one in three women between the ages of 40 and 60 are on an antidepressant. We know by the age of

45, 70% of us will meet criteria for clinical depression or clinical anxiety. So it is an

extremely common thing. If you look at the science, there is no robust evidence showing that people with depression

have lower serotonin or any other chemical compared to normal people.

Most people who take antidepressants feel emotionally numbed.

And what that means is their normal range of emotions from very positive to very negative get squeezed into the

middle. And that can be a great relief if you're very anxious, but it is not a targeted bullet

that gets rid of just negative emotions. Antidepressants have been sold to the public, especially

to Americans, because they've got advertising direct from companies,

that antidepressants will fix an underlying chemical imbalance.

The depression is caused by something like low serotonin, the drug will restore it, a bit

like insulin restores diabetes.

It's a wonderful story and it's sold millions and millions of drugs.

If a drug is addictive, it means you want more of it, you crave it, you become obsessed with it, you'll misuse it.

If it's around, you'd use up all of it, you're going to go rob your neighbours to get more of it.

You know, that's addiction.

And antidepressants do not do that.

But much more important than that is physical dependence.

We know from studies of people who are given antidepressants for pain,

given it for the menopause sometimes, or given even to healthy volunteers. When they stop the drug, they get low mood, anxiety, panic, irritability, suicidality.

56 million Americans are on antidepressants, with 25 million of that number on antidepressants for

more than five years. My guest today is going to be talking about the effects that antidepressants

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