Are You Treating Symptoms or Fixing the Root Cause?

Your Body Is Talking—Are You Listening?

A few weeks ago, I met a friend who had been feeling off lately. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” she sighed. “My heart races out of nowhere, my chest feels tight, and I keep getting this weird dizziness. Maybe I just need more magnesium or something.”

I hesitated. “That sounds like anxiety. Have you been feeling more stressed lately?”

She laughed it off. “I mean, who isn’t stressed? Work is insane, and I barely have time to sleep, but I’m handling it.”

Handling it. That’s what we all tell ourselves, right? Until the tension in our bodies turns into insomnia, digestive issues, migraines—until we can’t just “handle it” anymore.

Instead of addressing the underlying stress, she was searching for a supplement, a vitamin, a magic bullet to fix the symptoms. But anxiety isn’t just a chemical imbalance or a random glitch. It’s our body trying to communicate that something needs to change. And yet, most of us do exactly what she did—we try to silence the message instead of listening to it.

We’ve been trained to treat discomfort as an inconvenience rather than a message from our bodies. Instead of asking why we feel exhausted, in pain, or unwell, we reach for quick fixes. We numb, suppress, and move on.

But what if we stopped? What if, instead of covering up symptoms, we started asking the right questions?

This post isn’t about ditching medicine—far from it. As a medical student and someone who deeply values evidence-based care, I know that treatments are lifesaving. But I also know that real health isn’t about playing whack-a-mole with symptoms. It’s about uncovering the root cause and addressing it head-on.

1. Overprescription of Antidepressants

The prescription of antidepressants has surged in recent years, often extending beyond clinically diagnosed depression. While these medications play a crucial role in managing certain mental health conditions, their widespread use raises concerns about overprescription and the unintended consequences of using medication as a quick fix for complex emotional and social issues.

A comprehensive study conducted in Catalonia, Spain, analyzed prescription patterns between 2010 and 2019 and found a 404% increase in antidepressant prescriptions, while mental health diagnoses that warranted such medication increased by only 49%. This stark disparity suggests that antidepressants are frequently prescribed beyond their clinically approved indications—often for off-label uses or even without a corresponding diagnosis.

The overuse of antidepressants carries several risks, both medical and societal:

• Side Effects and Withdrawal: Prolonged use can lead to unwanted side effects such as weight gain, sleep disturbances, and sexual dysfunction. Additionally, discontinuation of antidepressants may result in withdrawal symptoms, making it difficult for patients to stop taking the medication even when they no longer need it.

• Addressing Social Issues with Medication: In some cases, antidepressants are prescribed to individuals facing stressors rooted in poverty, poor working conditions, and domestic violence—issues that medication alone cannot resolve. This approach may inadvertently mask the underlying social causes of distress instead of addressing them directly.

• Postpartum Depression: Research examining postpartum depression treatment found that in areas with higher rates of antidepressant prescriptions, new mothers were significantly more likely to continue taking medication for up to three years after childbirth. However, this increased prescribing did not necessarily correlate with better outcomes, suggesting that antidepressants may be overused in certain regions without clear benefits.

While antidepressants remain a valuable tool in mental health treatment, their overprescription highlights a broader issue—treating symptoms rather than addressing the root causes of distress. A more patient-centered approach that includes thorough assessments, lifestyle interventions, therapy, and social support is essential to ensuring that individuals receive the most appropriate and effective care.

2. Long-Term Medication Use Without Reevaluation

Many patients continue long-term use of medications like antidepressants without regular assessment of their ongoing need, which can lead to potential health risks and may not always align with patient well-being.

• Lack of Regular Assessment: Research indicates that a significant number of patients remain on antidepressants long-term without a clear clinical indication. A qualitative study highlighted that while most long-term use is associated with recurrent depression, approximately one-third of long-term users are in remission, with no clear reason for continued use. This suggests that many individuals may be taking these medications unnecessarily, potentially exposing themselves to avoidable side effects.

• Influence of Pharmaceutical Companies: Also, the role of pharmaceutical companies in promoting prolonged antidepressant use cannot be overlooked. These companies finance most, if not all, randomized controlled trials on the efficacy of medications, which can influence the dissemination of scientific information to practitioners. This relationship may lead to an emphasis on medication as a primary treatment modality, sometimes at the expense of considering discontinuation or alternative therapies.
  
  ”If psychiatry can attract investments because of the possible income derived by the commercialization of drugs, of course there is no interest in investing in psychotherapy research where there are no drugs to sell (also, any evidence on the efficacy of psychotherapy could interfere with pharmaceutical companies’ interest).” — The influence of pharmaceutical companies

• Potential Health Risks of Long-Term Use: Extended use of antidepressants has been associated with various adverse effects. A study from the University of Bristol found that long-term antidepressant use may double the risk of heart disease. The research indicated that individuals on these medications for over ten years had an increased risk of coronary heart disease and higher mortality rates.

• Patient Attitudes Toward Discontinuation: A qualitative study exploring patients' attitudes revealed that the fear of relapse and withdrawal symptoms is considered more frightening than the prospect of continuing unnecessary medication, leading to continued use. This highlights the need for healthcare providers to engage in open dialogues with patients, addressing concerns and providing support during the discontinuation process.

While medications like antidepressants are vital tools in managing depression, their prolonged use without regular reevaluation may not always be in the best interest of patients.

3. Neglect of Social Determinants of Health

Focusing solely on medical treatments often overlooks the social determinants that significantly impact health. Data from Harvard's Global Health Institute suggests that medical care addresses less than 25% of the factors keeping someone healthy, emphasizing the need to consider elements like living conditions, education, and cultural background. For example, a patient with chronic stress due to financial instability may develop hypertension. Prescribing blood pressure medication without addressing financial stress as the root cause does not solve the problem—it only manages it temporarily.

• Understanding Social Determinants of Health: Social determinants of health (SDOH) are the non-medical factors that influence health outcomes. They encompass the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, as well as the broader set of forces and systems shaping daily life. These include economic policies, social norms, and political systems. A report by Victoria University titled "Australia's Health Tracker: Chronic Conditions by Socioeconomic Status" highlights stark health disparities between Australia's wealthiest and most disadvantaged postcodes. The incidence of cancers, heart attacks, diabetes, and other chronic diseases is significantly higher in poorer areas, with cancer, diabetes, and lung disease being three times more prevalent, and heart attacks and strokes being twice as common in these postcodes. Socioeconomic factors such as lower income, education, poor housing, and limited resources contribute to these health inequalities. Meaning that a person from a low-income area is more likely to have limited access to healthy food and higher exposure to environmental pollutants, leading to obesity, diabetes, and respiratory diseases.