Depression Is Not Caused by a Chemical Imbalance

Here is the link to my Change Your Brain course:

Despite 85-90% of people believing that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance, there is no evidence that a chemical imbalance causes depression or is associated with depression. A new meta-analysis by the University College London reviewed the evidence and made headlines this week.
Check out two videos by other creators on what causes depression:

00:00 Depression Is Not Caused By A Chemical Imbalance
01:17 Why So Many People Take Antidepressants
02:21 The Chemical Imbalance Hypothesis
02:47 What Causes Depression
04:00 Medication
05:11 Depression
06:48 Outro

Transcript below:

Therapy in a Nutshell and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health.
In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction.

Copyright Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC

[jenidewet]

After an emergency caesarian, the hospital made me go home after one day. I had to go back to work before I was healed. My husband was commuting, a 14 hour day, and I had a toddler. They wanted to put me on medication. Looking back I realise that all I needed was someone who cared who could help me practically. There must be lots of people who don't have family or friends who care, who think they are depressed when in fact we are not built to suffer alone.

[k.k.]

Once I asked to my doctor "how can an anti-depressant erase or keep my depression at bay if what caused my depression is a material, concrete problem/situation?". He just stared at me silently.

[elysem]

I spent over 10 years with crippling depression. I went to therapy, I exercised, I tried to think positive thoughts, I took various supplements. None of that helped. When I finally started medication, it lifted up my baseline, allowing me to go from crisis mode to actually benefitting from therapy. Today, I still follow a holistic treatment—talk therapy, meds, exercise, stress management.

[hope-cat]

I remember reading somewhere that constant exposure to negative news and stress can cause a decrease in optimistic thinking which increases depression. I think people overlook situational depression too. When I changed my living situation and job, my anxiety attacks went away. My depression was caused by my environment and the pressure I was under back then, so I wonder how many people would be able to get off their pills or at least lower their dosages if they had more assistance with improving their overall lives.

[maschaholly]

In Germany, where I live, there's a stigma attached to taking antidepressants and other drugs for neuro-psychological disorders. It's considered to be the easy way out, a short cut so to speak. So I tried to fight my depression without drugs for 30 years. I went through several therapies, changed my entire lifestyle and had learned loads about me and how to take care of me. And still, the episodes came more and more often. I felt like a failure. Finally a therapist and then a psychiatrist told me I should try meds because I had truly done everything I could. And for the first time in my live I am stable. I wish I had not wasted so much time thinking I should be able to manage this without drugs. So I really don't like it when people on the net say discouraging things about taking meds!

[CherryJuli]

I always thought I was depressed until a did a special form of therapy called affect regulation training. In a world full of toxic positivity I learned where our ‘negative’ emotions come from and that they’re perfectly normal to experience. I trained my brain to accept those ‘unwanted’ feelings and by that I’ve overcome that depression. It was the best thing I’ve ever done for my mental health.

[katherinetomasello]

I was diagnosed with childhood depression and anxiety at age 7, but I was raised in an abusive home and targeted at school because of my learning disability. Counseling after my mother disowned me 8 years ago, was my saving grace, and I sincerely wouldn't be here without it.

[karik]

When I connected with my anger towards my abusive parents at age 42 - all of my sadness/depression symptoms disappeared. I honestly was internally in a rage for 2 years straight. I completely cut my parents out of my life. At first it was because I thought I might physically attack my mother. She would have deserved it! But I didn’t want to get in trouble lol. As time went on I felt better and better and my anger went away. I read books about self love and healing (ie. The Hoffman process). It’s been over three years now and no sign of depression anymore. I honestly think depression is anger turned inward - at least it was in my experience. I will never associate with my parents again. This is just my story and what works for me. But maybe it can help someone to else to hear my story. :)

[jacobwilliams]

I love how people always say "reduce stress" If I could do that I probably wouldn't be depressed.

[serenitybeauty]

I always believe my depression was 💯caused by the abuse and trauma I’ve experienced. Never once I believe that it’s caused by chemical imbalance.

[davidwhitney]

I'm 64 and have suffered from chronic depression and later, anxiety most of my life and am presently on a cocktail of medication. All I can say is you are 100% on the mark in this video- depression (and anxiety/PTSD which I also suffer from) are multi-faceted conditions without one single "magic bullet" cause or cure, but the stigma can be hell. I've had to explain to uninformed or ignorant persons- including therapists which I've had- that I did not sit down at age ten or so and consciously decide "hey, I think I'll spend my life depressed." Anyway, wish you were my therapist..

