Psychiatry Exposed

[Losty]

So the question is (and it's rhetorical), why should any person who has a sound reasoning capacity, and is aware of these facts, ever take such a risk in an attempt to cure himself?

I don't believe in rhetorical questions.
The reason easy. The possible benefits out weigh the possible side effects.

[Ryantology]

I agree that my psychologists and worse yet GP's are way too quick to prescribe drugs. But I've yet to see much value in talk therapy. If the problem is chemical, but you go looking for personal problem, you'll find a personal problem. And blaming that can make it worse not better.

Psychologist or psychiatrist? Psychologists typically can't prescribe medication. My wife (a cognitive psychologist herself) has a very negative view of psychiatry because of their emphasis on prescribing dangerous medication.

It really gets under her skin when people mix them up; I suppose a bit of that has rubbed off on me.

[Jackalope]

So the question is (and it's rhetorical), why should any person who has a sound reasoning capacity, and is aware of these facts, ever take such a risk in an attempt to cure himself?

I don't believe in rhetorical questions.
The reason easy. The possible benefits out weigh the possible side effects.

Indeed. That's the case with any medical treatment.

It makes me wonder if the anti-psychiatry people have bothered to look at the possible side effects from commonly prescribed non-psychiatric drugs. Downright frightening, I tell you.

A few examples for your reading pleasure.

[Jenny A]

I agree that my psychologists and worse yet GP's are way too quick to prescribe drugs. But I've yet to see much value in talk therapy. If the problem is chemical, but you go looking for personal problem, you'll find a personal problem. And blaming that can make it worse not better.

Psychologist or psychiatrist? Psychologists typically can't prescribe medication. My wife (a cognitive psychologist herself) has a very negative view of psychiatry because of their emphasis on prescribing dangerous medication.

It really gets under her skin when people mix them up; I suppose a bit of that has rubbed off on me.

Sorry, but a plague on both their houses. I find the search for root causes in the past often worse than the drugs. I've lived a charmed life, but if when depressed I look for a cause I will find it, and then it'll be much, much worse. Not that I've found the cause---only that thinking I have makes it worse.

There's at least some evidence behind some of the drugs. The evidence for talk therapy is nil or worse.

And yes, drugs are over prescribed--way over prescribed.

[Ryantology]

There's at least some evidence behind some of the drugs. The evidence for talk therapy is nil or worse.

Talk therapy doesn't kill anybody.

My wife would be the first to admit it's not much on its own, but our understanding of the mind and how it works is still in its relative infancy, and there are few real tools at their disposal. That's not even counting the many decades in which mental health as a whole was riddled with outright junk science, superstition and prejudice. It's not sold as a cure for anything, not by anyone with ethics. That's why she went into Cognitive.

[Rayaan]

The reason easy. The possible benefits out weigh the possible side effects.

That might be true in many cases depending on the person, but not always.

What about the patients who, after being intoxicated by the drugs, committed acts of violence and even suicide?

Did they get any benefit which outweighed those side effects?

[Losty]

The reason easy. The possible benefits out weigh the possible side effects.

That might be true in many cases depending on the person, but not always.

What about the patients who, after being intoxicated by the drugs, committed acts of violence and even suicide?

Did they get any benefit which outweighed those side effects?

You left out the word possible there. Medications don't help everyone and they're probably prescribed more often than necessary. People really should be super careful when starting new meds.
I wasn't discussing that though.
I was discussing the reason some people are willing to take that risk.
Using myself as an example. Living like this since before I even got divorced. Building my walls, staying inside, afraid of people, losing time, never sleeping. I had a choice to make. I had exhausted so many options already. I have three kids who need me. Do I try these medicines. Do I allow myself that one last hope that one last chance? Or do I give up? Well, I am a mother, giving up is not an option. So I decided it was worth the risk and I took as many precautions as I could to make sure if the meds don't go over well there will be no serious repercussions. I'll let you know how it goes haha.

[Rayaan]

You left out the word possible there. Medications don't help everyone and they're probably prescribed more often than necessary. People really should be super careful when starting new meds.
I wasn't discussing that though.
I was discussing the reason some people are willing to take that risk.

Okay, so based on that reasoning, some people are willing to take the risk because:

1. They think or anticipate that the possible benefits of the drugs may outweigh the possible side effects,
2. They have exhausted all the other options and
3. They took precautions to make sure that the drugs do not come with serious possible side effects.

Number 1 is not a good reason because they don't have enough facts which support that idea (i.e. that the possible benefits outweigh the side effects), unless they do number 3.

Number 2 is a reason that I can empathize with, but only applies in cases where the mental illnesses are truly and unbearably overwhelming.

Number 3 is the most important reason of all. People should at least research or ask others about the medicine that they are about to take. Sadly, I think a lot of people don't do that. They usually think that the pills are more safe than risky simply because a doctor prescribed it for them. But if people really understood the range and the severity of the side effects, then I think there would be a lot less people taking them, which would also result in less medical hazards.

I'm not saying that people don't have a reason to take these drugs. My point is that their ignorance on this matter is causing them to make more a reckless reasoning than a thoughtful/informed type of reasoning. If patients did have knowledge about such powerful, mind-altering drugs, and if their psychological hardships are less than severe, then I don't see a good rationale behind willing to take the risk.

I hope I've made this clearer now.

[Losty]

I will agree that many people are irresponsible when it comes to just taking whatever medicines some person in a white coat tosses at them.

We have people struggling with mental health issues, and doctors who prescribe them medicine for it.

Now the question is, how do we fix the problem? A lot of times it's not even a psychiatrist that prescribes the medicine. Just a family doctor. A doctor who is not only not trained to deal with this type of medical problem, but also (IMO) not qualified to be prescribing this type of medicine.
On top of that, sometimes just being strong and keep in your chin up isn't good enough. Sometimes therapy doesn't help.

I will agree with you that it's a problem. A very very complicated problem, that I have no idea how to solve.