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Lately there have been a spate of articles about anti-depressants not working any better than a placebo. The below link is a long article with a ton of interesting information.
What is not mentioned in these articles when discussing the number of people pills actually helped vs. the number of people prescribed pills which has doubled and tripled since around 2005 - is that maybe the reason the pills don't work isn't that the whole role of serotonin is wrong, but that these 'depressed' people don't have organic brain issues. They are just unhappy. Whether they were born that way or have reason to be, an unhappy not depressed person won't be helped by antidepressants.
Clearly AD's are over prescribed. They don't know but assume I have a chemical imbalance. But what chemical is it I need? What's going on up there, I sure wonder. They don't know that either. Their method is to throw drug after drug at the problem, as if throwing a dart at a board, maybe this one will work, if not throw another dart. A monkey could do that much. It's all very scientific you know. That's what I object to, this throwing meds at the problem then pushing ya out of the office with a, "see you in a month" kind of attitude. Of course I've had to complain and stomp my feet to get them to even keep trying other AD's, and at the VA hospital its worse still that way. Some people like me have a treatment resistant type depression. Docs need to think out of the box to find meds that might help. But you don't often find ones willing to take that amount of time. That leaves the patient very frustrated and with no relief, that's my situation. I don't think most shrinks take enough time to diagnose the patient correctly. BP2 is very often missed by shrinks. Finding a good doc that really cares and will take the time to try and help is rare.
I've read the articles on the placebos versus the AD's. I can tell you in my case I could tell the difference as I get the side effects from the AD's. I don't think the truly depressed people that need medicine would be fooled by a placebo. Most of the people I know that are or have been on AD's have felt they helped to some degree but usually not enough to take away the depression. So they still have the same feelings as a whole and are more tired due to the AD. Still if it allows them to function better and the side effects are minimum, its better than having nothing that works at all. It's a very individual thing, its not a one size fits all kinda of problem. I read AD's work for about 40 percent of the people, I think that maybe a bit optimistic. Would a sugar pill help someone that didn't really need the AD to begin with, maybe so.
...and then, there are the truly clinically depressed, who have a genuine, bonafide brain-chemistry and/or hormonal imbalance that -can- be corrected with medication. No, it won't turn them into a suddenly happy camper. But it might keep them from shoving a knife into their own chest.
There are people who do -not- have crappy lives, who have everything to live for, who have good physical health, good jobs, good homes, good food, etc. etc. etc..and who are suicidal and unable to cope with life.
You can't explain that way by saying "oh they're just unhappy, suck it up."
Yes, some people are medicated when they shouldn't be. That is truth. But some people do need to be medicated, because whatever is wrong with them, goes WAY beyond "you're just unhappy."
If you don't understand the difference between "being depressed" and "clinical depression" I advise you strongly to learn.
I agree here so much. I've been on antidepressants for 2 years, and realize now that I should have gotten help when I was a teenager. You can't possibly understand what it's like to need medication for depression until you feel like killing yourself for no reason but your brain trying to tell you it's a good idea no matter how successful you are. Yes I still get "unhappy" but I'm not spending most of my days wanting to jump in front of a train.
On top of that when these anti-dep addicts see or deal with someone who is capable of having NORMAL emotions and feelings they they label THEM as having a mental disorder such as bipolar depression etc.
Twelve years since this thread was started and, overall, people are worse than ever. Sometimes I feel like I'm surrounded by mindless zombies who don't want to be held accountable for their own emotions and feelings, so they jump on that drug wagon and use it as a crutch, almost like a badge of honor to show that at least they're trying to "get better", even if, in my opinion, they were perfectly fine to begin with.
Why is everyone suddenly being labeled "bipolar"? An errant mood swing: bipolar. Has a case of the blues: bipolar. Has a burst of creative energy: bipolar. Talks a lot: bipolar. Yelled at someone that made them angry: bipolar. I called someone on it recently, hearing them lament their diagnosis of "bipolar" and that they were prescribed medication for their 'condition'. "What condition?" I asked. "Being human?"
It was stated upthread about how easy it's become to foster and nurture a dull, compliant population by normalizing, and even popularizing, prescription drugs. Just look at all the posts on this forum of people proudly listing off the slew of pharmaceuticals they either are taking or have taken, or who visit a psychiatrist one time for 40 minutes and walk out with three prescriptions for mind-altering drugs. We, as subjects, don't know what's really being put in these drugs and what the eventual long-term effects are. I bet those running the industry sure do, and they're winning the game.
Twelve years since this thread was started and, overall, people are worse than ever.
This era puts an emphasis on "being happy". It is a lot of pressure to "be happy" all the time. Happy is an emotion, just like being sad, scared, etc. The word "depressed" gets used too often.