[infofourtyseven]

Personally I have found depression a valuable guide and source of important information. I used to think that there was something wrong with me, when actually there is something seriously screwed up with society around the World. For example, human induced ecological destruction, a clear indicator of crazy self-destructive behaviour that is very depressing to observe and be involved in. Another example, a social structure that based on violence that encourages (and even coerces) people to live isolated lives that prioritise the emotional and psychological position of being right over the need for connection with others. Nearly everyone is brought up in an education system that priorities (and rewards) obedience to an external authority, under threat of punishment. This in itself is a cause of a *huge* amount of intergenerational emotional and psychological problems, including the inevitable chronic depression for any individuals with the sensitivity to have some awareness of this.

[ZZhorses]

I’ve taken my antidepressant for many years now and I know for a fact it has helped me to be more “even” which helps me do things in my life that allow me to be less depressed. It’s not a solution it’s just a tool. You usually need more than one tool to do the job

[yulebones]

I really hope this study makes changes in the industry. I spent half my life being prescribed SSRI after SSRI, telling my doctors that they only made me feel worse, that they gave me horrible side effects without helping my depression, on some occasions even causing psychosis. None of them listened. When I finally put my foot down and refused to take any more SSRIs, I was noted as noncompliant and uncooperative in my medical record. I finally learned earlier this year that some medications work on dopamine instead of serotonin, and was put on Wellbutrin. 3 months in and my entire life has changed - plus I now know I have ADHD, which is associated with dopamine deficiency. The depression is still there, but it's background noise, and the important changes are that I have more energy, more focus, more motivation, and less inexplicable pain. So, yes, medication did ultimately help me - but not for the reasons my previous doctors thought, and they spent 18 years not caring that the SSRIs they were throwing at me like candy at a parade were making me progressively worse. I had to save myself from convention. And to hell with "noncompliant."

Edit: Do not reply to me with pseudoscientific nonsense like how trauma can't be fixed with talk therapy but by finding magical foods that will balance your ~systemic nutrient deficiencies.~ Good grief. That is insulting.

Editing again to say I'm turning off notifications for this because people don't know how to act. I'm not replying to anything else. Y'all need to grow up.

[lee-sqob]

My depression was always situational, caused by life events, and honestly, this late-stage capitalist life is extremely depressing, and it's important to say "hey, the world as it currently is makes people depressed, and it doesn't have to be this way--we can structure society in a way that people can actually feel happy and fulfilled". But anyway, my depressive episodes were always caused by things going on in my life (usually being terribly unhappy), but changing the situation was not enough, nor was it even really possible, much of the time. The depression made it nearly impossible to make any changes, and even when I did, the depression had affected my brain too much to go away on its own. Both medication and lifestyle changes were necessary for my recovery.

[oh]

As someone with Depression, this is kinda gut-punching as you said in the beginning. The chemical imbalance at least gave somewhat of an answer. But in all, I am glad you are giving good and truthful information. Thank you for this.

[anandsharma]

From a recovery point of view, telling depression sufferers that there are 5-10 factors that can contribute to depression will get them to think the problem is 5x-10x as bad because they need to fix all those things. The trick is to get them to believe that fixing ANY ONE of the 5-10 things will add significant improvement to their lives. That the numerous factors are numerous ways in which to *improve* their life quality.
After all, a major part of depression is the loss of hope and purpose to live; it is an inability or reluctance to accept that life can get better.

[blueskypicks]

I'm 63 years old and have struggled with depression and anxiety my whole life. Several months ago, I had a serious heart attack. As part of my recovery, I went to Cardiac Rehab which included cardio exercise. After 2 months of a gradual increasing of the intensity of the exercise routine I started enjoying the exercise and feeling relief from the depression and anxiety. I've since completed my rehab but am continuing the aerobic exercise, not only for my heart, but also for relief from the depression and anxiety. Exercise has done far more for me than all the different meds I took!

[Skolastica]

As glad as I am that research is continuing to look at the issue of depression, I am a little concerned that people will hear about this study and throw away their meds. I struggled with depression from 5th grade on, and no amount of therapy, exercise, diet, or other intervention made a bit of difference. When I took my first antidepressant, in two weeks I felt like a horrible noise in my head had finally been stilled. The change was profound. A brief attempt at going off meds over a decade ago resulted in my being hospitalized. Antidepressants have given me a life I was not able to have before. It was not easy finding the right combination of meds, but they have made all the difference in what could have been a miserable, painful existence. Yoga, organic food, mindfulness are not the solution for many of us. I'm not ready to write off the chemical imbalance theory, regardless of what may cause the imbalance in the first place.

[belare]

Thank you for addressing this topic. I was on medication for over 15 years. When it didn’t work all the doctor wanted to do was increase the dose, so I decided to wean off the medication. It wasn’t an easy process mentally and physically. It took me over 4 years to clean my body. A lifestyle change improved all my symptoms. What we feed to our bodies affect our minds, so that’s where I started. I’m happy to say that I’ve overcome many of the physical and mental challenges.