Review of "The Emperor's New Drugs : Exploding the Antidepressant Myth" on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Kirsch starts the book by stating some simple facts from his original metastudy of efficacy of the antidepressant drugs, then continues deeper into the possible meanings of those results, and ends up debunking the whole chemical imbalance theory. Nice job!
The whole book is interesting read. It gives insight on how the drug approval process works, and also about the double standards evident in the field. Even if you take out the debunking of antidepressants, it has plenty of information about how the placebos work - after all, researching placebo effect was Kirsch's original goal.
Regarding the concerns that some reviewers have stated about this being dangerous if people stop taking their drugs... The book states several times you shouldn't do decisions on your medication on your own. It also suggests several alternative treatments, and points towards research to back those suggestions up.
The most important message this book has, …
Kirsch starts the book by stating some simple facts from his original metastudy of efficacy of the antidepressant drugs, then continues deeper into the possible meanings of those results, and ends up debunking the whole chemical imbalance theory. Nice job!
The whole book is interesting read. It gives insight on how the drug approval process works, and also about the double standards evident in the field. Even if you take out the debunking of antidepressants, it has plenty of information about how the placebos work - after all, researching placebo effect was Kirsch's original goal.
Regarding the concerns that some reviewers have stated about this being dangerous if people stop taking their drugs... The book states several times you shouldn't do decisions on your medication on your own. It also suggests several alternative treatments, and points towards research to back those suggestions up.
The most important message this book has, I think, comes after about ten pages and is in some way or another reinforced throughout the book. The message is: Do something. Whether it's drugs, therapy or half a dozen other choices, the important thing is to take action.