Antidepressants: Personalization Is Key!

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The 10almonds Team

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:

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:

Mind | Comparing Antidepressants

Want a drug-free approach?

You might like our previous main feature:

The Mental Health First-Aid That You’ll Hopefully Never Need

Take care!

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  • Are You Eating AGEs?

    The 10almonds Team

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    The Trouble of the AGEs

    Advanced Glycation End-Products (AGEs) are the result of the chemical process of glycation, which can occur in your body in response to certain foods you ate, or you can consume them directly, if you eat animal products that contained them (because we’re not special and other animals glycate too, especially mammals such as pigs, cows, and sheep).

    As a double-whammy, if you cook animal products (especially without water, such as by roasting or frying), extra AGEs will form during cooking.

    When proteinous and/or fatty food turns yellow/golden/brown during cooking, that’s generally glycation.

    If there’s starch present, some or all of that yellow/golden/brown stuff will be a Maillard Reaction Product (MRP), such as acrylamide. That’s not exactly a health food, but it’s nowhere near being even in the same ballpark of badness.

    In short, during cooking:

    • Proteinous/fatty food turns yellow/golden/brown = probably an AGE
    • Starchy food turns yellow/golden/brown = probably a MRP

    The AGEs are far worse.

    What’s so bad about AGEs?

    Let’s do a quick tour of some studies:

    We could keep going, but you probably get the picture!

    What should we do about it?

    There are three main ways to reduce serum AGE levels:

    Reduce or eliminate consumption of animal products

    Especially mammalian animal products, such as from pigs, cows, and sheep, especially their meat. Processed versions are even worse! So, steak is bad, but bacon and sausages are literally top-tier bad.

    Cook wet

    Dry cooking (which includes frying, and especially includes deep fat frying, which is worse than shallow frying which is worse than air frying) produces far more AGEs than cooking with methods that involve water (boiling, steaming, slow-cooking, etc).

    As a bonus, adding acidic ingredients (e.g. vinegar, lemon juice, tomato juice) can halve the amount of AGEs produced.

    Consume antioxidants

    Our body does have some ability to deal with AGEs, but that ability has its limits, and our body can be easily overwhelmed if we consume foods that are bad for it. So hopefully you’ll tend towards a plant-based diet, but whether you do or don’t:

    You can give your body a hand by consuming antioxidant foods and drinks (such as berries, tea/coffee, and chocolate), and/or taking supplements.

    Want to know more about the science of this?

    Check out…

    Advanced Glycation End-Products in Foods and a Practical Guide to Their Reduction in the Diet

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  • Supergreen Superfood Salad Slaw

    The 10almonds Team

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    When it comes to “eating the rainbow”, in principle green should be the easiest color to get in, unless we live in a serious food desert (or serious food poverty). In practice, however, a lot of meals could do with a dash more green. This “supergreen superfood salad slaw” is remarkably versatile, and can be enjoyed as a very worthy accompaniment to almost any main.

    You will need

    For the bits:

    • ½ small green cabbage, finely diced
    • 7 oz tenderstem broccoli, finely chopped
    • 2 stalks celery, finely chopped (if allergic, simply omit)
    • ½ cucumber, diced into small cubes
    • 2 oz kale, finely shredded
    • 4 green (spring) onions, thinly sliced

    For the dressing:

    • 1 cup cashews (if allergic, substitute 1 cup roasted chickpeas)
    • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
    • 2 oz baby spinach
    • 1 oz basil leaves
    • 1 oz chives
    • ¼ bulb garlic
    • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
    • 1 tbsp chia seeds
    • Juice of two limes

    Method

    (we suggest you read everything at least once before doing anything)

    1) Combine the ingredients from the “bits” category in a bowl large enough to accommodate them comfortably

    2) Blend the ingredients from the “dressing” category in a blender until very smooth (the crux here is you do not want any stringy bits of spinach remaining)

    3) Pour the dressing onto the bits, and mix well to combine. Refrigerate, ideally covered, until ready to serve.

    Enjoy!

    Want to learn more?

    For those interested in some of the science of what we have going on today:

    Take care!

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  • Hope Not Nope – by Dr. Dillon Caswell

    The 10almonds Team

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    The author, a Doctor of Physical Therapy, writes from both professional expertise and personal experience, when it comes to the treatment of long term injury / disability / chronic illness.

    His position here is that while suffering is unavoidable, we don’t have to suffer as much or as long as many might tell us. We can do things to crawl and claw our way to a better position, and we do not have to settle for any outcome we don’t want. That doesn’t mean there’s always a miracle cure—we don’t get to decide that—but we do get to decide whether we keep trying.

    Dr. Caswell’s advice is based mostly in psychology—a lot of it in sports psychology, which is no surprise given his long history as an athlete as well as his medical career.

    The style is very easy-reading, and a combination of explanation, illustrative (often funny) anecdotes, and a backbone of actual research to keep everything within the realms of science rather than mere wishful thinking—he strikes a good balance.

