Author Description

Does your life feel like a quiet despair, a downward spiral with no light at the end of the tunnel? Do you feel lonely, blasé, and unenthusiastic about life? If so, you are definitely not alone... In the past few years, depression rates have skyrocketed, and research suggests that one in four Americans will suffer from depression at some point in their lives. Depression isn't what happens when your team loses a game of football or when a pickpocket steals your brand new IPhone. It is not an ephemeral change in emotions or an indication of weakness either. Depression is a long lasting low mood that interferes with day-to-day life to the point where it becomes an unbearable burden. Major depressive disorder is a serious condition that over time damages the brain and the body. Unfortunately many people still confuse this condition with mere feelings of sadness and the advice that we hear so often ("suck it up" or "just snap out of it") stems directly from this misunderstanding. Depression is classified as serious mental condition that requires medical attention and treatment and antidepressants have become the most commonly prescribed treatment to address the symptoms of depression. However, in recent years, antidepressants have raised a multitude of concerns due to their wide range of side effects which include suicide, sleep disturbances, weight gain, increased relapse rates and loss of sexual desire, just to name a few. Many patients who have taken antidepressants have had their depression worsen over the long-term through a process called antidepressant-induced chronic depression. The FDA has even instructed all antidepressant drug manufacturers to add a black warning label (the most serious one) to their medication. In light of this, many doctors and patients are now looking to alternative solutions for treating depression. Dr Mark Hyman, eight-time #1 New York Times bestselling author, openly says in an article published on t