Paper released- Chemical Imbalances in the Brain do not exist: 
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-022-01661-0#Sec5

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 Dr. Kanojia is a Harvard-trained psychiatrist

From Capri - More evidence for my belief that the only way to be truly happy is to fix the root cause of your issues. Pills are a band-aid at best and will never give you long term happiness.

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The paper shows that serotonin imbalances do not exist and SSRI's need to be questioned. Not to mention that other studies show that SSRI medications are 70% a placebo affect. The doctors passing out pills like candy need to be questioned, particularly their motives.

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Abstract

They aim to synthesize and evaluate evidence on whether depression is associated with lowered serotonin concentration or activity in a systematic umbrella review of the principal relevant areas of research. PubMed, EMBASE and PsycINFO were searched using terms appropriate to each area of research, from their inception until December 2020.

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Introduction

The idea that depression is the result of abnormalities in brain chemicals, particularly serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine or 5-HT), has been influential for decades, and provides an important justification for the use of antidepressants. A link between lowered serotonin and depression was first suggested in the 1960s, and widely publicized from the 1990s with the advent of the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants. Although it has been questioned more recently, the serotonin theory of depression remains influential, with principal English language textbooks still giving it qualified support, leading researchers endorsing it and much empirical research based on it. Surveys suggest that 80% or more of the general public now believe it is established that depression is caused by a ‘chemical imbalance’. Many general practitioners also subscribe to this view and popular websites commonly cite the theory.

It is often assumed that the effects of antidepressants demonstrate that depression must be at least partially caused by a brain-based chemical abnormality, and that the apparent efficacy of SSRIs shows that serotonin is implicated. Other explanations for the effects of antidepressants have been put forward, including the idea that they work via an amplified placebo effect or through their ability to restrict or blunt emotions in general.

Despite the fact that the serotonin theory of depression has been so influential, no comprehensive review has yet synthesized the relevant evidence. We conducted an ‘umbrella’ review of the principal areas of relevant research, following the model of a similar review examining prospective biomarkers of major depressive disorder. We sought to establish whether the current evidence supports a role for serotonin in the etiology of depression, and specifically whether depression is associated with indications of lowered serotonin concentrations or activity.

Conclusion

Their comprehensive review of the major strands of research on serotonin shows there is no convincing evidence that depression is associated with, or caused by, lower serotonin concentrations or activity. Most studies found no evidence of reduced serotonin activity in people with depression compared to people without, and methods to reduce serotonin availability using tryptophan depletion do not consistently lower mood in volunteers. In fact, Some evidence was consistent with the possibility that long-term antidepressant use reduces serotonin concentration.

Even though there is no valid evidence, the chemical imbalance theory of depression is still put forward by professionals, and the serotonin theory in particular has formed the basis of a considerable research effort over the last few decades. The general public widely believes that depression has been convincingly demonstrated to be the result of serotonin or other chemical abnormalities, and this belief shapes how people understand their moods, leading to a pessimistic outlook on the outcome of depression and negative expectancies about the possibility of self-regulation of mood. The idea that depression is the result of a chemical imbalance also influences decisions about whether to take or continue antidepressant medication and may discourage people from discontinuing treatment, potentially leading to lifelong dependence on these drugs 

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