David B. Stein, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology and Criminal Justice
Virginia State University
www.drdavestein.com
One of the subjects that I have taught for over twenty-five years is psychopharmacology. It might be helpful to challenge one of the great myths about mental disorders, namely that they are caused by chemical imbalances. This myth is founded on some of the tricks that are pulled in so-called scientific research in psychology and psychiatry. First, there is a large volume of research claiming to discover all kinds of chemical imbalances in a wide variety of psychiatric disorders. The manipulation of research has become one of the most powerful and most unethical marketing tools ever devised. Not one study can be replicated at the testing labs of hospitals or by laboratories involved in clinical patient care. All that one needs to do is ask his or her doctor to order a blood or urine test to confirm any psychiatric disorder, and the response will be, “I’m sorry, but no such test exists.” Replication is a basic step for all sciences.
The second manipulation is a bit trickier to follow. An unethical researcher, earning grant money from the pharmaceutical companies, injects test subjects with a radioactive sample of a nervous system hormone, such as dopamine, serotonin, nor-epinephrine, and so on, and then trace, using either CT scans, MRIs, or PET scans, exactly to what parts of the brain the chemicals go. They can even trace the hormones to microscopic receptor sites on the ends on neurons. They then repeat the injection process with a radioactive sample of one of the drugs that supposedly correct chemical imbalances, such as antidepressants that elevate serotonin, or amphetamines that effect serotonin and dopamine, and so on and so forth. By golly the drugs go to the same exact parts of the brain and receptor sites as the hormones. Conclusion, the drugs are correcting chemical imbalances!
Not so fast. The part they do not tell the public, and even professional psychiatrists, psychologists, and practicing physicians, is that we can precisely measure hormone levels in all people, and diagnosis does not matter. We can measure the metabolites in the blood, which are the residue left after the hormones are metabolized i.e. used by the nerve and body cells. This tells us the precise amount of hormones carried in anyone’s body. When that is done, as it has by numerous honest researchers, we discover that the amount of hormones are exactly the same for anyone with a diagnosis, such as depression, attention deficit disorders (ADD/ADHD), bipolar, and schizophrenia, as with anyone diagnosed as perfectly normal.
There is a third part to the perpetuation of scam information. We are told that when a drug alleviates certain psychiatric conditions, such as depression and anxiety, that the drug is therefore correcting obvious chemical imbalances. However, this type of logic is not permitted in true science. This is called “allopathic logic”, which is a no no.
A quick analogy will help clear this up. If one drinks alcohol, then one experiences a relief from anxiety. Alcohol is a drug, a sedative. Can we say that alcohol clears up chemical imbalances that cause anxiety? If that were so then the entire human race is running around with chemical imbalances. The same is true for any drug used for any purpose, such as antidepressants for depression, tranquilizers for anxiety, mood stabilizer drugs for bipolar disorder, and even antipsychotic drugs for schizophrenia. This type of logic is not permitted within proper scientific circles. Sadly, proper scientific circles are evaporating within psychiatry and psychology. Those who are ethical researchers make no such claims.
Dr. David B. Stein is Professor of Psychology and Criminal Justice at Virginia State University. He is a best-selling author, and his books include: Ritalin is Not the Answer: A Drug-free, Practical Program for Children Diagnosed with ADD or ADHD; The Ritalin is Not the Answer Action Guide: An Interactive Companion to the best-selling Drug-Free ADD/ADHD Parenting Program; Unraveling the ADD/ADHD Fiasco: A Guide for Successful Parenting; and Controlling the Difficult Adolescent: The REST Program (Real Economy Program for Teens).
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also, the drugs that psychiatrists give to correct chemical imbalance also cause chemical imbalances. I did not have a disorder until I was put on a drug for one and that drug caused the permanent chemical imbalance and disorder.
Thats funny… I’ve seen plenty of studies that have shown a high correlation between chemical imbalances and symptoms of the proposed disorder. Depression being one of them, caused by low levels of serotonin. I’m not saying psychiatric drugs are the answer, because I’ve seen far more success in psychological therapy, I’m just wondering why you claim this research doesn’t exist when it does.
