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Antidepressants: Personalization Is Key!
Plus: how to never wake up tired again
The 10almonds Team
November 04, 2023
Today’s almonds have been activated by:
Need a motivational boost for healthy habits? Do today what future you will be grateful for.
⏰ IN A RUSH?
Today’s 30-Second Summary
If you don’t have time to read the whole email today, here are some key takeaways:
Antidepressants can be helpful for a lot of people, but a lot depends on getting the right antidepressant for the individual brain in question—otherwise, expect placebo effect at best
Side-effects vary from drug to drug and person to person (as does how much people care about those side-effects), so all that can be done here is to be aware of the risks (per whichever specific drug is being considered) and make an informed personal choice.
Not everyone wants to quit alcohol. So, if you're going to drink, you might as well enjoy your drinks mindfully!
Today’s sponsor, Sunnyside, is an app that helps you change your relationship with alcohol, so that your choice is really your choice—not a mindless habit that you don’t even truly take joy in.
Read on to learn about these things and more…
👀 WATCH AND LEARN
"You Will Never Wake Up Tired Again" | Dr. Chris Winter, Neurologist (9:29)
Timestamps for items that aren’t standard “sleep hygiene” tips:
Want to watch it, but not right now? Bookmark it for later 🔖
🌞 MAIN FEATURE
Antidepressants: Personalization Is Key!
Yesterday, we asked you for your opinions on antidepressants, and got the above-depicted, below-described, set of responses:
Just over half of respondents said “They clearly help people, but should not be undertaken lightly”
Just over a fifth of respondents said “They may help some people, but the side effects are alarming”
Just under a sixth of respondents said “They’re a great way to correct an imbalance of neurochemicals”
Four respondents said “They are no better than placebo, and are more likely to harm”
Two respondents said “They merely mask the problem, and thus don’t really help”
So what does the science say?
❝They are no better than placebo, and are more likely to harm? True or False?❞
True or False depending on who you are and what you’re taking. Different antidepressants can work on many different systems with different mechanisms of action. This means if and only if you’re not taking the “right” antidepressant for you, then yes, you will get only placebo benefits:
Placebo Effect in the Treatment of Depression and Anxiety ← randomly assigned antidepressants are, shockingly, luck of the draw in usefulness
Antidepressants versus placebo in major depression: an overview ← “wow this science is messy”
Comparative efficacy and acceptability of 21 antidepressant drugs: a systematic review and network meta-analysis ← “oh look, it makes a difference which antidepressant we give to people”
Rather than dismissing antidepressants as worthless, therefore, it is a good idea to find out (by examination or trial and error) what kind of antidepressant you need, if you indeed do need such.
Otherwise it is like getting a flu shot and being surprised when you still catch a cold!
❝They merely mask the problem, and thus don't really help: True or False?❞
False, categorically.
The problem in depressed people is the depressed mood. This may be influenced by other factors, and antidepressants indeed won’t help directly with those, but they can enable the person to better tackle them (more on this later).
❝They may help some people, but the side-effects are alarming: True or False?❞
True or False depending on more factors than we can cover here.
Side-effects vary from drug to drug and person to person, of course. As does tolerability and acceptability, since to some extent these things are subjective.
One person’s dealbreaker may be another person’s shrugworthy minor inconvenience at most.
❝They're a great way to correct an imbalance of neurochemicals: True or False?❞
True! Contingently.
That is to say: they’re a great way to correct an imbalance of neurochemicals if and only if your problem is (at least partly) an imbalance of neurochemicals. If it’s not, then your brain can have all the neurotransmitters it needs, and you will still be depressed, because (for example) the other factors* influencing your depression have not changed.
*common examples include low self-esteem, poor physical health, socioeconomic adversity, and ostensibly bleak prospects for the future.
For those for whom the problem is/was partly a neurochemical imbalance and partly other factors, the greatest help the antidepressants give is getting the brain into sufficient working order to be able to tackle those other factors.
Want to know more about the different kinds?
Here’s a helpful side-by-side comparison of common antidepressants, what type they are, and other considerations:
Want a drug-free approach?
You might like our previous main feature:
Take care!
❤️ OUR SPONSORS MAKE THIS PUBLICATION POSSIBLE
This Isn't Another "Quit Drinking" App
If you're going to drink, you might as well enjoy your drinks mindfully.
That's why Sunnyside takes a different approach to many, and does not pressure you to quit, nor even to be constantly cutting down.
Instead, it helps you change your relationship with alcohol, so that your choice is really your choice—not a mindless habit that you don’t even truly take joy in.
The app features include, amongst others:
Drink planning and tracking tools
Coaching from real humans when you need it
A wealth of helpful resources
On average, members enjoy as side-effects:
30% reduction in weekly drinks in first 30 days
2,500 calories cut in first 30 days
$50+ saved in the first 30 days
So, as well as being good for your health and life, this app might more than pay for itself!
PS: there's a free 15-day trial, so you can get to know how it works before committing 😎
Please do visit our sponsors—they help keep 10almonds free
🌎 AROUND THE WEB
What’s happening in the health world…
How does the Mediterranean diet impact insulin resistance and sensitivity in obese individuals?
How much sleep do you actually need? Sleep quality counts as much as hours logged.
Day-to-day painkiller use doesn't lower empathy levels, but misuse might, according to recent survey
Doubts abound about a new Alzheimer's blood test
Research reveals both protective and harmful gut microbiota associated with sleep apnea risk
Test with volunteers shows wasabi improves short- and long-term memory in older people
Surprising finding links sleep, brain insulation and neurodegeneration
More to come tomorrow!
📖 ONE-MINUTE BOOK REVIEW
The Joy of Saying No: A Simple Plan to Stop People Pleasing, Reclaim Boundaries, and Say Yes to the Life You Want – by Natalie Lue
Superficially, this seems an odd topic for an entire book. “Just say no”, after all, surely! But it's not so simple as that, is it?
Lue looks into what underpins people-pleasing, first. Then, she breaks it down into five distinct styles of people-pleasing that each come from slightly different motivations and ways of perceiving how we interact with those around us.
Lest this seem overly complicated, those five styles are what she calls: gooding, efforting, avoiding, saving, suffering.
She then looks out how to have a healthier relationship with our yes/no decisions; first by observing, then by creating healthy boundaries. "Healthy" is key here; this isn't about being a jerk to everyone! Quite the contrary, it involves being honest about what we can and cannot reasonably take on.
The last section is about improving and troubleshooting this process, and constitutes a lot of the greatest value of the book, since this is where people tend to err the most.
Bottom line: this book is informative, clear, and helpful. And far from disappointing everyone with "no", we can learn to really de-stress our relationships with others—and ourselves.
What did you think of today's newsletter?We always love to hear from you, whether you leave us a comment or even just a click in the poll if you're speeding by! |
May today see you well-prepared for the coming weekend,
The 10almonds Team