Lifestyle

Turns Out, An Insane Number Of People Taking Antidepressants Aren't Depressed

by Leigh Weingus

People who take antidepressants are depressed, right?

Maybe. But according to a new study, almost 50 percent of them aren't.

This startling statistic comes from a study published in the journal JAMA, which looked at 10 years of data on antidepressant prescriptions.

Researchers reviewed 100,000 prescriptions written by 160 doctors for 20,000 people. While half the prescriptions had indeed been written to treat depression, the other half were prescribed to treat conditions like bulimia, insomnia, anxiety, pain and more.

As for why this is the case, researchers don't quite know. They do have a theory, though.

Study author Jenna Wong explained,

Some of these conditions are things where there is no exact treatment. The patients may be desperate for something to treat their ailments.

While this theory isn't exactly comforting, it does make sense -- doctors want to fix, and often they fix by prescribing.

While one in 10 Americans takes antidepressants, there have been moves in recent years to treat depression in a more natural way.

A combination of meditation and running has proven to be a great way to naturally treat depression and anxiety, and some people have even started taking probiotics to get happier and healthier.

What can you take away from this new study, though? While antidepressants are great, make sure you read your labels and do your research when your doctor prescribes you something.

Taking pills for the wrong reason is never a good idea.

Citations: Half of the People Taking Antidepressants Aren't Depressed: Study (TIME)