--- title: "11 Antidepressants Quotes By Irving Kirsch" description: "11 Antidepressants quotes by Irving Kirsch. Plus more from Irving Kirsch and more Antidepressants sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e7/irving-kirsch-18763_addictive_antidepressants-can-have-troubling-side_2186571.png" --- > [Antidepressants can have troubling side effects and are addictive for some people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kirsch/antidepressants-can-have-troubling-side-effects-and-are-addictive-for/) [Irving Kirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-kirsch/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e7/irving-kirsch-18763_addictive_antidepressants-can-have-troubling-side_2186571.png) > [The big bulk of the response to antidepressants is the placebo response.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kirsch/the-big-bulk-of-the-response-to-antidepressants-is-the-placebo/) [Irving Kirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-kirsch/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9b/irving-kirsch-18763_antidepressants_the-big-bulk-of-the-response-to-antidepr_1815202.png) > [Psychotherapy works, and some types of therapy have been shown to be much more effective than antidepressants over the long run.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kirsch/psychotherapy-works-and-some-types-of-therapy-have-been-shown-to-be/) [Irving Kirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-kirsch/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ba/irving-kirsch-18763_antidepressants_psychotherapy-works-and-some-types-of-th_1859008.png) > [Depression comes back over time in about 90 percent of people on antidepressants. Studies show that relapses are far less common when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kirsch/depression-comes-back-over-time-in-about-90-percent-of-people-on/) [Irving Kirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-kirsch/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bd/irving-kirsch-18763_about_depression-comes-back-over-time-in-about_1537914.png) > [“Physicians do not systematically prescribe placebos to their patients. Hence they have no way of comparing the effects of the drugs they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kirsch/physicians-do-not-systematically-prescribe-placebos-to-their-patients/) [Irving Kirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-kirsch/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cc/irving-kirsch-18763_antidepressants_physicians-do-not-systematically-prescri_3199384.png) > [“According to an article in the Washington Post: The Food and Drug Administration has repeatedly urged antidepressant manufacturers not to disclose to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kirsch/according-to-an-article-in-the-washington-post-the-food-and-drug/) [Irving Kirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-kirsch/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc4/irving-kirsch-18763_antidepressants_according-to-an-article-in-the-washingto_2227534.png) > [“For people who are depressed, and especially for those who do not receive enough benefit from medication of for whom the side…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kirsch/for-people-who-are-depressed-and-especially-for-those-who-do-not/) [Irving Kirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-kirsch/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/111/irving-kirsch-18763_antidepressants_for-people-who-are-depressed-and-especia_2929254.png) > [“Our analyses of the FDA data showed relatively little difference between the effects of antidepressants and the effects of placebos. Indeed, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kirsch/our-analyses-of-the-fda-data-showed-relatively-little-difference/) [Irving Kirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-kirsch/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f9/irving-kirsch-18763_antidepressants_our-analyses-of-the-fda-data-showed-rela_744079.png) > [“In 2004, the FDA urged drug companies to adopt a 'Don't ask, don't tell' policy with respect to their clinical-trial data showing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kirsch/in-2004-the-fda-urged-drug-companies-to-adopt-a-don-t-ask-don-t-tell/) [Irving Kirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-kirsch/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a2/irving-kirsch-18763_antidepressants_in-2004-the-fda-urged-drug-companies-to_3097726.png) > [“Psychotherapy works for the treatment of depression, and the benefits are substantial. In head-to-head comparisons, in which the short-term effects of psychotherapy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kirsch/psychotherapy-works-for-the-treatment-of-depression-and-the-benefits/) [Irving Kirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-kirsch/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/784/irving-kirsch-18763_antidepressants_psychotherapy-works-for-the-treatment-of_2266593.png) > [“Depression, we are told over and over again, is a brain disease, a chemical imbalance that can be adjusted by antidepressant medication.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kirsch/depression-we-are-told-over-and-over-again-is-a-brain-disease-a/) [Irving Kirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-kirsch/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b6/irving-kirsch-18763_antidepressants_depression-we-are-told-over-and-over-aga_1566704.png) ## More by Irving Kirsch > [Depression is not caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain, and it is not cured by medication. Depression may not even be an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kirsch/depression-is-not-caused-by-a-chemical-imbalance-in-the-brain-and-it/) [Irving Kirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-kirsch/) > [To someone who is not currently on anti-depressants, I would suggest trying other treatments first - for example, psychotherapy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kirsch/to-someone-who-is-not-currently-on-anti-depressants-i-would-suggest/) [Irving Kirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-kirsch/) > [“Many of the benefits of CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) can be obtained without going into therapy. There are a number of self-help books, CDs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kirsch/many-of-the-benefits-of-cbt-cognitive-behavioral-therapy-can-be/) [Irving Kirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-kirsch/) > [Nocebos often cause a physical effect, but it's not a physically produced effect. What's the cause? In many cases, it's an unanswered question.