Statistics show antidepressants have little to no effect on suicide prevention

Friday, May 27, 2016 by: Sarah Landers
Tags: antidepressants, depression, natural alternatives

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(NaturalNews) The proportion of people in the U.S. taking antidepressants is truly astounding, according to a report by the National Center for Health Statistics, which reveals that one in every 10 Americans is taking an antidepressant. As reported by Harvard Health Publications, that includes 23 percent of women in their 40s and 50s. Women are actually 2.5 times more likely to be taking an antidepressant than men are.

Less than a third of Americans taking antidepressants have seen a mental health professional in the past year, according to Harvard Health Publications, and this particular form of medication is prescribed on a very regular basis. But statistics have actually shown that antidepressants have little to no effect on the prevention of suicides.

Antidepressants don't necessarily work

As reported by Science Daily, antidepressants are currently the cornerstone of treatment in depressive disorders in terms of healthcare. However, recent reports suggest that they might actually worsen suicidal tendencies. The World Health Organization estimates that annually about one million people worldwide commit suicide – which is more than the number that die in armed conflicts, as victims of terror or in natural disasters.

In multiple psychological autopsy studies, 90 percent of those who committed suicide were shown to have been suffering from mental disorders, as reported by Science Daily – with mood disorders, depression and bipolar disorders being associated with around 60 percent of suicides. But an alarming study shows that antidepressants have been found to be associated with patients reporting suicidal thoughts or a suicide attempt in children and adolescents under 19 years of age.

According to Science Daily, "It is undisputable that at least among children and adolescents, antidepressants have some potential of causing harm to a small subgroup of vulnerable patients, at least in the beginning of treatment."

Natural remedies for depression

If you are taking antidepressants and would like to stop taking them, there are some important strategies you need to put into place in order to permanently reverse depression. Here are some fantastic natural remedies you can try to relieve the symptoms of depression:

• Spend more time in nature: According to Natural News, sunlight exposure can stimulate the hormones that help combat depression, and breathing fresh air full of negative ions from trees and plants can prevent depression at a bioelectric level.
• Exercise regularly: Exercise stimulates your brain to create its own natural antidepressant drug and can help you feel good for up to 24 hours.
• Eat more omega-3 oils: Dietary supplements, wild-caught salmon, flax seeds, chia seeds and other sources will boost your omega-3 levels, which has been proven to reduce the likelihood of depression by 30 percent, according to a Norwegian study, as reported by Life Extension.
• Eat organic: Increase your mineral intake by eating and drinking lots of fresh organic produce.
• Try yoga and meditation: According to Everyday Health, relaxation techniques such as yoga, deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation and meditation have all been used to relieve symptoms of depression and reduce stress.
• Try St. John's Wort: This natural extract from a wild-growing shrub can be used to treat mild depression.
• Get acupuncture: A natural healing treatment which is great for pregnant women who cannot take drugs, acupuncture was proven to be 69 percent effective at treating depression in a study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.

There are many ways to help treat depression without turning to Big Pharma – and natural remedies should always be tried first to avoid becoming dependent on an unnecessary drug treatment.

Sources include:

ScienceDaily.com

ThisIsLocalLondon.co.uk

HarvardHealth.edu

NaturalNews.com

EverydayHealth.com

Science.NaturalNews.com