As one of our colleagues recently said, "Biochemical imbalances are the only diseases spread by word of mouth." Individually, we must all use our own intuitive understanding of life to determine the likelihood that our problems are caused by some as-yet-undetected brain dysfunction rather than by conflicts in the home, at work, or in society, painful life experiences, confused values, a lack of direction, or other aspects of human life.
Of course, our bodies can affect our emotional outlook. We all find it much easier to maintain a bright and enthusiastic attitude when physically healthy than when physically ill. And anything from lack of sleep to the common cold can affect our moods.
However, doctors commonly give people psychiatric drugs without checking for obvious signs of serious physical disorder, such as hypothyroidism, estrogen deficiency, or head injury from a car accident. Moreover, they seem particularly prone to overlooking the importance of physical symptoms in women. Some women with obvious signs of a hormonal disorder or heart condition are put on antidepressants and antianxiety drugs without first being required by their internists or psychiatrists to undergo a physical evaluation (Garland, E. Jane and Elizabeth A. Baerg., 2001) .
It is therefore theoretically possible that some anxious or depressed people may be afflicted with an as-yet-undetected physical dysfunction. But this speculation doesn't justify the unfounded conclusion that people in emotional distress are beset by specific biochemical imbalances or that such imbalances can be corrected with drugs.
In our own experience, most people with depression and anxiety have obvious reasons for how they feel. These reasons are often apparent in their everyday lives and may be complicated by past experiences in childhood or earlier adult life......