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kirsch/nocebos-often-cause-a-physical-effect-but-it-s-not-a-physically/) [Irving Kirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-kirsch/) > [“The results of decades of neurotransmitter-depletion studies point to one inescapable conclusion: low levels or serotonin, norepinephrine or dopamine do not cause depression. here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kirsch/the-results-of-decades-of-neurotransmitter-depletion-studies-point-to/) [Irving Kirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-kirsch/) > [Perhaps 10 percent of patients who are prescribed antidepressants are really benefiting from the drugs' active ingredients.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kirsch/perhaps-10-percent-of-patients-who-are-prescribed-antidepressants-are/) [Irving Kirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-kirsch/) > [Patients who trust their doctors and have a psychological expectation of getting better could trigger a reaction in their body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kirsch/patients-who-trust-their-doctors-and-have-a-psychological-expectation/) [Irving Kirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-kirsch/) > [Anything that instills a sense of hope will at least temporarily help treat depression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kirsch/anything-that-instills-a-sense-of-hope-will-at-least-temporarily-help/) [Irving Kirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-kirsch/) > [“Our analyses of the FDA data showed relatively little difference between the effects of antidepressants and the effects of placebos. Indeed, the effects were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kirsch/our-analyses-of-the-fda-data-showed-relatively-little-difference/) [Irving Kirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-kirsch/) > [Perhaps anti-depressants should be best reserved for the very extreme cases and, more importantly, for those who do not respond to alternative forms of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kirsch/perhaps-anti-depressants-should-be-best-reserved-for-the-very-extreme/) [Irving Kirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-kirsch/) > [If doctors just spent more time with their patients so they felt more reassured, that might help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kirsch/if-doctors-just-spent-more-time-with-their-patients-so-they-felt-more/) [Irving Kirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-kirsch/) > [There seems little reason to prescribe anti-depressant medication to any but the most severely depressed patients.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kirsch/there-seems-little-reason-to-prescribe-anti-depressant-medication-to/) [Irving Kirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-kirsch/) > [“When people recover from depression via psychotherapy, their attributions about recovery are likely to be different than those of people who have been treated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kirsch/when-people-recover-from-depression-via-psychotherapy-their/) [Irving Kirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-kirsch/) > [One problem I have with drug companies is that they don't make all their data public.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kirsch/one-problem-i-have-with-drug-companies-is-that-they-don-t-make-all/) [Irving Kirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-kirsch/) > [There seem to be many causes of depression. One cause is profound loss, grief. Economic hardship we know is linked to depression. We don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kirsch/there-seem-to-be-many-causes-of-depression-one-cause-is-profound-loss/) [Irving Kirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-kirsch/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/antidepressants/irving-kirsch/#itemlist", "name": "11 Antidepressants Quotes By Irving Kirsch", "numberOfItems": 11, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Antidepressants can have troubling side effects and are addictive for some people.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Irving Kirsch" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kirsch/antidepressants-can-have-troubling-side-effects-and-are-addictive-for/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e7/irving-kirsch-18763_addictive_antidepressants-can-have-troubling-side_2186571.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e7/irving-kirsch-18763_addictive_antidepressants-can-have-troubling-side_2186571.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e7/irving-kirsch-18763_addictive_antidepressants-can-have-troubling-side_2186571.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Antidepressants can have troubling side effects and are addictive for some people.” — Irving Kirsch", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The big bulk of the response to antidepressants is the placebo response.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Irving Kirsch" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kirsch/the-big-bulk-of-the-response-to-antidepressants-is-the-placebo/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9b/irving-kirsch-18763_antidepressants_the-big-bulk-of-the-response-to-antidepr_1815202.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9b/irving-kirsch-18763_antidepressants_the-big-bulk-of-the-response-to-antidepr_1815202.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9b/irving-kirsch-18763_antidepressants_the-big-bulk-of-the-response-to-antidepr_1815202.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The big bulk of the response to antidepressants is the placebo response.” — Irving Kirsch", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Psychotherapy works, and some types of therapy have been shown to be much more effective than antidepressants over the long run.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Irving Kirsch" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kirsch/psychotherapy-works-and-some-types-of-therapy-have-been-shown-to-be/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ba/irving-kirsch-18763_antidepressants_psychotherapy-works-and-some-types-of-th_1859008.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ba/irving-kirsch-18763_antidepressants_psychotherapy-works-and-some-types-of-th_1859008.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ba/irving-kirsch-18763_antidepressants_psychotherapy-works-and-some-types-of-th_1859008.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Psychotherapy works, and some types of therapy have been shown to be much more effective than…” — Irving Kirsch", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Depression comes back over time in about 90 percent of people on antidepressants. Studies show that relapses are far less common when people are treated with psychotherapy.