Anti-depressant drugs are getting into coastal waters and upsetting the behaviour of shrimps according to researchers at the University of Portsmouth. The drugs enter the sea in human waste through the sewage system.
"Crustaceans are crucial to the food chain and if shrimps' natural behaviour is being changed because of antidepressant levels in the sea this could seriously upset the natural balance of the eco-system," says Dr Alex Ford whose research has been published in the journal Aquatic Toxicology.
In 2002 there were 26,300,000 antidepressant prescriptions handed in England & Wales. Before reaching for the pills try this alternative recommended by a therapist;
On a daily basis (you could make a planner and / or record this in a diary)
- 20 minutes exercise
- 20 minutes doing something you have been putting off
- 20 minutes doing something you love