What started as an honest hypothesis is, and has for some time been known to be mere hypothesis,  entirely false.

Indeed,  drug companies are  careful in their literature  to claim it as no more than  a “belief”: take a moment to check the info slip provided with your medication – you will not see the phrase:

“caused by a chemical imbalance”

unless it is preceded by

” is believed  to be…”

The whole point of the scientific method is to put forward a hypothesis so it can be tested and  potentially proved wrong – well this one was – big time – and a long time ago.

Yet it’s still being sold to you  dressed up as a scientifically proven fact when the obverse is known to be true.

Drug companies know this well and long ago gave up telling you directly that your “condition” is caused by a chemical imbalance because it’s easier for them to get your doctor to do it for them – and this lets them off the hook: because they never actually said it, right?

“They say”, who is this they?
If you repeat this lie then it’s you.

The drug company knows its not true, your doctor knows it too. It’s just the easiest way to get you to take the meds and keep you taking them forever. It never had any real “scientific” or “evidence” basis.

The clever, convincing lines you’ve likely heard from your Doc or mini-me MH worker….

• “disorder”
• “chemical imbalance”
• “like insulin for diabetes”

..were dreamt up and tested not in the halls of medicine but in glass-walled offices on Madison Aveanue; and based not on scientfic research but on  market research. 

Kinda puts your doc in an awkward spot, eh?

Psychiatric meds do not correct chemical imbalance – they simply create a new one.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing: might save your life in the short term; might help you get some sleep; help you put a hold on a rapid decline; might give you a break from overwhelming life situation – all good reasons to consider how meds can help you.

After 40 years of pharma reps, doctors, social workers and all the others thinking they need to lie to you for your own good, it’s time for them to come clean.

Psychiatric meds “correct” nothing and they  “balance” nothing: they just might be useful – for a while at least – and if used very carefully.

Now, we emphatically are not  her anti-meds (nor anti anything) but we are for honesty and we are for giving people honest information so they can make informed decisions.

Isn’t it  time that Doctors stopped lying to patients about “chemical imbalances”?

Isn’t it time that Doctors stopped lying to patients about “chemical imbalances?”

We’d like  instead for Doctors and other self-described “mental health professionals” to talk about the therapeutic effects – both desireable and undesireable – of the chemicals they prescribe promote, and proffer as medicine.

We’d like to see meds offered not as the only therapy but alongside other options.

We’d like to  see other options offerd as options – not just because they have ben shown in rigged trials to   “increase the efficacy of medications”.

We’d really like it, in fact, for meds to become  the adjunct – not the primary therapy – and used to help other approaches work; and used more often than not for a limited period only .

We’d certainly like a lot to see them not handed out like candy nor given to kids.

…and we’d also like to see no one but no one be put on psychiatric medications without a plan and a date –  and experienced support – for coming off safely when they no longer “need” them.

…and while we’re at it let’s have no doctor prescribe psychiatric meds without having been trained to use them ptoperly and trained not just to prescribe them but specifically to bring people off .

…and ideally lets have no doctor prescribe them without having taken them themselves first – so they can see just how crap it feels.

You can find plenty of resources here and elsewhere online – try using the search box and type “coming off” .

Psychiatric drugs can be helpful. They can also mess you up – and never more than if you suddenly stop taking them – please don’t :  reducing slowly is usually the way to go. Again, you can find info about this.

Some different ways you can find more on managing your meds here at recoverynetwork:Toronto

resources

• coming off medications https://recoverynetworktoronto.wordpress.com/resources/coming-off-medications/
• reclaiming you rpower during medication visits https://recoverynetworktoronto.wordpress.com/resources/reclaiming-your-power-during-medication-visits/

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