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Irving Kirsch" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kirsch/depression-comes-back-over-time-in-about-90-percent-of-people-on/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bd/irving-kirsch-18763_about_depression-comes-back-over-time-in-about_1537914.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bd/irving-kirsch-18763_about_depression-comes-back-over-time-in-about_1537914.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3bd/irving-kirsch-18763_about_depression-comes-back-over-time-in-about_1537914.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Depression comes back over time in about 90 percent of people on antidepressants. Studies show that relapses…” — Irving Kirsch", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 5, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Physicians do not systematically prescribe placebos to their patients. Hence they have no way of comparing the effects of the drugs they prescribe to placebos. When they prescribe a treatment and it works, their natural tendency is to attribute the cure to the treatment. But there are thousands of treatments that have worked in clinical practice throughout history. Powdered stone worked. So did lizard's blood, and crocodile dung, and pig's teeth and dolphin's genitalia and frog's sperm. Patients have been given just about every ingestible - though often indigestible - substance imaginable. They have been 'purged, puked, poisoned, sweated, and shocked', and if these treatments did not kill them, they may have made them better.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Irving Kirsch" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kirsch/physicians-do-not-systematically-prescribe-placebos-to-their-patients/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cc/irving-kirsch-18763_antidepressants_physicians-do-not-systematically-prescri_3199384.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cc/irving-kirsch-18763_antidepressants_physicians-do-not-systematically-prescri_3199384.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8cc/irving-kirsch-18763_antidepressants_physicians-do-not-systematically-prescri_3199384.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Physicians do not systematically prescribe placebos to their patients. Hence they have no way of comparing…” — Irving Kirsch", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 6, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“According to an article in the Washington Post: The Food and Drug Administration has repeatedly urged antidepressant manufacturers not to disclose to physicians and the public that some clinical trials of the medications in children found that drugs were no better than sugar pills, according to documents and testimony released at a congressional hearing yesterday. Regulators supressed the negative information on the grounds that it might scare families and physicians away from the drugs, according to testimony by drug company executives. For at least three medications, they said, the FDA blocked the companies' plans to reveal the negative studies in drug labels.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Irving Kirsch" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kirsch/according-to-an-article-in-the-washington-post-the-food-and-drug/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc4/irving-kirsch-18763_antidepressants_according-to-an-article-in-the-washingto_2227534.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc4/irving-kirsch-18763_antidepressants_according-to-an-article-in-the-washingto_2227534.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bc4/irving-kirsch-18763_antidepressants_according-to-an-article-in-the-washingto_2227534.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“According to an article in the Washington Post: The Food and Drug Administration has repeatedly urged…” — Irving Kirsch", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 7, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“For people who are depressed, and especially for those who do not receive enough benefit from medication of for whom the side effects of antidepressants are troubling, the fact that placebos can duplicate much of the effects of antidepressants should be taken as good news. It means that there are other ways of alleviating depression. As we have seen, treatments like psychotherapy and physical exercise are at least as effective as antidepressant drugs and more effective than placebos. In particular, CBT has been shown to lower the risk of relapsing into depression for years after treatment has ended, making it particularly cost effective.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Irving Kirsch" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kirsch/for-people-who-are-depressed-and-especially-for-those-who-do-not/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/111/irving-kirsch-18763_antidepressants_for-people-who-are-depressed-and-especia_2929254.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/111/irving-kirsch-18763_antidepressants_for-people-who-are-depressed-and-especia_2929254.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/111/irving-kirsch-18763_antidepressants_for-people-who-are-depressed-and-especia_2929254.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“For people who are depressed, and especially for those who do not receive enough benefit from medication of…” — Irving Kirsch", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 8, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Our analyses of the FDA data showed relatively little difference between the effects of antidepressants and the effects of placebos. Indeed, the effects were so small that they did not qualify as clinically significant. The drug companies knew how small the effect of their medications were compared to placebos, and so did the FDA and other regulatory agencies. The companies found various ways to make the data seem more favorable to their products, and the FDA helped them keep their negative data secret. In fact, in some instances, the FDA urged the companies to keep negative data hidden, even when the companies wanted to reveal them. My colleagues and I hadn't really discovered anything new. We had merely revealed their 'dirty little secret'.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Irving Kirsch" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kirsch/our-analyses-of-the-fda-data-showed-relatively-little-difference/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f9/irving-kirsch-18763_antidepressants_our-analyses-of-the-fda-data-showed-rela_744079.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f9/irving-kirsch-18763_antidepressants_our-analyses-of-the-fda-data-showed-rela_744079.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7f9/irving-kirsch-18763_antidepressants_our-analyses-of-the-fda-data-showed-rela_744079.