Many media outlets roundly criticized Bobby Kennedy for suggesting SSRIs are harmful to children. Yet scientific evidence increasingly supports that a brain chemical imbalance does not cause depression and that antidepressants are only marginally curative. A recent study now suggests depression may be caused or aggravated by household chemicals, for which pharmaceutical companies then prescribe SSRIs.
Blame it on the Brain
For decades, conventional wisdom held that depression was caused by deficiencies of neurotransmitters (particularly serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine) that impacted brain function. As reported in Psychology Today in July 2022, the standard explanation of chemical imbalance in the brain as causative of depression is wrong:
“This notion emerged, not coincidentally, in the late '80s with the introduction of Prozac—a drug that appeared to be helpful in treating depression by increasing levels of the brain neurotransmitter serotonin.
Pushed heavily by the pharmaceutical industry, as well as reputable professional organizations such as the American Psychiatric Association, this storyline has since become the dominant narrative with regard to depression, accepted by the majority of people in the U.S., and leading more and more people to think of their psychological difficulties in terms of chemical brain processes. Depression treatment, in turn, has leaned ever more heavily on antidepressant medications….”
Surveys show nearly 85% of respondents believed these chemical imbalances were the likely cause of depression, but further research hasn’t borne that out. A study in the journal Molecular Psychiatry in 2023 “indicated there is little evidence to suggest that depression is caused by chemical imbalances in the brain.” Depression is a multi-faceted condition that impacts 23 million American adults and adolescents, is a major risk factor for suicide, and costs billions of dollars annually in economic impacts. SSRIs are an increasingly dubious treatment therapy.
SSRI Stigma
The “blame-it-on-the brain” stigma has plagued sufferers of depression for decades to the detriment of mental health. Childhood trauma is a known cause of depression. Social media and even social justice ideology have aggravated a problem that is perhaps best treated by cognitive behavioral therapy. SSRIs are chemical interventions that cause a multitude of side effects, including often dramatic loss of sexual function, suicidal ideation, and a propensity for violence. A 2002/2004 article in the International Journal of Risk & Safety in Medicine titled “Suicidality, violence and mania caused by selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs): A review and analysis” stated:
“Evidence from many sources confirms that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) commonly cause or exacerbate a wide range of abnormal mental and behavioral conditions.
“In May 1990 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration required the manufacturer of Prozac, Eli Lilly and Company, to add “suicidal ideation” and “violent behaviors” to the Postintroduction Reports section of its label.”
Nevertheless, attacks on Bobby Kennedy criticized his warnings about SSRIs. Under the inflammatory headline “RFK Jr. made a false claim about antidepressants during his hearing,” NPR claimed, “Though he lacks medical training, he has been a critic of antidepressant medications — a class of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs. ...Decades of research have shown SSRI use to be safe and effective…” The Hill printed an article titled “RFK Jr. targets psychiatric medications, SSRIs in childhood health review,” claiming “....physicians and psychiatric experts who spoke with The Hill said they are more concerned that many children who could benefit from SSRIs or other such medications lack access to these drugs.”
These statements are hard to reconcile with a plethora of evidence that backs Kennedy’s claims. The BMJ (formerly the British Medical Journal) published a 2017 report, “Antidepressants increase the risk of suicide, violence and homicide at all ages,” which states:
“It can no longer be doubted that antidepressants are dangerous and can cause suicide and homicide at any age…. It is absurd to use drugs for depression that increase the risk of suicide and homicide when we know that cognitive behavioural therapy can halve the risk of suicide in patients who have been admitted after a suicide attempt …and when psychotherapy does not increase the risk of murder.”
Treating Chemical Harms with Chemicals That Harm
Recent studies suggest that a chief contributor to depression may be everyday chemical exposure that “triggers inflammatory responses that directly affect brain function and mood regulation.” Children and pregnant women are especially vulnerable. Lead, BPA, phthalates, PCBs, insecticides, fumigants, and other contaminants found in food, household cleaning products, plastics, drinking water, and furniture are more likely culprits for depression than serotonin or dopamine levels. Natural News reports:
“The findings of this research challenge the conventional understanding of depression and highlight the urgent need to address environmental toxicity. While pharmaceutical companies push expensive drugs that mask symptoms, addressing the root causes of inflammation and toxicant exposure offers real hope for reversing America’s deepening mental health crisis. By taking proactive steps to reduce chemical exposure, individuals can protect their mental health and well-being.”
Americans may find it depressing to learn that the chemical contamination saturating their homes and food supplies is causing ADHD, depression, and other mental health crises. It is also depressing that Big Pharma has for years blamed depression sufferers’ brains when they may be victims of pollution. Still, these insights offer a real cure through prevention rather than buying chemical drugs that, at best, mask symptoms and, at worst, aggravate them.
Bobby Kennedy appears to be on to something that will make America healthy again.
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