Blowing the Lid off the Chemical Imbalance Myth with Dr Joanna Moncrieff | The Gaslit Truth Podcast with Dr. Teralyn Sell & Therapist Jenn Schmitz

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The story you’ve been told about depression is tidy, catchy, and comforting—and it doesn’t match the evidence. We sit down with Professor Joanna Moncrieff to unpack why the “chemical imbalance” narrative took hold, what her 2022 umbrella review actually found about serotonin, and how a drug-centered lens helps us make wiser choices about antidepressants. Instead of assuming pills fix a faulty brain, we look at how psychoactive drugs alter consciousness—sometimes helpful in crisis, often numbing across the emotional spectrum—and what that means for informed consent.

Joanna walks us through the gap between early, hyped studies and larger research that failed to replicate findings on serotonin. We explore what serotonin reliably affects (sexual function), where the data are inconsistent (mood, sleep, appetite), and how SSRIs may increase activity in the short term yet disrupt systems over time. We zoom out to the marketing that reframed distress as a biological condition requiring medication, cementing a professional identity while sidelining context—grief, trauma, values, and life events that actually shape how we feel.

We also get practical. If you’v

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💊 Ready to Deprescribe Your Psych Meds?

Psych meds have harmed us—and we’re not just survivors, we’re deeply educated in psychopharmacology, psychology, and nutrition. As hosts of The Gaslit Truth Podcast, we guide people safely off psychiatric medications with strategies grounded in science and brain health

🔥 You’ve been harmed. You’ve been dismissed. It’s time to take your brain back—with guidance from people who’ve been there and know their stuff.

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