    Bottom line: if your current health outlook is more of an uphill marathon, then this book can give you the tools to carry yourself through the healthcare system that’s been made for numbers, not people.

    Click here to check out Hope Not Nope, and keep going!

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Related Posts

  • The Seven Circles – by Chelsey Luger & Thosh Collins

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    The 10almonds Team

    At first glance, this can seem like an unscientific book—you won’t find links to studies in this one, for sure! However, if we take a look at the seven circles in question, they are:

    1. Food
    2. Movement
    3. Sleep
    4. Ceremony
    5. Sacred Space
    6. Land
    7. Community

    Regular 10almonds readers may notice that these seven items contain five of the things strongly associated with the “supercentenarian Blue Zones”. (If you are wondering why Native American reservations are not Blue Zones, the answer there lies less in health science and more in history and sociology, and what things have been done to a given people).

    The authors—who are Native American, yes—present in one place a wealth of knowledge and know-how. Not even just from their own knowledge and their own respective tribes, but gathered from other tribes too.

    Perhaps the strongest value of this book to the reader is in the explanation of noting the size of each of those circles, how they connect with each other, and providing a whole well-explained system for how we can grow each of them in harmony with each other.

    Or to say the same thing in sciencey terms: how to mindfully improve integrated lifestyle factors synergistically for greater efficacy and improved health-adjusted quality-of-life years.

    Bottom line: if you’re not averse to something that mostly doesn’t use sciencey terms of have citations to peer-reviewed studies peppered through the text, then this book has wisdom that’s a) older than the pyramids of Giza, yet also b) highly consistent with our current best science of Blue Zone healthy longevity.

    Click here to check out The Seven Circles, and live well!

    Don’t Forget…

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    Learn to Age Gracefully

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  • 5 Golden Rules To Improve Your Mobility (At Any Age)

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    The 10almonds Team

    Implement these rules, and enjoy good mobility for life:

    It’s about focus

    Or mindfulness, if you prefer. Intentionality, perhaps, but then you have to actually carry out the intentions too (daydreaming will not suffice)!

    So, five things to keep in mind (and act upon):

    1. Regress to progress: in other words, allow yourself to return to the basics when needed. Modifying an exercise, even to ostensibly “make it easier” is matching it to what your body needs right now. In a subjective sense, it’s not easier at all, if the effort required to do it is the same. Backing off helps you rebuild strength, correct compensations, and feel the right muscles working.
    2. Follow the three-part prehab process: every warm-up should include foam rolling, dynamic stretching, and activation. Foam rolling relaxes tight muscles, stretching mobilizes joints, and activation wakes up underactive muscles. This sequence builds flexibility, mobility, and stability so your body can perform optimally during training.
    3. Be intentional when you exercise: prioritize quality over load, e.g. focus on full range of motion rather than heavier weights or faster reps. Proper loading through the full range helps maintain and improve mobility which is, at the end of the day, what you’re doing this for. The numbers in your exercise log don’t matter—your body does. So, pay attention to what muscles you feel working—those are the ones benefitting.
    4. Perfect form doesn’t always mean perfect muscle recruitment: you can have textbook form but still use the wrong muscles! For example, compensations can hide behind good-looking movements, leading to pain and imbalance. Always check what you actually feel working, and correct recruitment through mobility and activation drills targeted to your weak links, as applicable.
    5. Use it or lose it: mobility, like strength, needs maintenance. Keep doing the prehab and activation work that made you feel better—don’t drop it once pain fades. Consistent small efforts protect against regression and help you stay strong, supple, and pain-free as you age.

    For more on all of this, enjoy:

    Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!

    Want to learn more?

    You might also like:

    Mobility For Now & For Later: Train For The Marathon That Is Your Life!

    Take care!

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  • The Most Important Mobility Moves Everyone Needs

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    The 10almonds Team

    Mobility training can feel difficult at first, but it’s just because your body isn’t used to the movements. This is normal, and is just a stage to get past. Here’s how:

    The Core Four

    Here are four exercises that target the most critical kinds of mobility that it’s most important to build and maintain:

    1. Spinal segmentation (from tabletop position): move your spine one section at a time—pelvis, lower back, mid back, upper back—using controlled tilts to build spinal awareness and form control.
    2. Hip internal and external Rotation (from cross-legged position): rotate each leg outwards and inwards while seated, keeping both knees bent, to improve hip mobility, leg strength, and to help prevent knee injuries.
    3. Shoulder & upper back mobility (sunbather to prisoner position): circle your arms from behind your head to behind your back and back again while controlling your rib movement, targeting a full range of motion in your shoulders.
    4. Hamstring mobility (elephant walk with anterior tilt): with your knees slightly bent and back flat, alternate straightening each leg while maintaining an anterior pelvic tilt to gently lengthen your hamstrings.

    For more on each of these, plus visual demonstrations, enjoy:

    Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!

    Want to learn more?

    You might also like:

    Four Habits That Drastically Improve Mobility

    Take care!

    Don’t Forget…

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    Learn to Age Gracefully

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