Blowing the Lid off the Chemical Imbalance Myth with Dr Joanna Moncrieff

For decades, we’ve heard the same reassuring story: Depression is a chemical imbalance—and antidepressants fix it.
But Professor Joanna Moncrieff says the evidence simply doesn’t back that up.

In our conversation, she breaks down why the serotonin myth exploded, what her 2022 review actually found, and why a drug-centered view of antidepressants changes the whole picture.

The shocker?
Antidepressants aren’t “correcting” anything—they’re psychoactive drugs that alter mood and consciousness, sometimes helpful short term, often numbing.

Large studies have failed to link serotonin to depression, while the most consistent SSRI effect is… sexual side effects. Mood benefits? Inconsistent at best.

Marketing turned human suffering into a “brain defect,” overshadowing the real drivers: trauma, grief, values, and life events.

If you think you know what causes depression, this may shake everything loose.