I completely agree with the fact that the “chemical imbalance” idea is a gross simplification, but it also makes a lot of sense why psychiatrists would be prone

I completely agree with the fact that the “chemical imbalance” idea is a gross simplification, but it also makes a lot of sense why psychiatrists would be prone to this type of mindset. When all you have is medication with relatively well defined effects on neurotransmitters(mostly GABA, serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine) everything looks like a problem of getting those in the right ratio. Personally having experienced depression myself and knowing many others who have experienced it, I’m of the opinion that a lot of mental issues are either symptoms of some other condition (like diarrhea or coughing) or the result of learned behavior / maladaptive coping mechanisms. Or simply us treating emotional states or personalities that aren’t socially acceptable as illnesses (of course this doesn’t include things like psychosis, nor is it meant to diminish how serious depression and anxiety can be). That’s a bit uncomfortable for the existing mental health complex though