Antidepressant round-up

[classicman]

Same as the ADD/ADHD. They change the threshold for diagnosis and then make millions prescribing medications to treat the "illness"

ETA - Not intended to be disrespectful to those with serious issues for whom the medications are necessary.
In fact this whole thing makes it worse for them in some ways.

[infinite monkey]

Lamp, I've had that feeling about other illnesses, so I know what you're saying.

And because the only point of reference I have on the need for medication for mental illness is my long-term use of SSRIs for chronic depression, all I can say is that for me, they've kept me from driving off the proverbial cliff.

I've been to numerous counselors. Really, the time and money involved to "get well" is preposterous. Is taking medication the easy way out? Not for me, I don't have years and years and thousands upon thousands of dollars to go whine to someone who may or may not be able to help me define my issues that have precipitated my depression, in fact I know what a lot of those issues are, having lived this life myself.

Depression is a chemical imbalance. Are they overdiagnosing? Maybe. But I am the 12% and SSRIs have probably saved my life.

[glatt]

Most people don't wear labels on their foreheads announcing that they are taking meds. So I only know of the friends who have told me that they are having troubles and are taking them. And they number in the neighborhood of 10% of my friends. So I think it's very possible that the numbers are true, based on my anecdotal evidence.

[Undertoad]

This thread is a year old now, and I'm not resurrecting it to get
Dwellars to post again their personal experiences.
Instead, I wonder if others feel that pharmaceutical companies
are feeding the flames of mental illness primarily for $ profit.

Here's how I read this statement.

"Despite having been shown otherwise by people's personal experiences, I insist on clinging desperately to my knee-jerk idiotic notion that there is a secret conspiracy among all Big Corporations to harm us for their own greedy ends. I have no proof of this, and I kind of know that others don't either, so I am requesting a WONDERING about a FEELING rather than actual hard evidence. I will show my bona fides by posting a dollar sign because we all understand it is a symbol of evil and backs up my bogus bullshit idea."

[HungLikeJesus]

Perhaps, but I'm in agreement.

[Lamplighter]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

Here's how I read this statement.

"Despite having been shown otherwise by people's personal experiences,
I insist on clinging desperately to my knee-jerk idiotic notion that there is a secret conspiracy
among all Big Corporations to harm us for their own greedy ends.
I have no proof of this, and I kind of know that others don't either,
so I am requesting a WONDERING about a FEELING rather than actual hard evidence.
I will show my bona fides by posting a dollar sign because we all understand
it is a symbol of evil and backs up my bogus bullshit idea."

OK, fair enough for your reading of my intro...

But now please go to the link (Washington Post) and then give your reaction to the article
... use of statistics, methodology, interpretation, etc.
.

[Pico and ME]

Most people do not lead healthy lives, they don't exercise and their diet is horrible, and a lot of those people suffer from depression as a result. Yes, the pharmaceutical industry found a cash cow.

[infinite monkey]

Yeah, like "fibromyalgia."

Careful what you poo-poo.

[Undertoad]

Originally Posted by Lamplighter

But now please go to the link (Washington Post) and then give your reaction to the article
... use of statistics, methodology, interpretation, etc.
.

All information given in the story strongly asserts that your proposition is wrong, that mental illness is in fact an actual problem, not something pfizer's board room calculated up, and that it is actually undertreated.

Sorry.

But you know, it's just a *feeling* you have, so actual evidence has nothing to do with it! Screw the evidence, full steam ahead with your shitty narrative!

[Sundae]

Every person I have known who has admitted to taking anti-depressants has been incapacitated by their condition before seeking help. Their illness has dicked around with their life - unable to work, or caused a relationship breakdown, or self-medicating to the point of a hospital visit.

Oh, I lie. A bulimic friend was prescribed Prozac back in the 90s.
It just made her hyper, so she came off it.

Ideally I would like to receive CBT therapy.
It's supposed to be the very best long term solution for many depressives.
But it is time and labour intensive and only available in a very few places (on the NHS I mean - I couldn't afford it privately).

I've had some other counselling but it just seemed rubbish to me. Sit and have a chat.
I quite liked alcohol counselling, I admit. I would sit and flagellate myself and the counsellor would tell me I had no reason to hate myself so much and instead I was a wonderful person. I used to walk out of there with a spring in my step. It wasn't effective long term re becoming teetotal. But it really helped for a while.

Perhaps I'm not depressed, I'm just narcissistic. Is there a pill for that?

[infinite monkey]

I've found, over the years, that it's been immensely helpful in my struggle to be able to stand myself to make sure I blame myself hard and blame myself often. Also, I seek the counsel and input of those who are more than happy to also blame me hard and blame me often.

Nothing has helped me on the road to mental health more than they have. I thank them. Think of all the people who can be too ashamed to seek treatment because it means they're weak and lazy and piggish...leaving more meds available for me.

Luckily, I'm stronger than THOSE weak and lazy and piggish depressed and anxiety-disordered folks, who are too easily influenced by the really good and strong people on earth.

[Lamplighter]

UT, thanks for your perspective.

[Undertoad]

Sorry if I got angry, you pressed several of my hot buttons at the same time.

[classicman]

On a positive note. THIS post still resonates with me.

I remember the moment I realized I had clinical depression. I was driving down the street and I felt this heavy weight on my body. I didn't feel sad so much as I felt that nothing mattered. I could drive down the road or I could drive off the embankment and it didn't matter which choice I made.

I remember the moment I realized the drug was bringing me out of it. I was looking up at the sky and admiring the awesome gradient of blue it created. Every day a gradient with billions of colors no Photoshop will ever be able to reproduce. And I realized: I'm seeing colors again. I'm hearing birds again. I wasn't hearing them before.

[footfootfoot]

Originally Posted by Pico and ME

Most people do not lead healthy lives, they don't exercise and their diet is horrible, and a lot of those people suffer from depression as a result. Yes, the pharmaceutical industry found a cash cow.

To add to that there is this aspect of our culture and society which is at its core, sick and morally bankrupt yet telling us it is healthy and righteous. There are psychopaths running the country and big corporations, there is an incessant flow of misinformation and outright lies from people in authority and people who have asked for our trust. When you repeatedly are subject to someone "pissing on your shoes and telling you it's raining" learned helplessness is created in the pissed upon. No matter what I do, I cannot effect a change.

THAT is some depressing shit right there. We live in a culture that strips us of power while telling us we will become empowered when we buy whatever crap is being sold.