I have things in my life that I can be happy about. There are also some big pockets of sadness. Those parts of my life, no amount of medicine can change that.
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Originally Posted by heavymind
Why is everyone suddenly being labeled "bipolar"? An errant mood swing: bipolar. Has a case of the blues: bipolar. Has a burst of creative energy: bipolar. Talks a lot: bipolar. Yelled at someone that made them angry: bipolar. I called someone on it recently, hearing them lament their diagnosis of "bipolar" and that they were prescribed medication for their 'condition'. "What condition?" I asked. "Being human?"
I am thinking you may have never encountered a true bipolar person. I have a family member that can go from being calm to out of control in less than a moment. Actually I can feel their mood begin to change the day before, it is like their chemical imbalance starts to change and goes severe. It is impossbile to calm them down. It can get ugly.
I don't think "lots" of people are bipolar. I think there are a bunch of people that have anger issues.
I also think lots of people are on edge. Crazy polital issues, mass shootings, wars in the Middle East, etc --it affects us all. We are bombarded with the News. Long ago we put on the News at 5pm, now it is available every moment.
Long ago we put on the News at 5pm, now it is available every moment.
Good points made there. And it wasn't really that long ago.
15-20 years ago most people were not in constant contact with one another 24/7, same with the nonstop media exposure. I don't believe the technology of instant gratification is working out well because it leaves nothing to look forward to anymore.
Just look at all the posts on this forum of people proudly listing off the slew of pharmaceuticals they either are taking or have taken, or who visit a psychiatrist one time for 40 minutes and walk out with three prescriptions for mind-altering drugs.
You must be referring to me - I talked about this on another thread.
I'm not misinformed about the reality of psychiatric medications...And I don't trivialize psychosis and marginalize psychiatry by emphasizing the adverse effects of antipsychotic medications while denying or minimizing their benefits. A study published in the prestigious "Archives of General Psychiatry" observed whenever the prescriptions of antidepressant medication went up, the actual suicide rate went down.
There are equally scurrilous websites that can frighten people who suffer from the genuine brain disease of mental illness away from the very treatments that can save their lives and promote healing.
Normal emotions such as being "unhappy" are temporary and proportional to the situation, while mental illnesses are persistent and interfere with daily functioning.
I don't either. I think most people are "normal" (whatever that means), and, in my opinion, are fine as they are. But our society has been conditioned to have to feel and behave a certain way, which now necessitates therapy and a series of drugs that may or may not have serious long term effects. Most of it is simply not needed. Just let people be people.
Quote:
I am thinking you may have never encountered a true bipolar person.
I have, and it's me. I learned to cope and just deal with it, knowing what can cause or trigger a major emotional shift, and trying to avoid that thing or flush it from my life permanently. I sometimes remove myself from situations because I know nothing good will come out of it. Going to the source of the problem and fixing or changing it, not masking it with a constant cocktail of laboratory drugs designed to dull the mind.
Good points made there. And it wasn't really that long ago.
15-20 years ago most people were not in constant contact with one another 24/7, same with the nonstop media exposure. I don't believe the technology of instant gratification is working out well because it leaves nothing to look forward to anymore.
All of that is optional though. Nobody HAS to be in contact 24/7. It's a choice. I never used to look at the news since DH would give me the highlights, lol. Now I check it once in the morning with coffee, check in here on C-D, look at email and done for the day. I don't even click on the horrible articles that would upset me. Can't do anything about it.
All of that is optional though. Nobody HAS to be in contact 24/7. It's a choice.
Yes indeed, and I'll fight for it until the bitter end! But just because I've chosen to not be connected 24/7 doesn't help that almost everyone else has, and that forces me to have to deal with it on a daily basis, particularly when it comes to work/business. If I lived alone on a deserted island it would be a non-issue, and also a dream come true for this introvert.
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That's what I object to, this throwing meds at the problem then pushing ya out of the office with a, "see you in a month" kind of attitude. Of course I've had to complain and stomp my feet to get them to even keep trying other AD's, and at the VA hospital its worse still that way. Some people like me have a treatment resistant type depression. Docs need to think out of the box to find meds that might help. But you don't often find ones willing to take that amount of time. That leaves the patient very frustrated and with no relief, that's my situation. I don't think most shrinks take enough time to diagnose the patient correctly. BP2 is very often missed by shrinks. Finding a good doc that really cares and will take the time to try and help is rare.
I am thinking you may have never encountered a true bipolar person. I have a family member that can go from being calm to out of control in less than a moment. Actually I can feel their mood begin to change the day before, it is like their chemical imbalance starts to change and goes severe. It is impossbile to calm them down. It can get ugly.
