Nearly 10 percent of the nation is on some kind of antidepressant, which just shouldn’t be the case – not when there are real, safe alternatives.

I’ve had tremendous success in treating depression by focusing on – and correcting – nutritional and hormonal imbalances. But another good alternative is cognitive behavioral therapy – and now there’s a new and easier way to get it: online.

You might remember that study I mentioned back in June, the one which showed just how effective this therapy is for many teens battling depression. (Click here to read, “Saving teens from depression.”)  I can point to a number of studies that show this is also true for adults, even in cases of long-term and severe depression.

The problem for many people has been getting the treatment – but new research shows that online cognitive behavioral therapy is just as effective at treating depression as in-person sessions.

Now, when I read about this in August in the special “Global Mental Health” issue of The Lancet, I knew it wouldn’t be quite as simple as that – and it’s not. The online therapy needs to be delivered in real-time by a real, live therapist at a computer of his own.

But it’s still terrific news. Adults who don’t have time or don’t live near a therapist can now get the help they need. Kids can get appointments without needing a ride to or from the clinic. Everyone wins – everyone, that is, except the makers of those meds that might get tossed out.

Many patients either forget or are never told how powerful and dangerous most of these drugs can be, so let me lay out two things right off the top that’s as true for kids as it is adults.

First, many of these drugs contain fluorine, the most powerful oxidizing agent on the planet. It also has the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier. Once in the brain, fluorine can cause brain damage and degeneration.

You simply don’t want to fool with this stuff.

Second, these meds do nothing for your depression. They mask symptoms, and that’s it. In the rare instances where I need to prescribe an antidepressant, it’s a temporary measure while we work on correcting the real issue – often that nutritional or hormonal deficiency I mentioned.

But for so many doctors, meds are the only answer. They prescribe a drug and send the patient on his or her way, where apparently they’re sharing these meds with their friends.

Instead of looking for drugs, look for treatments that provide real solutions. After all, you can’t share a drug if it was never given to you in the first place.

We all like it when our kids share. But there are certain acts of generosity that we’re not so crazy about — like the sharing of germs, bad habits… and prescription meds.

Researchers conducted a survey of 592 kids between the ages of 12 and 17 and found that 20 percent of them share their meds, while another 20 percent admit to borrowing them. Because it’s a survey, remember that this is the number that will admit to it – which means the real number is likely higher.

Much higher.

I’ll be honest here – I wasn’t surprised when I read about this in August in the Journal of Adolescent Health, but it’s probably a real eye-opener for many adults – especially parents.

The survey found that kids most often share allergy meds and powerful painkillers, but they also “prescribe” each other antibiotics, antidepressants and anti-anxiety meds, among others.

The problem hits the kids in two ways: First, they are at risk of taking a drug that could give them an allergic reaction, side effects or worse. In fact, more than a third of the borrowers said they experienced some kind of reaction from the borrowed meds.

Second, this habit of self-medication means some may not go to a doctor when they should, instead choosing to visit the “doctor” in the next locker or the “pharmacist” on the playground.

So children with problems that require real attention aren’t getting it, putting your kids at risk not only for their original conditions, but from the complications that come from ignoring them.

And the survey shows that when these kids do make it to the doctor, 40 percent of them “forget” to mention the borrowed meds, putting them at risk for overdose or interactions when the doctor writes a real prescription.

Now, it’s disturbing enough that kids are doing it – but adults who should know better do it too. In fact, we’re worse than the kids. Some studies have shown that up to 40 percent of adults have shared their meds.

As a nation, we’ve become far too comfortable with drugs. Medications aren’t a big deal to many of us – but they should be. Because so many of us take so many pills, we don’t see them for what they really are: dangerous drugs with the potential for terrible side effects.

So let’s start with our kids on this one and hope they grow up with a healthier respect for the powers – and dangers – of prescription drugs. Teach them that sharing is good when it comes to school supplies, sandwiches and even opinions.

But not when it comes to meds.

There’s an old saying that tells us we don’t know what we have until it’s gone.

And that’s as true when it comes to people as it does to material objects. Many of us with an older person in our lives don’t always take the time to appreciate them and what they have to offer.

It’s tragic on a number of levels, and it actually can impact the health of a senior. That’s because having a strong social support circle is a key factor in overall health when it comes to aging.

I found the latest evidence of this in the pages of the August American Journal of Public Health, but it really only confirms what we’ve learned from previous studies.

In the latest effort, researchers followed nearly 3,500 seniors for a decade.

The researchers found that seniors who reported stronger social support networks had overall better health. On the other hand, those who said they were unhappy with their support reported poorer health.

It’s as simple as that.

I’ve told you before about the importance of staying sharp and engaged as you age to help ward off dementia. And it’s been clear for some time that seniors who withdraw – especially after they lose a spouse – tend to get sicker and lonelier.

So if you’re older, don’t let that happen to you – and don’t wait for help to come to you. Seek out friends and loved ones and stay connected. Sometimes, all it takes is a gentle reminder.

If you have an older person in your family, don’t let life get so busy and hectic that you never have time to see them. Make them an important part of your family and your life while you still can.

You know you’ll miss them when they’re gone. But for now, you can help make sure they remain healthy simply by being there for them.

Ever notice how industry-funded studies always seem to favor the industry?

The latest example of this can be found in the pages of the August Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, where a study on the safety of some asthma meds concluded that they are, in fact, safe.

And by the way, this study was paid for by Big Pharma. Big surprise? Not on your life.

The study was supposed to answer concerns over long-acting beta agonists, which previous studies have linked to increased hospitalizations, severe asthma attacks, and even deaths – all unnecessary since asthma can be treated without meds, and I’ll tell you more about that in a moment.

These meds are so bad that an FDA advisory committee has already come right out and called for a ban on some of them for asthma use.

But you know Big Pharma – they won’t go down without a fight.

I’ve told you before about the secret and shady influence Big Pharma has had on our medical journals. (Click here to read “More shady ethics from Big Pharm.”) But sometimes, that influence isn’t hidden – it’s right there for everyone to see.

That’s the case with this current study, which was funded by Big Pharma. They claim they had no influence on it or its outcome, and that the author just so happened to conclude on his own that people who take these meds have no cause for concern.

Coincidence?

If there’s a notorious cattle rustler in town right around the time your animals go missing, it usually isn’t too hard to figure out what happened.

Other researchers who look at this study can only shake their heads. Dr. Shelley Salpeter of Stanford University has done her own research on these meds, and reviewed plenty of others, and concluded that the drugs do in fact increase asthma hospitalizations and have even led to deaths.

She told the Reuters news agency that the results of the new study clearly reflect the influence of the company that paid for it.

Another asthma researcher, Dr. Christopher Cates of the University of London, told the same news agency: “Nothing should be concluded about the safety of long-acting beta agonist in asthma from this study design.”

But to me, the real question isn’t about the safety of these drugs – it’s about the need for them in the first place.

Asthma is an autoimmune disorder, and I’ve found it’s almost always triggered by an allergen – either in the environment or in the diet. Most doctors won’t give you the thorough testing you need to find the food allergen component of your asthma – but if you insist on it, you can learn what’s triggering your allergy.

You see, it took me a long time to realize that if your asthma is caused from something you eat that is at least a trillion times the dose of anything that you encounter environmentally. Armed with this information, which group of allergens do you think is really the overwhelming bad guy?

Once you do that, you can remove it from your home, your job and your life – along with those meds.