A Shocking New Treatment

“Deep brain stimulation” is what they’re calling it.
It almost sounds soothing and nice.
Did you hear about this? Scientists use electrodes to “stimulate” the brains of depressed people.
The whole thing works through surgically implanted probes in your brain that are connected to an electrical device sewn into your chest.
They say it’s like a pacemaker for your brain.
I call it the new shock therapy.
People with Parkinson’s disease use similar things to improve their mobility. But when the devices are turned on, the patients can’t talk. The flow of electricity interrupts other brain functions.
I don’t believe anything that invasive can be good for you.

How to Sidestep This Disturbing Trend…

Have you seen the TV commercial? The one where the guy isn’t getting results from one antidepressant, so he’s taking two?
Doctors hand out these drugs like candy.
When I started my practice, this was pretty rare. By the 90s, everyone was on Prozac. Today, patients walk in on two or three antidepressants. And a lot of the times, they’re on other addictive drugs, too.
This is a disturbing trend. We don’t really know what the dangers are when you mix these drugs…