It’s not in your head
The below meta-analysis of dozens of studies has demonstrated that depression is NOT a low-serotonin brain-chemical imbalance. A pill can’t fix the many actual causes of depression, but a counselor can help you overcome them. Since 95% of serotonin is found in the small intestine, a good probiotic protocol (note: all probiotics are not created equal) may be the way to go. Sure chased away my blues! Frankly to me, the scariest part is that antidepressant use, as opposed to depression, presages dementia.—MR
The serotonin theory of depression
by J. Moncrieff, R.E. Cooper, T. Stockmann, S. Amendola, M. Hengartner & M. Horowitz, Molecular Psychiatry, 2022
The serotonin hypothesis of depression is still influential. We aimed to synthesize and evaluate evidence on whether depression is associated with lowered serotonin concentration or activity in a systematic umbrella review of the principal relevant areas of research.