More and more people are taking antidepressants

More and more people in America are taking antidepressants, as TIME reports, despite this research finding, reported in February 2008 in the Telegraph: Anti-depressants 'no better than dummy pills' by a Hull University team led by Prof Irving Kirsch. And remember, they have many harmful side-effects, e.g. weight gain is a common side-effect of antidepressants and other pharmaceutical drugs.

And remember, when you read the claims of pharmaceutical firms that antidepressants are effective, that "Research undertaken by pharmaceutical companies cannot be trusted." - See http://www.inthenews.co.uk/news/news/business/pharmaceuticals-need-clinical-trial-regulation-$443564.htm where Sir Iain Chalmers, editor of treatment monitoring organisation the James Lind Library, argues that the untrustworthiness of clinical health trials has reached endemic proportions in the UK.

A brief search on the internet will find many other examples of collusion between researchers and the drug companies, e.g. The Boston Globe's article about Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa's investigation into whether Harvard child psychiatrist Dr. Joseph Biederman's association with pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson influenced his research findings about their psychotropic drugs, and therefore harmed children.

MIND, the mental health charity, recommends a walk in the country as being helpful in lifting depression.

Are you on a diet? - Dieting is an often overlooked, but significant cause of depression. Good nutrition is an excellent way to improve your health. Obviously when you are not eating enough for the needs of your body and your brain you will experience both physical and mental harm. - It is not necessary (or desirable, or effective or even safe) to diet to lose weight. The safe, natural way to lose excess weight is to cut down on salt and salty food. Avoid ready meals and takeaways because these are usually highly salted and offer poor nutrition. They are likely to worsen your feelings of depression.