Depression: The Lie of Antidepressants: ... and the Real Paths to Healing Book Nine

Author: Irving Kisch Professor of Psychology at the University of Hul

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Editions Mosaique Santé 2013.

Professor Irving Kirsch is a specialist in the placebo effect. Believing in the effectiveness of a drug is sometimes enough to make it effective. However, in his research, Irving Kirsch has studied the effects of antidepressants in particular. These molecules were designed to have a chemical action and have a real effect on the body. According to the ANSM (National Agency for the Safety of Medicines), all antidepressants have the same clinical efficacy, whether they are monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) or their colleagues.
And they act on neurotransmitters, chemical compounds released by neurons. But here's the thing: how can we explain that by giving patients an active placebo, that is to say a drug that does not have the typical chemical effects of antidepressants but mimics their side effects (dry mouth, decreased libido, drowsiness, etc.), we obtain roughly the same results on depression? Irving Kirsch shows us by A plus B, by analyzing a multitude of clinical trials, that antidepressants are never anything but super placebos.
On the other hand, cognitive behavioral therapy can help patients get through it and has real long-term effectiveness. At a time when antidepressants are one of the most prescribed prescription drugs in the world and represent a $19 billion business, Professor Kirsch's innovative and alternative thinking puts hope and personal approach back at the heart of the healing process.