Antidepressants, like Prozac, are known for raising serotonin levels in the brain. The function of serotonin was not understood when antidepressants were introduced to the public, in the same way that aspirin was used before anyone knew how it worked. They may have created the impression that ingesting some “correct level” of serotonin can make a person happy independent of their thoughts and actions. We are only at the first stages of understanding the link between serotonin and happiness. Animals offer insight into our neurochemical ups and downs, but these insights are unsettling. The
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