One in three doctor visits by women now involve a prescription for an antidepressant medication.

1. Treating & Beating Anxiety and Depressionwith Nutritional TherapyRodger H. Murphree, D.C., C.N.S.www.TreatingAndBeating.com

2. In any given 1-year period,9.5 percent of the population,or about 18.8 million Americanadults, suffer from depression.

3. One in three doctor visits by women now involve a prescription for an antidepressant medication.

4. And one in ten American womentake at least one antidepressantdrug.Americans now spend more money on antidepressants than the Gross National Product of two-thirds of the world’s countries.

5. The indirect and direct costs of mood disorder illnesses totals over 43 billion dollars a year.

6. As many as 10% of the U.S. population has taken one of these medications. Prescription antidepressants sales reached a total of 37 billion in sales in 2003, which came out to $9 million more than was spent on treatments for the heart, arteries and blood pressure.

7. It All Started With the PillNew York magazine called a “wonder drug.” The March 1990 issue of Newsweek had a picture on it its cover.

8. By 1994 Prozac had become the fastest growing prescription drug in America, with sales over $1.2 billion.

9. Two other selective serotonin re-uptake inhibiting (SSRI) drugs had almost equal sales. In 1998 these three SSRI drugs: Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft accounted for over $4 billion in annual sales.

10. Sales continued to climb, reaching 37 billion in 2003

11. Alarmingly, the largest growth spurt in antidepressant use has been among preschoolers, ages 2-4. In 2003 over one million American children were taking an antidepressant medication.

12. This is alarming since FDA has warned that: Suicide occurs more than twice as much on antidepressants than on sugar pills in individuals under age 25.

13. This statistic is even more scandalous when you learn that Eli Lilly knew from their earliest trials in 1985 that Prozac increased the risk of suicide by as much as 12 to 1 over placebo or older antidepressants.

14. And doesn’t work in adolescents.Courtroom documents reveal this little gem from Glaxo Smith Kline “Essentially, the study (concerning Paxil) did not really show it was effective in treating adolescent depression, which not something we want to publicize.”

15. All this fuss over a drug the FDA approved, based on 3 studies involving 286 patients over a period of 6 weeks. Of the original 14 studies, only 3 proved Prozac, was more effective than placebo or an older antidepressant.

16. Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitor (SSRI) Medications:In almost half of the studies show that up to 70% of those taking SSRI antidepressant medications do just as well by taking a placebo or sugar pill.

17. Individuals on SSRI drugs increased their Hamilton Rating Scale 2 points compared to those on placebo.

18. All of The Following Drugs Have Potential and Common Side effects...

19. anxiety, depression, headache, muscle pain, chest pain, nervousness, sleeplessness, drowsiness, weakness, changes in sex drive, tremors, dry mouth, irritated stomach, loss of appetite, dizziness...

20. nausea, rash, itching, weight gain, diarrhea, impotence, hair loss, dry skin, chest pain, bronchitis, abnormal heart beat, twitching, anemia, low blood sugar, and low thyroid. • Deplete melatonin levels.• Tricyclic antidepressants deplete CoQ10.

21. Prozac, alone, has been associated with over 1,734 suicide deaths and over 28,000 adverse reactions. Only 1-5 percent of negative drug reactions are ever reported. Prozac may be associated with 156,060 suicide deaths and 2,520,000 adverse reactions!

22. Drug side effects are often missed by doctors.Generalized muscle spasms, aches, and pains, are a common side effect of SSRI drugs.

23. Sleep disturbances, either insomnia or somnolence, have been reported in about 25% of patients taking serotonin reuptake inhibitors. THIS OFTEN LEADS TO MORE DRUGS TO TREAT THE ANTIDPRESSANT SIDE EFFECTS.

29. The Problem With SSRI Meds “Down-regulation” Eventually the brain begins to reduce the number of serotonin receptors, up to 40-60 percent in some parts of the brain, until they literally disappear from the brain.

30. “Ortho” means correct or normal, and orthomolecular physicians recognize that in many cases of physiological and psychological disorders health can be reestablished by properly correcting, or normalizing, the balance of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and other similar substances within the body.

31. Anxiety National surveys show that 5.6 million adults over the age of 65 take anti-anxiety drugs known as benzodiazepines

32. Benzodiazepines are addictive (within 2 weeks) and can cause a host of unwanted side effects. poor sleep, seizures, mania, depression, suicide, ringing in the ears, amnesia, dizziness, anxiety, disorientation, low blood pressure...