I haven’t broke any rules, so I would like to see this comment posted.
I have experienced the devastating effects of psychotropic drugs(not medicine) for depression as well as “suicidal ideation.” I noticed tht the drugs that I allowed them to give me made me feel worse. I was more suicidal and violent. My depression was so severe tht I made several serious suicide attempts.
I have been off the drugs as well as “therapy” for 5 years now. I feel great. Of course I get depressed at times but I now take it upon myself to get out of it before it becomes pernicious.
I would never go back.
First In would like to thank the good doctor for reminding me that replication is a basic step for all sciences.
The entire human race IS running around with chemical imbalances in their brains! In the fifth paragraph do we need to assume that all humanity is by default in a state of anxiety in order to recieve an understanding of the most accurate form of applicable logic? Alcohol reduces inhibitions, reduces reaction time, affects judgement and balance, etc. It seems more accurate to postulate that the release of inhibition after the consumption of alcohol wether actively exhibited or not might be a more applicibale example since anxiety inferrs a state not resident to emotional stasis whereas sobriety is congruent with a healthy state of inhibition ( or at a level considered average for the individual). I subsequently cannot agree to infer that slow reaction times, poor judgement, and dizziness are a desireable stasis. These were ,however, some of the side effects I suffered under forced and coercive drugging.
Digestion proceeds from a set of chemical imbalances that make animal life possible. Photosynthesis proceeds from a chemical imbalance that makes plant life possible. ALL chemical reactions are the result of previously imbalanced states. Ask a physicist to give a description of a perfect chemical balance and you are likely going to hear about the difficulty of approaching the temperature of absolute zero on a minute particle.
Rocks are outwardly percieved as being in a state of chemical balance. By pouring acid on a rock the rock may be etched. In this sense the previously perfect rock can now be described as having been in a state of imbalance previous to the etching. The very climate and biosphere in which we are most elegantly submerged is one huge set of chemical imbalances continually flowing between energy states and molecular configurations. Living brains, damaged brains, drugged brains, and even recently deceased brains are in a constant state of chemical change.
When the same breeze blows through two sets of hanging scales are they not both moved to inaccuracy? Is the wind itself out of balance to blow as it must?
When my computer gets infiltrated by malware I do not pour water on my computer in order to get it to behave more like a rock. I ask another computer to communicate the code for the removal of the malware sent there by the act of humans. Sometimes I can even get it off without the anti-malware programs. If I were to behave toward the compromised computers of psychiatrists with the same logic as the psychiatrists applied to my percieved mental status I would be likely to pour water on perfectly good computers running software whose purpose I had no intention of learning or perhaps might have found too complex to understand.
non-compliance can be a wise decision when treatment does not favor recovery——-i will not disclose much else then my desire to make my own choice was a smart move although there are consequences attached to the system that i will have to deal with such as benefits and insurance——–meds are not always the answer—addressing the true issue of concern instead of unecessary sedation to the point of not being able to express one’s self is inhumane—i am not saying that some forms of medication are not therapeutic– social security should revamp their requirements — and the system should unmask whatever it is they can not deal with through taking appropriate action against abuse and neglect before medicating someone uneccessarily only to experience being the victim of psychiatric abuse—–
Question for D, August 8, 2009:
Hi D,
You mention that you have seen “plenty of studies that have shown a high correlation between chemical imbalances and symptoms of the proposed disorder”. I have looked for these studies and haven’t found them. I did see a report – http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080303164507.htm
which stated that the media was perpetuating the myth about chemical imbalance.
Please post a web address(es) which provides at least one of these reports.
Thanks,
Oliver Asato
I’m not sure about web links, but I came across these studies during my Psychology course at college.
One study was performed by Teuting et al (1981) Measuring levels of Serotonin and Noradrenalin (brain chemicals associated with depression) through the urine, he found a high correlation between patients diagnosed with depression and low levels of these chemicals. Any scientist would be able to see this study does not establish cause and effect, but a clear correlation has been established (results were around 80%).
I’m not sure where this author got his version of the truth from, but I’m looking into this area as a profession so maybe I’ll be able to clear up this confusion someday.