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For years, people have been told their sadness was the result of a chemical imbalance—a fixable flaw—like how insulin helps people with Type 1 diabetes.

The “chemical imbalance” theory has shaped mainstream treatment for depression, fueling widespread prescriptions of antidepressants. Yet, psychiatrist and former U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) medical officer Dr. Josef Witt-Doerring said the theory, popularized in the 1950s, has never been proven and lacks scientific backing.

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