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Our analyses of the FDA data showed relatively little difference between the effects of antidepressants and…” — Irving Kirsch", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 9, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“In 2004, the FDA urged drug companies to adopt a 'Don't ask, don't tell' policy with respect to their clinical-trial data showing that antidepressants are not better than placebos for depressed children. If the data were made public, they cautioned, it might lead doctors to not prescribe antidepressants. The FDA believed that the jury was still out on antidepressants for children. Even if the clinical trials show negative results, an FDA spokesperson was reported to have said to a Washington Post reporter, it doesn't mean that the drugs are ineffective. The assumption seems to have been that doctors should prescribe medications that have not been shown to work, until it has been proven that they don't work.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Irving Kirsch" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kirsch/in-2004-the-fda-urged-drug-companies-to-adopt-a-don-t-ask-don-t-tell/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a2/irving-kirsch-18763_antidepressants_in-2004-the-fda-urged-drug-companies-to_3097726.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a2/irving-kirsch-18763_antidepressants_in-2004-the-fda-urged-drug-companies-to_3097726.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5a2/irving-kirsch-18763_antidepressants_in-2004-the-fda-urged-drug-companies-to_3097726.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In 2004, the FDA urged drug companies to adopt a 'Don't ask, don't tell' policy with respect to their…” — Irving Kirsch", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 10, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Psychotherapy works for the treatment of depression, and the benefits are substantial. In head-to-head comparisons, in which the short-term effects of psychotherapy and antidepressants are pitted against each other, psychotherapy works as well as medication. This is true regardless of how depressed the person is to begin with. Psychotherapy looks even better when its long-term effectiveness is assessed. Formerly depressed patients are far more likely to relapse and become depressed again after treatment with antidepressants than they are after psychotherapy. As a result, psychotherapy is significantly more effective than medication when measured some time after treatment has ended, and the more time that has passed since the end of treatment, the larger the difference between drugs and psychotherapy.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Irving Kirsch" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kirsch/psychotherapy-works-for-the-treatment-of-depression-and-the-benefits/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/784/irving-kirsch-18763_antidepressants_psychotherapy-works-for-the-treatment-of_2266593.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/784/irving-kirsch-18763_antidepressants_psychotherapy-works-for-the-treatment-of_2266593.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/784/irving-kirsch-18763_antidepressants_psychotherapy-works-for-the-treatment-of_2266593.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Psychotherapy works for the treatment of depression, and the benefits are substantial. In head-to-head…” — Irving Kirsch", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 11, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Depression, we are told over and over again, is a brain disease, a chemical imbalance that can be adjusted by antidepressant medication. In an informational brochure issued to inform the public about depression, the US National Institute for Mental Health tells people that 'depressive illnesses are disorders of the brain' and adds that 'important neurotransmitters - chemicals that brain cells use to communicate - appear to be out of balance'. This view is so widespread that it was even proffered by the editors of PLoS [Public Library of Science] Medicine in their summary that accompanied our article. 'Depression,' they wrote, 'is a serious medical illness caused by imbalances in the brain chemicals that regulate mood', and they went on to say that antidepressants are supposed to work by correcting these imbalances. The editors wrote their comment on chemical imbalances as if it were an established fact, and this is also how it is presented by drug companies. Actually, it is not. Instead, even its proponents have to admit that it is a controversial hypothesis that has not yet been proven. Not only is the chemical-imbalance hypothesis unproven, but I will argue that it is about as close as a theory gets in science to being dis-proven by the evidence.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Irving Kirsch" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kirsch/depression-we-are-told-over-and-over-again-is-a-brain-disease-a/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b6/irving-kirsch-18763_antidepressants_depression-we-are-told-over-and-over-aga_1566704.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b6/irving-kirsch-18763_antidepressants_depression-we-are-told-over-and-over-aga_1566704.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b6/irving-kirsch-18763_antidepressants_depression-we-are-told-over-and-over-aga_1566704.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Depression, we are told over and over again, is a brain disease, a chemical imbalance that can be adjusted…” — Irving Kirsch", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } } ] }, { "@type": "CollectionPage", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/antidepressants/irving-kirsch/#webpage", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/antidepressants/irving-kirsch/", "name": "Antidepressants Quotes by Irving Kirsch", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/antidepressants/irving-kirsch/#itemlist" }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e7/irving-kirsch-18763_addictive_antidepressants-can-have-troubling-side_2186571.png" }, "description": "11 Antidepressants quotes by Irving Kirsch. Plus more from Irving Kirsch and more Antidepressants sayings from other authors.", "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/antidepressants/irving-kirsch/#breadcrumb" } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/antidepressants/irving-kirsch/#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Topics", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/categories/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Antidepressants", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/antidepressants/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 5, "name": "Irving Kirsch", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/antidepressants/irving-kirsch/" } ] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```