Ep. 118: The TRUTH About Serotonin & SSRIs: Why Serotonin is NOT the Happy Hormone

In this episode we discuss: Why serotonin is NOT the “happy hormone” and you may not want to increase it How serotonin and depression relate to stress and energy balance Whether SSRIs are effective for depression How SSRIs actually work, their impact on metabolism, and whether they’re the best treatment option for depression The real drivers of depression and anxiety   Free Energy Balance Food Guide: https://jayfeldmanwellness.com/guide   Free Energy Balance Mini-Course: https://www.jayfeldmanwellness.com/energy/   Check out the Energy Balance Solution program here: https://www.jayfeldmanwellness.com/solution/   The Nutrition Blueprint: https://mikefave.com/the-nutrition-blueprint/   Click here to check out the show notes: https://www.jayfeldmanwellness.com/ep-118-the-truth-about-serotonin-and-ssris-why-serotonin-is-not-the-happy-hormone   Timestamps: 0:00 – intro 0:58 – the research showing that serotonin is not the “happy hormone” 4:56 – serotonin’s role in driving the stress state that leads to depression 8:26 – the overlap between anxiety and depression and why they are both characterized by elevated serotonin levels 10:27 – the origins of the idea that serotonin is the “happy hormone” and how serotonin became a marketing tool for pharmaceutical companies 14:49 – serotonin is increased during fasting and starvation and why increasing serotonin should not be our goal 20:16 – serotonin is increased during stress, shock, and infection and leads to learned helplessness 29:04 –SSRIs use in neonates causes depression in adulthood 31:35 – the serotonergic system as an adaptive stress response to a lack of energy 39:09 – serotonin’s role in energy redistribution under stress 43:15 – how SSRIs inhibit mitochondrial respiration, glucose metabolism, and energy production in the brain and liver 47:13 – how SSRIs can reduce symptoms and how the brain responds to SSRIs 52:42 – the true drivers of depression and anxiety 1:01:30 – how serotonin relates to stress hormones, including cortisol, and energy balance