33. Nausea, fluid retention, tremors, sexual dysfunction (decreased desire and performance), weakness, somnolence (prolonged drowsiness or a trance-like condition that may continue for a number of days), and headaches.

34. Forty percent of those age 60 or older who take tranquilizers, will experience tardive dyskinesia For many, these tremors are permanent. These drugs deplete CoQ10 and melatonin levels.

35. Orthomolecular Medicine Fortunately for those looking for a safer, often times more effective way to beat mood disorders, a group of progressive minded physicians helped pioneer a new way of treating mental disorders, known as orthomolecular medicine.

36. Patient’s who stop their mood disorder drugs may experience an assortment of unwanted side effects. The possible withdrawal symptoms include severe depression, anxiety, agitation, dizziness, spinning sensations, swaying, difficulty walking, nausea, vomiting, upset stomach, flu-like symptoms, lethargy, muscle pain, tingling or electric shock sensations, and sleep disturbances.

37. Amino Acid Therapy/Nutritional Therapy Neurotransmitters are produced from the amino acids in the foods we eat. Certain amino acids along with B vitamins and minerals produce the neurotransmitters.

38. The neurotransmitters that cause excitatory reactions are known as catecholamines. Catecholamines, epinephrine and norepinephrine (adrenaline) are derived from the amino acid phenylalanine and tyrosine.

39. Inhibitory or relaxing neurotransmitters including serotonin, is produced from the amino acid tryptophan (5HTP).

40. The "S" Group (S for Serotonin) It's hard for you to go to sleep. You can't stay asleep. You often find yourself irritable. Your emotions often lack rationality. You occasionally experience unexplained tears. Noise bothers you more than it used to. It seems louder than normal. You "flare up" at others more easily than you used to. You experience unprovoked anger. You feel depressed much of the time. You find you are more susceptible to pain. You prefer to be left alone.

41. 5HTP- Boosts Serotonin Levels One study showed that patients on 5HTP had a 50 percent improvement in their mood disorder symptoms.

42. The "O" Group (O for Opioids) The "O" Group is named for the Opioid neurotransmitters contained in the Hypothalamus Your life seems incomplete. You feel shy with all but your close friends. You have feelings of insecurity. You often feel unequal to others. When things go right you sometimes feel undeserving. You feel something is missing in your life. You occasionally feel a low self-worth or esteem. You feel inadequate as a person. You frequently feel fearful when there is nothing to fear.

43. The "G" Group (G for GABA) You often feel anxious for no reason. You sometimes feel "free floating" anxiety. You frequently feel "edgy" and it's difficult to relax. You often feel a "knot" in your stomach. Falling asleep is sometimes difficult. It’s hard to turn your mind off when you want to relax. You occasionally experience feelings of panic for no reason. You often use alcohol or other sedatives to calm down.

44. Use GABA or L-Theanine to boost GABA levels

45. The "D" Group (D for Dopamine) You lack pleasure in life. You feel there are no real rewards in life. You have unexplained lack of concern for others, even loved ones. You experience decreased parental feelings. Life seems less "colorful" or "flavorful." Things that used to be "fun" aren’t any longer enjoyable. You have become a less spiritual or socially concerned person.

46. Use L-Phenylalanine or SAMe to boost dopamine levels

47. The "N" Group (N for Norepinephrine) You suffer from a lack of energy. You often find it difficult to "get going." You suffer From decreased drive. You often start projects and then don't finish them. You frequently feel a need to sleep or "hibernate." You feel depressed a good deal of the time. You occasionally feel paranoid. Your survival seems threatened. You are bored a great deal of the time.

48. Use L-Phenylalanine or SAMe to boost norepinephrine levels

49. S- Adenosyl-methionine (SAMe) SAMe IS one of the best natural antidepressants available. SAMe helps boost serotonin and epinephrine levels. Combining SAMe with prescription antidepressants reduces the failure rate by 43%. There are over 100 peer-reviewed studies showing that SAMe is a safe and effective antidepressant.

50. Essential Fatty Acid Imbalances Research shows that low blood levels of omega 3 essential fatty acids are associated with depression. Restoring proper omega 6 to omega 3 ratio’s is important in optimizing neurotransmitter function.