36: Why SSRIs Are Ineffective & Dangerous for Depression | Dr. Roger McFillin, Psy.D., ABPP

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“The dangers of medicalizing the human condition are nothing short of a silent epidemic in American society. This dangerous trend pathologizes the core of human experience, categorizing everyday emotions and responses to trauma and life's challenges as disorders. It's a slippery slope into psychiatric over-diagnosis, overmedication, and a lifetime of pharmaceutical dependency.” – Dr. Roger McFillin, Psy.D., ABPP
The notion that depression is the result of a “chemical imbalance” in the brain 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 serotonin. Pushed heavily by Big Pharma as well as organizations including the American Psychiatric Association, this storyline has become the dominant narrative up until recently, in which an umbrella review (led by Joanna Moncrieff) concluded that, “The main areas of serotonin research provide no consistent evidence of there being an association between serotonin and depression, and no support for the hypothesis that depression is caused by lowered serotonin activity or concentrations.”
Join me in this episode as Dr. Roger McFillin and I discuss topics including dispelling some of the myths around depression being a chemical imbalance, the over-use of prescription medications, and some of the issues today that are threatening to take away our medical freedom.

Despite being formally trained in evidence-based treatments and achieving Board Certification in Behavioral & Cognitive Psychology from the American Board of Professional Psychologists, Dr. Roger McFillin has witnessed countless individuals deteriorate under these supposedly “best available evidence” recommendations. Many who turned to drugs and medical interventions to improve their mental health worsened dramatically. In an attempt to resolve the conflict between what he was seeing in clinical practice and what he was told to be safe and effective, Dr. McFillin immersed himself in scientific literature, delved into ancient philosophy, and scrutinized historical texts. His revelations were astounding. Much of the current scientific base that informs psychiatry and the mental health field is infected with corruption and bias. Dr. McFillin now shares his experience, and addresses the pervasive issues that threaten to take away our medical freedoms in his captivating Radically Genuine Podcast.
Suggested Resources:

• DrMcFillin.com
• Radically Genuine Podcast | Instagram | Twitter
• How To Raise a Healthy Child In Spite of Your Doctor
• Dr. John Ioanni

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• To access notes from the show & full transcripts, head over to WellnStrong's Podcast Page

Chapter

1. 36: Why SSRIs Are Ineffective & Dangerous for Depression | Dr. Roger McFillin, Psy.D., ABPP (00:00:00)

2. What is the sick care model of healthcare? (00:05:52)

3. The importance of informed consent (00:07:50)

4. Dr. McFillin's background (00:08:19)

5. Healthcare spending in the U.S. & the lucrative industry of big pharma (00:10:39)

6. The medicalization of the human condition (00:12:07)

7. Depression is a condition, not a disease (00:13:47)

8. The percentage of adults currently taking an antidepressant (00:14:52)

9. The chemical imbalance myth - why serotonin is not implicated in depression (00:15:25)

10. The sick care model (00:15:43)

11. The power of placebo (00:16:48)

12. Physicians aren't as independent & critically minded as we think (00:19:35)

13. The serotonin theory of depression: a systematic umbrella review of the evidence (00:20:16)

14. Where do we start in correcting the current system? (00:23:03)

15. The horrific effects of anti-depressant usage among young adolescent brains (00:24:24)

16. Factors contributing to our increasing rates of chronic illness (00:27:37)

17. Challenges that our doctors face (00:29:06)

18. The medical information mess & flawed public research (00:29:43)

19. The lack of a personsalized approach & the drug solution in oncology (00:31:39)

20. How to taper off drugs (00:33:00)

21. Decreasing levels of testosterone (00:42:11)

22. Over 80% of drugs prescribed by primary care doctors (00:43:48)

23. Exploring rebates & financial payments from pharma (00:44:52)

24. How to treat depression (00:46:31)

25. Most depressive episodes are episodic (00:49:38)

26. Could depression be genetic? (00:52:27)

27. The impact of a mother's thoughts on the developing nervous system of her child (00:54:48)

28. Ways we can advocate for our medical freedom (00:56:41)

29. Birth control & breast cancer (01:00:24)

30. How to Raise a Healthy Child in Spite of Your Doctor (01:01:15)

31. Why the flu vaccine isn't effective (01:05:27)

32. Hidden incentives among doctors (01:10:02)

33. Where Dr. McFilin stands on the vaccine spectrum (01:10:16)

34. Basic principles of good health (01:13:03)