Chemical Imbalance Myths

Pharmaceutical ads for antidepressants say depression is a physical disease to promote the sale of antidepressant medication. Wayne Goodman, chairman of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, says the chemical imbalance story is a "useful metaphor" but he would never tell a patient that he is suffering from a chemical imbalance. That was reported by counselor Beth McHugh on the website http://mental-health.families.com.

Myth

• Disorders such as anxiety and depression are caused by too little of a neurotransmitter, or low serotonin, in the brain. For many years, multinational companies have benefited from claims that depleted serotonin in the brain is linked to depression.

Theory

• It takes only two to three imbalanced neurotransmitters out of more than 100 to develop depression. In 1963, psychiatrists experimented with drugs, mostly LSD, and discovered a wide variety of behaviors, emotions and personalities they could influence in a person with a tiny amount of the drug. "Life Magazine" introduced the concept of brain chemical imbalances based on these experiments, says the website http://www.antidepressantsfacts.com.

Fact

• There is no evidence that any mental disorder is associated with chemical imbalance in the brain, says the website http://www.thehealthyskeptic.org.

Risk

• Low serotonin levels have been associated with mental states and behavioral patterns such as depression, aggressiveness, suicide, lack of self-confidence, failure, low impulse control, binge eating and substance abuse.

Warning

• Studies and case reports have established that antidepressant use can cause permanent damage to vital organs.