It's NOT a chemical imbalance or at the very least there is NO data to prove it as there is NO way to centrally measure such neurotransmitters.
All we have are tagged/radio labelled proxy studies of circulation and oxygenation.
The SSRI researchers silently admit that many SSRIs that have a small effect (for a while) seem to do so based on neurogenesis, not due to SSRI altering function.
So, just as you correctly state: meditation, exercise, fresh air, grounding, proper circadian sleep cycle, proper diet, sunshine and novel mental/sensory stimuli do the same as the best of antidepressants (neurogenesis and increase in blood circulation / brain activity), but at a higher efficacy level and with less or no side effects (other than getting "more life").
Read again: There is not a single study showing a method of measuring central nervous system neurotransmitter levels in a living organism. Not before or after SSRI treatment. Thus, what they have with SSRI causal effect is an (as of yet) untestable hypothesis. No proof.
It's NOT a chemical imbalance or at the very least there is NO data to prove it as there is NO way to centrally measure such neurotransmitters.
All we have are tagged/radio labelled proxy studies of circulation and oxygenation.
The SSRI researchers silently admit that many SSRIs that have a small effect (for a while) seem to do so based on neurogenesis, not due to SSRI altering function.
So, just as you correctly state: meditation, exercise, fresh air, grounding, proper circadian sleep cycle, proper diet, sunshine and novel mental/sensory stimuli do the same as the best of antidepressants (neurogenesis and increase in blood circulation / brain activity), but at a higher efficacy level and with less or no side effects (other than getting "more life").
Read again: There is not a single study showing a method of measuring central nervous system neurotransmitter levels in a living organism. Not before or after SSRI treatment. Thus, what they have with SSRI causal effect is an (as of yet) untestable hypothesis. No proof.
Yeah, just like I wrote: no direct central measurements. All we can do is metabolomics and tagged/radio label studies.
But yeah, we agree on the most important point: SSRIs are just mostly crap and good living/diet/exercise is superior.