking “kissing bugs” of the subfamily Triatominae. These insects are all over the Usa now and in europe. The disease is also be spread through blood transfusion, organ transplantation, eating food contaminated with the parasites, and by vertical transmission (from a mother to her fetus).Diagnosis of early disease is by finding the parasite in the blood using a microscope is hard Chronic disease is diagnosed by finding antibodies for T. cruzi in the blood but the elisa and antibody tests are not very effective especially in chronic chagas
Prevention mostly involves eliminating kissing bugs and avoiding their bites or bed-nets. Early infections are treatable with the medication benznidazole or nifurtimox which are extremely toxic like chemotherapy and not even avaliable in the USa or latin america anymore. Medication becomes less effective the longer a person has had Chagas disease When used in chronic disease, medication may delay or prevent the development of end–stage symptoms. Benznidazole and nifurtimox cause temporary side effects in up to 40% of people including skin disorders, brain toxicity, and digestive system irritation.
movements have increased the areas where ] Chagas disease was first described in 1909 by the Brazilian physician Carlos Chagas, Chagas disease is classified as a neglected tropical disease. It affects more than 150 other animals
The kissing bug vector does not do well in cold climates but with global warming and climate change it is thriving in the United States now
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Thanks for your interesting comment, Arthur. I personally am interested in the role the intestinal microbiome plays in depression, immunity, neurological illnesses and autoimmune diseases. Most doctors seemed to have missed the boat on this.
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Gerry, it turns out some of the antidepressants have other beneficial effects. I think the point of the article is that they’re not very effective for depression. When they do randomized controlled trials they’re only slight more effective than placebo.
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